5 Things for Tottenham Hotspur Fans to Look Forward to in 2015
Tottenham Hotspur's 5-3 win over Chelsea ensured the first day of 2015 was a good one for the north London club. There are positive signs there could be plenty more to look forward to before the year is out.
Over the following pages we look at five things Tottenham fans could have to get excited about in the next 12 months. None are guaranteed, but all have a good chance of coming to fruition.
First up, the prospect of continued progress with Mauricio Pochettino.
Pochettino Making Spurs Competitive Again
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It has been an, at times, gruelling 2014-15 campaign for Tottenham thus far. The process of the recently appointed head coach Pochettino shaping the team to his satisfaction has, naturally, not been without its difficulties.
Spurs' form has picked up over the last couple of months as Pochettino has gotten a better handle of which combinations in his squad work best. The indications are those players are gradually figuring out how to apply what the coaching staff is asking of them.
Challenges undoubtedly still await this season. A particularly daunting February includes home derbies with Arsenal and West Ham United, Liverpool away and the Europa League Round of 32 against Fiorentina.
January is not as full of marquee matches, but the Capital One Cup semi-final and attempts to build on their current six-match unbeaten league run will be a test of bodies fatigued by the Christmastide period.
Should Spurs come through all this relatively unscathed, they might just be in a position to try and barge their way back into the Premier League top four. Even if it does not come off this time around, this young team continuing to progress under Pochettino could at least set them up to begin next season well.
Spurs' status as a factor in the top flight's upper echelon diminished last season. Confirmation of a return to competitiveness among the division's best would make for a fine start to life under the Argentinian's stewardship.
A Possible Date at Wembley
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As mentioned on the previous page, Tottenham have reached the Capital One Cup semi-finals. Their 4-0 win over Newcastle United shortly before Christmas has earned them a meeting with League One outfit Sheffield United.
Nigel Clough's men beat Southampton in their own quarter-final and are fresh off an FA Cup third-round victory over another Premier League team in Queens Park Rangers. They reached the final four of the latter competition last season as they dumped out top-flight opposition in Aston Villa and Fulham along the way.
With so much evidence of the Blades' cup aptitude, Spurs would be foolish to underestimate their opponents—currently sixth in League One.
It would also be pertinent to remind the current crop of the 2008-09 side's tumultuous League Cup semi-final with then-Championship Burnley. On that occasion a 4-1 home leg advantage was almost thrown away when the Clarets forced Spurs into extra-time at Turf Moor.
Nonetheless, with Chelsea and Liverpool in the other side of the draw, Pochettino and his players undoubtedly have a more negotiable path to a potential date at Wembley.
Getting there in his first season at the club would be a fine achievement for the Argentinian. It would also be Tottenham's first cup final experience since they lost on penalties to Manchester United in the 2009 League Cup.
A route to the home of English football is still open in the FA Cup too. Spurs take on Burnley in a third-round replay at White Hart Lane, also later this month.
The Continued Progress of Tottenham's Academy Products
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Much has been hoped for of the Tottenham academy products who have frequented the fringe of the first-team in recent seasons. Based on what we have seen over the last months, several of them are in a good place to fulfill their potential.
Two of Spurs' most consistently impressive performers have been Harry Kane and Ryan Mason. The former is the team's top scorer and has become an ever more intrinsic part of Pochettino's plans with every thrilling performance.
The heartbeat of this current side, Mason is suitably more low-key but vital all the same. Proficient from the off, his admirable work rate is steadily seeing him advance as a Premier League midfielder.
Elsewhere, last season's star graduate Andros Townsend is in the midst of his best run in a challenging-but-still-hopeful year. The African Cup of Nations-bound Nabil Bentaleb has already progressed in the wake of his own introduction a year ago. The international experiences he earned with Algeria have undoubtedly made him a more confident footballer.
If these men can stay fit, it is getting to the point they will only have themselves to blame if they do not make it long-term with Tottenham.
More Youngsters Emerging
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The prospect of more young men from the academy who could soon be competing for first-team places should also excite Tottenham fans.
Two of the stars of Spurs' 2013-14 campaign in the short-lived NextGen Series, which included a 4-1 away defeat of Barcelona's famous youth setup, are continuing to make strides out on loan.
Alex Pritchard has scored four goals and set up a further five for Championship-surprise package Brentford. Squawka's Mohamuud Jama also noted, as of December 30, the 21-year-old had created 52 chances, the most of any Bees player and second-most in the division.
Pritchard will find it hard to get ahead of the likes of fellow attacking midfielders Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela. The way Kane and Mason have moved ahead of more experienced teammates in their own positions will nonetheless provide encouragement he, too, can impress Pochettino when he returns this summer.
Shaquile Coulthirst—who netted a hat-trick in the aforementioned Barca win—is a little further back in his development. Currently appearing for League Two side Southend United, the majority of the striker's fledgling professional career has been confined to the fourth tier of English football. He has scored three times in 21 appearances this year.
Coulthirst impressed off the bench in the Europa League against Anzhi Makhachkala last season, though, and might feel there is scope to make waves in a Spurs attack where only Kane is consistently thriving right now.
Elsewhere, midfielder Tom Carroll (22) will be keen to repeat 23-year-old Mason's relatively late first-team breakthrough off the back of his season with Swansea City (unless a permanent move to Wales is arranged). Ryan Fredericks and Milos Veljkovic, both at Middlesbrough, will be among others on loan in the Football League aiming for their own Premier League experience in 2015-16.
Spurs are third in the Under-21 Premier League table, and several players of that group will hope to push on themselves. Harry Winks made his debut in the Europa League, while others like Josh Onomah (on the bench again Burnley himself) and Kyle Walker-Peters are also beginning to catch the eye.
Confirmation of Stadium Plans
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Plans regarding Tottenham's proposed new stadium have existed in some capacity since the end of the last decade. Set to be built around the current White Hart Lane ground, just about everything is in place for building to begin.
Almost.
The desire of Archway Sheet Metal Works' company to stay in their current location just behind the Paxton Road end has proved one of the last significant stumbling block to the project.
Via their official website, Tottenham announced confirmation of a Compulsory Purchase Order in September but an appeal was immediately lodged by Archway. The hearing takes place this month, though an unexpected twist to the issue came in November when a fire on the premise occurred.
Even with a decision going in Spurs' favour, the matter of a schedule for the building work remains up in the air. The team being required to temporarily play elsewhere during this process is also a possibility.
Recent speculation the mooted London-based National Football League franchise would share the new White Hart Lane was denied by the club, per ESPN.co.uk. That it was even suggested is typical of the lack of concrete news.
One way or another, though, Tottenham supporters should find out in 2015 where they are watching their football team in years to come.
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