The Highs and Lows for Tottenham Hotspur in 2015
Tottenham Hotspur's 2015 could not have got off to a much better start.
The north London club's 5-3 win over capital rivals and eventual champions Chelsea on New Year's Day was a stunning result. Their best performance of the campaign up to that point, it also hinted at what Tottenham could be capable of under head coach Mauricio Pochettino (then just a few months into his first season in charge).
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The highs and lows of the year recounted here reflect the ensuing successes and failures in bringing this potential to fruition.
It is still very much an ongoing process, but finishing 2015 in the Premier League's top four and looking in good shape to maintain that competitiveness, there is reason to be optimistic 2016 could be even better.
Reaching the Capital One Cup Final
Tottenham’s Capital One Cup experience was ultimately to prove a disappointing one.
After Chelsea were blasted off the field a couple of months earlier by Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane and friends, Jose Mourinho responded by setting his team up to shut Spurs down in the Wembley final in early March.
Kurt Zouma’s midfield presence aided the Blues defence in restricting Spurs’ previously commanding attack down one end. At the other, Diego Costa was at his battling best to seal a 2-0 victory after John Terry had secured the lead shortly before half-time.
Despite leaving Wembley as losers, securing a first final appearance since 2009 was a notable achievement for Pochettino’s first year.
The two-legged semi-final defeat of League One outfit Sheffield United did not particularly flatter Spurs. Nonetheless, Christian Eriksen’s late negating of Che Adams’ nerve-inducing second-half brace prompted jubilant scenes at Bramall Lane.
Silverware would not be forthcoming, but the 3-2 aggregate victory allowed Spurs fans to dream for a short while.
There was even a first cup final song since 1991 recorded—proceeds from Ledley and The Kings’ version of Chas & Dave’s Hot Shot Tottenham going to the Tottenham Tribute Trust (sadly for Spurs, an optimistic Roberto Soldado-related lyric did not come true).
Best Performances
After a few lean years against their biggest rivals—both local and in the battle for Premier League placings—Tottenham recorded several memorable victories in 2015.
The aforementioned New Year’s Day defeat of Chelsea was as much about resilience and fortitude as it was the aggressive qualities of their attacking football.
Kane grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck after Costa had given the Blues the lead and Andros Townsend kept his nerve from the penalty spot after Danny Rose had put Spurs 2-1 up. Chadli secured a second-half safety net after Eden Hazard reduced the deficit.
Kane was the star of the show in February’s 2-1 defeat of Arsenal, making his north London derby bow with a match-winning brace. Spurs once again fought back from a goal down.
May’s wins over Hull City and Everton did not concern matters of rivalry. But after a poor preceding month, the victories guaranteed qualification for the Europa League group stage and a confidence-boosting fifth-place finish ahead of Southampton and Liverpool.
This season has not yet brought more bragging rights over Arsenal and Chelsea—Spurs had to be content with respectable draws instead. A particularly enjoyable blow for capital superiority was struck in the form of a 4-1 thrashing of a tough West Ham United, however.
The 4-1 defeat of Monaco in the Europa League deserves recognition as Tottenham’s best cup performance of 2015. Arguably the best altogether, though—and the one that perhaps bodes most well for Pochettino’s side moving forward—was September’s 4-1 win over Man City.
Again needing to come from a goal behind, Spurs took the game to City’s star-studded side in a thrilling example of the relentless approach Pochettino encourages of his team. Solid at the back, combative in midfield and adventurous in attack, you would do well to find a finer team performance.
Worst Results
February and early March could have been the making of Tottenham’s 2014-15. Beginning the month with that win over Arsenal, there were opportunities on all three fronts to further their season. Instead tiredness and some error-strewn displays contributed to a demoralising stretch.
Spurs fought well to twice level against Liverpool at Anfield only to shoot themselves in the foot with mistakes in their own half. That 3-2 defeat was followed by further, costly dropped points at home to West Ham. Either side of that, a failure to build on Soldado’s opener at home to Fiorentina in the Europa League was punished by a rampant Viola side in the second leg out in Florence.
Spurs’ eventual strong finish did not seem likely prior to the palate-cleansing beating of Hull. Sparks of life in the form of some solid wins being almost instantly extinguished by subsequent woeful showings.
A dominant Manchester United inflicted a 3-0 defeat on Pochettino’s shell-shocked side in March. A few weeks later, they could only watch as former boss Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa won 1-0 at White Hart Lane.
Save for a spirited second-half effort from Kane, May’s 3-0 trouncing by Stoke City would easily have been the worst of the lot.
It is testament to the promise of Spurs this season that there is little to pick apart for this category.
Of their four losses, an insipid effort at Anderlecht was by far the worst. In hindsight, though, that and December’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United might have done some good in provoking subsequently positive responses.
Kane and the Kids
Kane’s brace in the Boxing Day win over Norwich City served to remind people what an outstanding 2015 he had.
Overshadowed in recent months by the exploits of Leicester City’s late-bloomer Jamie Vardy, the double took Kane’s Premier League tally for the year to 27.
The 22-year-old’s goals in so many memorable moments for Tottenham have earned him England recognition and a status among the White Hart Lane faithful that could grow into unparalleled levels should he continue to deliver.
Kane has been the star of a youthful crop Pochettino has harnessed to good effect in 2015. Less experienced talent, home-produced or otherwise, who are sufficiently delivering on his demands so far. Both challenging and usurping older and more expensive players.
Academy-tutored Nabil Bentaleb (21) and Ryan Mason (24) established themselves as their boss’ first-choice midfield in the year’s opening months. Midway through the current campaign, injury lay-offs have now left them battling to reclaim their spots from Dele Alli (19) and Eric Dier (21). Such has been the latter two's good form they also joined Kane and Mason in earning international call-ups.
Elsewhere, Tom Carroll (23) has finished the year strongly after returning from a loan spell with Swansea City. Fellow academy midfielders Josh Onomah (18) and Harry Winks (19) also find themselves on the cusp of the first team.
Unhappy Endings?
That Townsend does not find himself recognised among his academy peers in the above section is testament to how quickly his star has fallen. Underwhelming displays this season caused a public tantrum over his lack of opportunities that has seen him effectively banished from the first team and playing with the under-21s to stay match fit.
The 24-year-old looks set for the kind of unceremonious ending to his Tottenham career that has befallen several of his team-mates on Pochettino’s watch.
Some such as Brad Friedel, Younes Kaboul and Soldado left on relatively good terms. Acknowledgement their services were no longer required for respective reasons tempered by smooth transitions out (indeed, the Spaniard could recently be found cheering on his former team via social media).
Other exits have not been so well handled.
Emmanuel Adebayor’s departure was a complete mess, Spurs ending up releasing him early from his contact, with the striker refusing to accept offers from other clubs.
Pochettino’s strategical reasons for moving on from long-time servant Aaron Lennon were valid. But the first-team banishment and protracted negotiations of his transfer to Everton made for an unsavoury conclusion to the winger's excellent decade spent in north London.
Changes were always coming as Pochettino got to work shaping the inherited squad to his liking. Still, the unpleasantness of certain aspects of this process may be worth noting when it comes to evaluating his relationships and negotiations down the line.
What's Next?
Fourth in the Premier League, an FA Cup third-round match against Leicester City ahead and a chance for progress-proving revenge against Fiorentina in the Europa League—Tottenham have ample opportunity to make the start of 2016 even more positive than aspects of their 2015 was.
Pochettino and his players would have accepted that at the start of the season. Now they have to go about showing the highs up until now can engender even more to come.
With wearier legs, motivated opponents and plenty unforeseen standing in the way, it is going to require a huge collective effort.
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