Nuno Espirito Santo remains confident on keeping hold of Harry Kane but Tottenham would have to emerge collectively stronger were they to lose their talisman, writes Ben Grounds
Sunday 15 August 2021 17:24, UK
Back in April, Ryan Mason, then Tottenham Hotspur's interim head coach, admitted the club were four or five years behind Manchester City after his hopes of ending the club's trophy drought were ruined in a League Cup final defeat by Pep Guardiola's dominant side.
Harry Kane stood on the periphery of the pitch, as he had done during the match his side had never looked like winning.
Having failed to end their 13-year silverware drought, Kane has been contemplating a move away from the club he has been at since he was 11.
That game, which City could have won twice over before half-time, may well have played back in Kane's mind before he appeared to make the extraordinary decision to go on strike - reports the striker himself has since strongly denied.
Spurs had mustered two attempts on goal to their opponents' 21 with Kane - so what chance do they have of catching the Premier League champions over 38 games should their talisman switch allegiances?
That is the challenge new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is hoping to avoid as Tottenham head somewhat into the unknown on the eve of the new Premier League season.
An annual survey conducted by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST) this month shows that ninety-four per cent of fans are unhappy with the club's performance on the pitch.
The results of the survey are in stark comparison to 2019 when 92 per cent of fans were satisfied with how things were going on the pitch after the recent run to the Champions League final.
The dissatisfaction of the 8,358 people surveyed extended to off-field matters as well and 75 per cent said they felt owners ENIC's stewardship had declined over the last year, with 77 per cent not having confidence in the long-term strategy.
Some of the reasons for the discontent were the club's involvement in the European Super League, the lack of investment in the first-team squad, the failure to build on Mauricio Pochettino's achievements and the handling of Jose Mourinho's sacking and the subsequent search for a new manager. Nuno was finally appointed 72 days later.
The criticism will come as no surprise to the club following protests at the end of last season against ENIC's ownership and the reign of chairman Daniel Levy.
In May, Spurs announced the plans to introduce fan representation on the board, with full voting power.
Kane's delayed return to the group means it is a risk to start him in Tottenham's Premier League opener against - of all clubs - City on Super Sunday, but the club's ambition will be unaffected whatever the outcome.
Nuno was assured the striker would not be sold during discussions for the job and said last month that Kane could be "counted on" for the upcoming season, but given how the England captain has previously spoken out about his future, the Spurs boss would surely have contemplated, if not expected, this scenario barely weeks into his new post.
For chairman Daniel Levy, the Portuguese will be responsible for recharging the club, and while the short-term impact of a Kane departure would surely be felt, the hope would be that the funds could be reinvested to build a new Tottenham Hotspur, capable of longer-term prosperity and sustained success.
Tottenham were top of the table last December, but Levy said Nuno was hired so Spurs could return to their "core DNA of playing attacking, entertaining football" after Mourinho's pragmatic approach failed to get the desired results.
In spite of all of Kane's goals and assists, their trophy cabinet has remained empty since 2008, but football is cyclical. Under Pochettino, Spurs finished eight points above City in second place in the Premier League in 2016-17 - Guardiola's first season at City.
Last campaign, they trailed them by 24 points as they limped over the line in seventh - good enough for a Europa League Conference qualifying berth and bragging rights over Arsenal but that booby prize is scant reward given the abundance of talent that Nuno now inherits.
Bridging the gap to City in one season given the obvious circumstances is unrealistic, but the shift in expectation among supporters could create the right atmosphere for Spurs to enjoy a far less tumultuous term than last.
The Premier League is back! New signings, new teams, old rivalries resumed and fresh hope, all to the sweet sound of full stadiums. Kate Burlaga is joined by Nick Wright and Gerard Brand to preview another nine months of drama in the top flight.
PART 1: Are City still the side to beat? And who will challenge them? Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool assessed
PART 2: Will the north London gloom lift? Leicester in focus and surprise package: Leeds, Aston Villa and Everton tipped
PART 3: How will promoted trio Brentford, Watford and Norwich fare? Plus: New managers assessed, and can West Ham deal with European distraction?
In
Pierluigi Gollini - Atalanta, loan
Bryan Gil - Seville, £21.6m plus Erik Lamela
Cristian Romero - Atalanta, £47m
Out
Paulo Gazzaniga - contract expired
Danny Rose - Watford, free transfer
Kazaiah Sterling - contract expired
Juan Foyth - Villarreal, undisclosed
Erik Lamela - Seville, swap for Bryan Gil
Kion Etete - Northampton, loan
Joe Hart - Celtic, undisclosed
Jubril Okedina - Cambridge, undisclosed
Jamie Bowden - Oldham, loan
August
September
Sky Sports' Michael Bridge:
"Spurs could still be one of the busiest clubs in the remaining weeks of the transfer window. They're still looking for another central defender and a right-back - they're two priorities, and we all know that they're looking for a striker with Harry Kane.
"It would be two strikers if Kane was sold, and also in an ideal world, Spurs are also looking for a creative midfielder but time is running out."
Nuno was renowned for featuring a back three with wing-backs during his time at Wolves, and while he will be reunited with Matt Doherty at White Hart Lane, it was noticeable that Spurs set up as a back four in the majority of their pre-season friendlies.
Sky Sports' Michael Bridge:
"We've seen how Nuno likes to operate at Wolves but we understand that he also wants to have the option at Tottenham of playing with two centre forwards - hence the interest in Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez and Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.
"It'll be interesting to see the role of Matt Doherty having played under Nuno at Wolves. He played well at Molineux, but Nuno did sell him and I'm told Spurs will potentially listen to decent offers for the player."
Sky Sports' Michael Bridge:
"Son has had a fantastic pre-season and of course has just signed a long-term deal. It looks like it could be a really good season for the South Korean, who is ready to take on greater responsibility. Even if Kane stays, it could potentially be a slow start to the season for him but Son is looking really sharp.
"Nuno has been speaking really highly of him and I feel it could be a really key season for the forward, who can of course play in a number of positions."
Barely two years ago, Tottenham were in the Champions League final but ,of the side that started that 2-0 loss to Liverpool in Madrid, only goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and Heung-Min Son appear certain to start the opener.
The club's new director of football Fabio Paratici, who was signed following a successful 11-year stint at Juventus, can be expected to play a role in the make-up of a new team.
"We've been talking," Nuno said. "We are aware there's a lot of work to be done, but at the same time it's hard work because to improve our squad, the quality we have, the talent we have, is not easy.
"And we have to find the right players who can help us, but it's been good work and on a daily basis each moment we have the chance to speak, to share opinions."
Ending the elusive wait for a trophy while enjoying a successful league campaign was once seen as the minimum requirement at Tottenham, but patience will now be required to work alongside a new manager aware of the club's traditions.
Finishing in the top four remains a possibility but there would appear to be too many sides further down the line in their development to make them frontrunners in that particular race.
What can be guaranteed is there is never a dull moment in this part of north London. For the returning supporters, it's all change - brought on by a confluence of factors - but Nuno is ready to meet the challenge head on.
Sky Sports' Michael Bridge:
"It's very difficult to say where Spurs will finish with 20-odd days still to go in the window and Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all spending over £100m already. On top of that, I think Leicester have made some very decent signings and you can't forget Liverpool.
"For Spurs to break into the top four this season, while it was seen a few years ago under Pochettino as a regular occurrence, now it's looking pretty tough. A good season for Nuno would be a top-six finish and I think fans would accept fifth or sixth.
"I know that a lot of outgoings and incomings are going to be needed, but Spurs fans are desperate for a trophy. They've come close so many times. They've become a bit of a figure of ridicule in this regard from rival clubs. Although they don't want to be in the Europa Conference League, it could actually give them the best chance of winning a competition."
