Sunday 8 May 2016 12:29, UK
Ahead of Tottenham's clash with Southampton on Super Sunday, Jamie Redknapp says Spurs must bounce back from their title race heartbreak to ensure they finish above Arsenal...
Tottenham have had a very good season - but it is imperative they end the campaign well and finish above Arsenal.
Finishing above their north London rivals is something they haven't done for 21 years and I know how much it means to the fans and the club to achieve that.
If Arsenal - with all the problems and protests they've had this season - still finish above Spurs, it will be a really disappointing conclusion to a promising campaign for Mauricio Pochettino's men.
I've been critical of Spurs in the past and have to admit I didn't think they'd make it into the top four this year. But they've been fantastic, played really good football and been a breath of fresh air.
Some people have said they bottled it against Chelsea on Monday night, when they were pegged back for a 2-2 draw which made Leicester champions. They didn't bottle it. They played well for long periods before Eden Hazard stepped off the bench and scored one of the goals of the season. Sometimes events just conspire against you.
But what Spurs did do on Monday was show they were up for the battle. Tottenham have always been a soft touch in the past. When I was playing against them and when I was playing for them, they were a nice team who played good football. But on Monday there was a bit of spite.
Of course they went over the line and shouldn't be getting nine bookings. But, given what the Chelsea players had said about wanting anyone but them to win the title, I understand why the Spurs players reacted in that way.
The truth is, Tottenham aren't the only team with regrets at this stage of the season. All of the teams expected to challenge for the title will be feeling the same way. That's no disrespect to Leicester - you have to respect what they've done. But this year has been a missed opportunity for a lot of teams.
For Spurs, though, there's the promise of a bright future ahead.
They've found a manager who really works for them in Pochettino and they have some exceptionally talented players. They've got a really good XI, including Toby Alderweireld, the best centre back in the Premier League, Dele Alli, the best young player in Europe, and Harry Kane, the division's top scorer.
The key for Spurs is holding onto that talent.
No matter how good Pochettino is, he can only work with the players at his disposal and if the Tottenham board do what they've done previously and sell their top footballers, then there's no way they can compete.
Now it's up to the Tottenham board. Do they want to be a big club, do they want to be successful, do they want to have a right go? It's time to give the fans what they want.
Now it's up to the board. Do they want to be a big club, do they want to be successful, do they want to have a right go? It's time to give the fans what they want, make sure Spurs hold onto the right players and invest where they need to so they can build on this season.
They're really not far away. If you look at what Spurs need to add, it's difficult to find areas of weakness. They need someone to take the pressure off Harry Kane, if he picks up an injury, and maybe a bit of stardust, perhaps someone who operates in the wide area but can play No 10 to give them a different dimension.
It's not going to be easy for Spurs to repeat this season next year - Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea will all come back stronger. And don't forget they've only finished in the top four three times in the last 26 years. But that's what they have to do if they want to be considered among the Premier League's 'big' teams.
However, before the summer transfer window opens and next season kicks off, Spurs' priority is getting three points on Sunday against Southampton to virtually guarantee they'll finish above Arsenal.
That's no easy task - this Southampton side are in good form after beating Man City 4-2 last weekend and Spurs will be without the suspended Mousa Dembele and Alli, and could also be missing the injured Danny Rose and Alderweireld.
Spurs will need to pull out a big performance.
