What Tottenham Fans Have to Look Forward to in the Remainder of This Season

The season is not yet over for Tottenham Hotspur. 

Despite the disappointing ends to their European and League Cup campaigns in the same week and the six-point (effectively seven, given goal difference) gap between them and Manchester United in fourth place, it is not yet time for Spurs fans to turn their attention to summer plans. 

The race for the Champions League is not yet dead, and this season also holds interest for what it signals about the team's progress.

Next season was always expected to be the defining one for Mauricio Pochettino. The new man this year, Pochettino has been given time to set up his team and expectations will be raised next term. 

Tottenham's rising star Harry Kane has eight Premier League matches to reach new heights, while his team-mates need to use the remaining to either retain or restore their place in Pochettino's first-team thinking ahead of next season.

Pochettino himself has objectives to meet in these final games. His defence in particular needs work. 

It would be easy to conclude that Spurs' season is more or less over, but there is plenty to keep fans' attention until May 24, when Spurs travel to Goodison Park to close their season.

The Top-4 Race Isn't over Mathematically

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Defeats on trips to Merseyside and Manchester since the turn of the year have likely put paid to Spurs' Champions League aspirations for another season. There remains a logjam of teams above Spurs that means it's unlikely Pochettino's men will sneak into fourth place. 

And yet, making up the six points to Manchester United and the seven to Arsenal is not insurmountable. Given that there are 24 points to play for and most of the teams above Spurs have more difficult run-ins, it is not inconceivable that this race will become substantially closer before the final day. 

With Pochettino having found a largely dependable starting lineup and been fortunate with injuries so far, Spurs fancy their chances against any team in the Premier League.

Tottenham have to face four relegation candidates, two mid-table sides with nothing to play for and two top sides in Southampton and Manchester City. Spurs may be mathematically eliminated from Champions League contention before the final day, but when they travel to face Everton, they may still have a chance of a remarkable return to Europe's top table.

Harry Kane's 30th Goal

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Harry Kane, the boy king of White Hart Lane, has seemingly done it all this season. 

Free scoring against the best and worst teams in England and Europe, Kane has truly enjoyed a season to remember.

He memorably scored on his England debut. Given the loyalty that Roy Hodgson usually shows to the players who have served him well, Kane can expect to collect many more caps over the coming years. 

For Spurs, Kane crashed through the 20-goal barrier months ago. Now on 29 in all competitions, Kane's next goal will see him reach two milestones. Thirty goals in a season is a wonderful total, and achieving it would also mean Kane has reached 20 Premier League goals. 

Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe all have something in common—they never reached that tally for Tottenham in a single season.

Kane's goalscoring exploits may also see him pick up more individual plaudits. 

The PFA Young Player of the Year award is seemingly assured, while he could, with some luck, even win the Player of the Year.

Many would doubt his chances, but he's been proving people wrong all season long.

Which Players Can Secure Their Future?

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In Spurs' remaining fixtures, there will be squad members playing for their futures at the club. 

Paulinho is the most obvious candidate, as he doesn't fit into either the obvious sell or retain category. Possessing all the talent and physical gifts required to play in England, the Brazilian has yet to convince. He'll get his chance.

Vlad Chiriches may have secured his future at White Hart Lane beyond this season after a series of appearances as an emergency full-back. His aggressive tackling and fearlessness with the ball at his feet make him an obvious possibility for such a positional switch, but with Kyle Walker and DeAndre Yedlin also vying for the same role next season, he'll need to remind Pochettino of his ability in these closing weeks of the campaign.

Spurs' two French defensive midfielders have not been able to secure regular football this season, but both Benjamin Stambouli and Etienne Capoue still have time to prove that they can make Pochettino's team better.

Roberto Soldado's days at Spurs are probably numbered, and they probably match the number of goals he has managed since moving to north London from Valencia in 2013. Hugely popular among the fans, though, a few goals between now and the end of the season could see Soldado stick around for another year. 

Will Pochettino Turn to the Academy?

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Harry Kane's emergence has probably been this season's highlight, but the regular appearances of fellow youth products Nabil Bentaleb, Ryan Mason and Danny Rose as team-mates have been an extension of that theme.

The presence of these academy team-mates in Mauricio Pochettino's lineup brings great pleasure to the Tottenham fans who had felt a disconnect from their team in recent seasons.

As this campaign draws to a close, Pochettino will likely look to the future and hand one or two other youngsters their chance.

Josh Onomah and Kyle Walker-Peters, England under-18 international team-mates, are chief candidates for real crack at Premier League football. United States youth international Cameron Carter-Vickers is another who could get his chance this season. 

Pochettino has trusted young players while in charge at Espanyol, Southampton and now Tottenham. During his brief spell in north London, he has eschewed bigger name players in favour of local lads, and they have served him well.

If he takes that same tactic into next season, Spurs will be well served. 

Up and down the country, they have excellent young players waiting to get their opportunity. Swansea City loanee Tom Carroll and Alex Pritchard, who is on loan at Brentford, are the most obvious options for Pochettino. Milos Veljkovic and even Massimo Luongo could find their way into the conversation for next season. 

Luongo, a regular for Australia and recent Asian Cup winner was sold to Swindon Town in 2013, but Spurs could exercise a buy-back clause this summer if they are so inclined. 

The presence of these talented youngsters with a slightly deeper appreciation for the club and its fans enriches the relationship.

Tottenham's academy has been criticised in the past for a perceived lack of production, but it seems to be churning out quality players at an unprecedented rate.

If some of those get their chance late in the season, it will certainly keep the fans' attention.