Trevor Steven: Why Tottenham are real Premier League title contenders
A Champions League return is the least Tottenham should be hoping for after their superb start to life under Ange Postecoglou, and the Premier League title isn’t out of the question, says Trevor Steven.
It is not long since Antonio Conte, then manager of Tottenham Hotspur, painted a picture of a club steeped in failure and being held back by the hierarchy.
Just a few months later they are two points clear at the top of the table after their best ever start to a Premier League campaign and being talked about as title contenders.
You don’t have to look far to see what has changed. Conte’s long-term successor Ange Postecoglou has brought football intelligence, empathy and vision to Spurs.
As a result the team is barely recognisable. They are playing with renewed discipline, energy and togetherness and it has brought them 26 points from the first 10 games.
Postecoglou has simplified Tottenham’s approach. They are pressing at the right time but are patient when needed. Getting the basics right has given them a platform.
Onto that he has assembled some very good players. I didn’t know much about Guglielmo Vicario before his move but he is calm, dependable and a damn good goalkeeper.
Micky van de Ven is as quick as any central defender I’ve seen and has taken to English football like a duck to water, while James Maddison is a risk-taking creative midfielder of the type that has been part of all good Spurs sides.
And up front Son Heung-min has found his way again and is back to being a pain for opposition defences.
Postecoglou has raised Spurs’ baseline
While Conte and predecessor Jose Mourinho were a type, Postecoglou seems a more rounded individual. He can be tough too but knows when to press those buttons.
The Australian feels lucky to be there, whereas Conte and Mourinho thought Tottenham were lucky to have them. They had lost sight of basics, though, like the importance of belief and alignment throughout the squad.
Postecoglou hasn’t been hindered by the weight of expectation. In that sense, the Celtic job was great for him; fans don’t get much more demanding than there and that experience of a must-win environment has shaped him.
Even the pre-season uncertainty around Harry Kane’s future didn’t ruffle him, and the captain’s move to Bayern Munich has worked out well for all parties.
Having made a terrific start, Tottenham won’t be thinking about anything less than a top four finish and Champions League qualification now.
They will lose players to international duty in January, such as Son and Yves Bissouma, but they have time to prepare for that and have others, like Rodrigo Bentancur, to return.
Even if they suffer the odd defeat I don’t think Spurs will lapse into inconsistency again. They have lifted the baseline substantially this season, especially at home.
For those reasons I think Tottenham are real contenders in the title race. As usual, it will come down to the last few games, and when you haven’t been over that ground before it’s harder.
Arsenal showed that last season, but Postecoglou’s experience at Celtic can come to the fore then. At any rate, when the run-in arrives I expect Spurs to still be in with a chance.
Trevor Steven is a former England footballer who played at two World Cups and two European Championships. @TrevorSteven63.