Thierry Henry: Tottenham failing to make step up to top four

Tottenham Hotspur are failing to make the step up into top four contenders in the Premier League, says Thierry Henry.

The 1-0 defeat by Manchester City on Sunday means Mauricio Pochettino's side will finish with less points this term than last year's 69, and also puts them seven points off fourth place with three games remaining.

Having finished fifth and sixth in the last two seasons after finishing the 2011/12 season in fourth place, Henry admits that although the club is well run, they are struggling to find the formula for progress.

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He said on Super Sunday: "There is something with Spurs that is difficult to put your finger on. It's a well-run club.

"They buy a lot of players, they sell a lot, and yet they still finish sixth in the league. They can't make the step.

"I think they did a great job of bringing some youngsters in - Mason, Bentaleb, Kane - but at one point something has to kick in, something has to be done. You can't always be fifth, or sixth team in this league.

"They have an amazing training ground, everything is there for them to make that step. But they are not making it."

Henry's fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher echoed the thoughts, and questioned the club's spending after selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £85million in the summer of 2013.

Andre Villas-Boas was sacked last winter after the initial signings from the Bale fee failed to impress, and Carragher says their recruitment has to be exact if they are to reach the top four.

Carragher said: "Do Spurs ever attract the really top players? They don't win that many trophies, they're not normally in the top four. 

"We talk about Gareth Bale, that success Tottenham had with Bale and other players was from buying them young at other clubs and some of them going on to become great players. 

"They very rarely go out and get somebody you'd think Arsenal, Manchester United or City would want."

Carragher compared Spurs' situation with his former side Liverpool, who have struggled to progress this term after bringing in several big-money signings from the reported £75million fee received from Barcelona for Luis Suarez in the summer.

"It's a little bit like Liverpool on the back of the Suarez money. Liverpool and Spurs don't have the wages or the transfer fees that the other sides at the top do. 

"So when you have that money you must buy players perfectly, and I think both clubs have struggled with that."