MY ACCOUNT
Tottenham continue to veer from the sublime to the ridiculous.
After beating title hopefuls Manchester City earlier this month, there was plenty of optimism that Spurs had finally turned a corner under Antonio Conte.
But the North Londoners’ inconsistency reared its head again last Saturday, as Leicester romped to a 4-1 victory at the King Power Stadium.
Ahead of Tottenham’s clash with West Ham this afternoon, we consider how they can start winning matches on a more regular basis.
Conte’s challenge
Spurs had lofty ambitions ahead of this season, with talk of a potential title challenge after spending around £150million on new signings in the summer.
That assault on top spot never materialised, however — and it is not hard to see why.
Conte’s charges have not managed to string more than two league wins in a row together all campaign, despite going unbeaten for their first seven fixtures.
In contrast, their fierce rivals Arsenal have climbed into title contention after racking up two separate five-game winning runs, as well as a further four-match streak in September and October.
Tottenham must emulate the Gunners’ consistency if they want to secure a spot in the top four.
Take the handbrake off
Despite Conte’s conservative instincts, Spurs’ rearguard has been their Achilles heel this term.
Only five clubs in the Premier League have conceded more than their 35 goals — and all of those sides are in the bottom half of the division.
The North London outfit have often relied on the heroics of Hugo Lloris — and to a lesser extent, Fraser Forster — between the sticks, with Tottenham’s custodians making the fourth-most saves (72) in England’s top tier.
Though tightening up at the back is clearly a priority, a more swashbuckling approach could be just the tonic for Spurs’ struggles.
After all, they are already the division’s third-top scorers (42), despite the team’s offensive play rarely catching the eye.
Stepping up to the plate
Tottenham are in the midst of a remarkable injury crisis, so the club’s fringe players will need to raise their game if a top-four finish is on the cards.
Goalkeeper Lloris is set for a spell of up to two months on the sidelines, leaving Spurs’ supporters hoping that there will be no repeat of Forster’s underwhelming Boxing Day display against Brentford.
But the biggest issue is in midfield, where Yves Bissouma is out with a fractured ankle for around eight weeks and regular starter Rodrigo Bentancur will miss the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.
Youngsters Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp will need to deputise, placing significant weight on the duo’s youthful shoulders.
Their positive showings against AC Milan on Wednesday night will have been a comforting sight for everyone of a Tottenham persuasion.
Get Son firing
One of the major differences between 2022-23 and last season has been Heung-Min Son’s record in the final third.
The South Korean sensation netted 23 league goals in the previous campaign — but has struck a paltry four times this term.
Despite glimpses of his 2021-22 form — most notably the 32-minute hat-trick against Leicester back in September — those moments have been few and far between.
Son was dispossessed three times last weekend and was largely ineffective with his link-up play against the Foxes.
Conte will need to inspire a renaissance from his No7 sooner rather than later.
Resolve Conte’s future
Time is ticking down on Conte’s current contract with Tottenham, which expires at the end of this season.
The Italian tactician appears keen to resolve this situation when the current campaign concludes — but doubts about his future will undoubtedly be having an impact in the dressing room.
Conte’s family remain in Italy, so there has been plenty of speculation that he would be keen on a job in Serie A this summer.
Milan has been touted as a potential destination — and the 53-year-old was full of praise for the intensity of Italian football culture before Spurs’ 1-0 midweek defeat at the San Siro.
He said: “I think that the pressure is different between Italy and England. In Italy you speak about football from Monday and you finish on Sunday. You speak only football and then you have a lot of TV that speaks football and putting a lot of pressure.
“You are born in this way and you grow in this way, with this pressure, and you are used to living with this type of situation.
“In England I think that there is an atmosphere that brings [enjoyment of] football without a lot of pressure, because football is a sport and in Italy sometimes football is not only a sport, it is a war between the teams and the fans.
“I think [this] is the main difference about the pressure.”
Whatever the future holds for the seasoned head coach, Spurs must resolve the situation as soon as possible in order to foster a sense of security and momentum at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
