Vital Spurs Debate Section

Tottenham: The Missing Piece/s Of The Puzzle!

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The Tottenham team of 1959 was full of potential. Spurs had a team of very good players and the future was more than promising. But there was one thing missing. Bill Nicholson knew what it was and that the answer was to be found north of the border. Nicholson signed Dave Mackay from Hearts and the rest is history.

Fast forward to today and it could be said that Spurs find themselves in the same situation. Spurs have a team of very good players and the future is more than promising. No matter how good it is we all know that there is something missing from the Tottenham squad of players. That’s obvious or else we would have recently placed some silverware into the cabinet.

The missing piece could well be very similar to that faced by the Spurs team of 1959. I have no doubt that if a Dave Mackay clone were to play for Spurs next season it would be impossible not to win a trophy …. and I’m sure that anyone old enough to remember his effect on the players around him will agree. He was a lion of a leader.

In reality, the main difference between the sixties team and the current squad is that, whereas Nicholson needed to find one missing piece to add to his squad, Pochettino may need to find three or four. A football team is much like a jigsaw puzzle. If a piece is missing there is no way to complete the picture. And without a complete picture, sustained success on the park is extremely difficult.

Like Nicholson before him, I feel confident that Mauricio Pochettino is quite aware of what is required to complete his current Tottenham puzzle. He has his own style of playing and his own style of man-management. He has proved his ability as a Manager. He has the respect of everyone connected to THFC, of our supporters, and of the football community in general …. all achieved despite not quite competing on a level playing field with his major antagonists who enjoy superior financial resources.

The gap in financial resources could close dramatically over the next few seasons should THFC find success on the park and continual involvement in the Champions League. There is little doubt that the manager enjoys the support of the Tottenham Board and Chairman. It now remains to be seen to what extent this support is prepared to go to provide the manager with the pieces he needs to complete his puzzle.

This season, apart from providing more anxious moments than the previous three seasons combined, achieved all that I had expected. We confirmed Champions League football, and we had a good cup run …. a very good cup run!

Every season has its own moments; moments of success, failure, excitement, frustration, anger, hope and despair. It’s the supporter’s lot. But no matter what happens there is always another season, another journey, around the corner …. and it all starts again. All supporters can do is enjoy each journey any way they can.

The infrastructure at THFC, with our training facility and state of the art stadium, is in place and, when all things are considered, we are left with one basic thought …. this is the time to complete Tottenham’s puzzle and view the completed picture!

I don’t like to speculate on outgoings or incomings. All I can do is believe in the manager. But one thing I believe the squad does lack is a strong leader and motivator on the park …. someone that will raise the confidence and performance of the players around him when things get tough.

VS participants will each have their own ideas about how to achieve this … about which squad members are no longer required and which areas of the team need to be improved by new players.
So the question is …. which pieces do VS people consider are required to complete Mauricio’s puzzle? Last season has gone and a new one awaits. Now is the time to speculate in earnest!

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