Tottenham Hotspur: The Most Fascinating Club In The World For 2014

Far from great yet far from awful, Tottenham once again offered a variety of tasty storylines in 2014.

Nobody will

ever

soon confuse Tottenham Hotspur as one of the giants in the world of football. Spurs have not been able to hold onto superstar players such as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, and Tottenham won’t be bringing the likes of Radamel Falcao or Luis Suarez to White Hart Lane. Sure, Spurs have found real gems over the past couple of summer transfer windows in goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and midfield maestro Christian Eriksen. That it is both oddly pessimistic and accurate to assume that either or both of those men could link up with a Champions League club — insert your own joke about a Tottenham-Real Madrid partnership here — is as Tottenham a mindset as you’ll get.

Tottenham in 2014 could be compared to two things: A television show that you love but one that only has six episodes per season and thus is bound to let you down, or to a fine wine that is mixed with Welch’s grape juice but you drink the mixture anyway because, well, it’s there. What has been the Tottenham cycle of life over the years repeated itself starting in December of 2013 when Andre Villas-Boas and the club parted ways. Another tumultuous 12 months followed for Spurs, and Tottenham will exit December 2014 with as many questions hovering over the club as there were at the start of the year.

The lows for Tottenham in 2014 were close to rock-bottom. Included in the more forgettable moments of the year for Spurs were blowout defeats to Manchester City, one in January and the other this past October, two losses that featured red card decisions going against Tottenham because the football gods are sometimes keen on taking the side of power and money. Liverpool owned Spurs to the tune of 4-0 and 3-0 thrashings. Arsenal players took selfies on the White Hart Lane pitch after defeating their north London rivals in March. Tottenham again missed out on the Champions League, although at least this time supporters didn’t have to wait until Survivor Sunday to learn the harsh truth about the club’s European fate.

Tim Sherwood took over for AVB at the end of 2013, and his weekly exploits during matches and while speaking to the press made for must-see TV that, at the very least, offered moments of entertainment. Sherwood went from touchline-to-stands-to-touchline-to-stands during matches, leading to “where is our manager?” chants being belted out by frustrated Tottenham fans not understanding the antics of the club’s latest boss. Sherwood was, to a fault, brutally honest when players failed to meet his expectations. That same man enjoyed some banter with a heckler during his final match at the Lane as Tottenham manager, perhaps having already seen the writing on the wall about his inevitable future.

The never-ending ballad of striker Emmanuel Adebayor carries on through the current holiday season. Not known for being a fierce worker during practice sessions and in training, Adebayor found himself out of favor with the hard-nosed Villas-Boas, but the striker enjoyed (another) career renaissance under Sherwood. Sherwood, like Harry Redknapp before him, got the most out of Adebayor, and Spurs would not have qualified for European football without the forward’s efforts during Sherwood’s brief stint as Tottenham coach. Adebayor and new Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, the latter having replaced Sherwood this past offseason, are reportedly not meshing, and rumors of Adebayor exiting the Lane have resurfaced.

Two specific players were the biggest letdowns of the calendar year for Spurs, and neither seems close to turning things around and saving their Tottenham tenures. Striker Roberto Soldado mixed a handful of tallies with a boatload of misfires, and he may not survive January before his Spurs exit arrives. Watching Erik Lamela hit that memorable Rabona in October was fun and all, but the fact remains that Lamela is no closer to “getting it” this December than he was a year ago.

The opening months of the Pochettino era at the Lane has seen the emergence of two potential future stars. Eriksen flashed plenty of promise throughout his first season at Tottenham, and the midfielder has emerged as a cornerstone of the club’s first-choice lineup. The 22-year-old has generated comparisons to Modric with his distribution and his eyes for goal while shooting from distance. Just as importantly for Spurs is that Eriksen is reportedly settled at the Lane. It is rumored that Champions League sides are keeping close tabs on the Dane.

English striker Harry Kane, the cause of “he’s one of our own!” tunes sung out by the Tottenham faithful during matches this fall, has been a revelation for Pochettino. Kane found the back of the net in Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Newcastle United during Wednesday’s Capital One Cup fixture, and he has now scored 11 goals in his last 16 games. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Kane will be welcomed into the England National Team with open arms in 2015.

The first half of the 2014-15 season has been as the usual Tottenham roller-coaster ride that occurs whenever a new manager is appointed by chairman Daniel Levy. Spurs lost at home to West Brom, Newcastle and Stoke City. They earned a draw at the Emirates. Tottenham held serve at home versus Everton, and they defeated Swansea away. Spurs sit four points off of Champions League football a week away from Christmas Eve, close enough to tease diehard fans while far enough away to not have pessimists asking Santa for a holiday miracle.

In 2014, Tottenham fans saw a fair share of Adebayor salutes and majestic saves made by Lloris. Supporters created and carried “Levy Out!” banners that went largely ignored. Rumors of a club takeover and a new stadium site emerged and then disappeared just as quickly. United States Men’s National Team youngster DeAndre Yedlin came to terms with the club, but how and when Pochettino will use the speedy winger/fullback remains unknown.

Pochettino’s initial task won’t be to make Yedlin an all-around footballer rather than one who relies on speed first, nor is it to fix out-of-form players like Soldado or Lamela. Avoiding those annual winter swoons that have sunk Tottenham’s Champions League hopes year in and year out should be first on the manager’s list of goals. Otherwise, Pochettino will be no different than Sherwood or Villas-Boas or Redknapp or those before him.

The only thing for sure about Tottenham is that nothing’s for sure. Therein lies the fascination and Spurs-y nature of the club.

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