Mauricio Pochettino on the sidelines during Tottenham's draw with Watford
From being a mid-table club to qualifying to the Champions League final last season, Tottenham Hotspur have undergone a massive transformation in recent years.
The players and backroom staff have certainly contributed to this success but one cannot deny Mauricio Pochettino’s influence on this side.
Since his arrival at White Hart Lane, the Argentine boss has been a force to reckon with in the Premier League. And in the last term, he made his presence felt across Europe as well.
If one compares how football clubs went about with transfers in the early 2000s to how things are now, there will be a lot of differences.
The likes of Manchester City and Chelsea paved the way for signing players with jaw-dropping price tags to find quick-fix solutions to issues instead of taking time to work with the talent they had at hand. And while doing so has paid off to varying extents for both clubs, Tottenham’s coffers are not that deep to relish that kind of luxury.
In fact, Daniel Levy is known for his tight purse strings, meaning funds for transfers were always going to be an issue for Pochettino. However, that did not stop him from taking Tottenham to the Champions League final – even after not signing any new players last year.
To not sign a single new player is unheard of in this day and age of reckless spending. But Poch rose above the odds and took the north Londoners to new heights.
Unfortunately for him, things are far from peachy this time around. With key players like Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen set to become free agents once the season ends, this is merely the tip of the iceberg for Pochettino.
While it is easy to raise a hue and cry against shelling out big bucks to sign new players often, it must be noted that Tottenham’s squad depth is absolutely minimal.
A club expecting to compete and win on multiple fronts need ample depth in every single position. And Tottenham, despite all of Pochettino’s hard work and ambition, lack depth in nearly every single position.
Now, it is not that they just have one reliable player for every role. That said, injuries have also played a key role in determining Spurs’ fortunes in the ongoing campaign.
In fact, the irony here is that Tottenham’s problems cannot be blamed upon Pochettino. He continues to be one of the most brilliant, reliable and shrewd managers of our time.
However, it is the collective result of the London-based outfit’s lack of spending over the transfer windows and injuries to key players that have shaken the very core of the club’s performances.
At present, we are nearly halfway through the season. Tottenham are currently placed a lowly 14th and things look far from bright with fixtures against the likes of West Ham United, Bournemouth and Manchester United coming up.
To make matters worse, Spurs will also have to prepare for Champions League outings sandwiched between these tough Premier League matches.
Once again, the odds are stacked against Pochettino but if there is anything we have learnt from the Argentine, it is that he never gives up. And if there is anyone who can get Spurs out of this mess, it has to be him.