5. They're Challenging This Season Without Really Performing
As touched upon in the opening paragraphs, Spurs are by no means completely out of the title race after twenty-six games this season - and they're certainly in with a great shout of a Champions League place. What is great about this is that they've got themselves where they are without really getting out of first gear. The club's two most expensive signings - Erik Lamela and Roberto Soldado - have barely started their ignitions. Soldado has managed only one Premier League goal from open play and Lamela has only scored one goal in total - in the Europa League - and has barely seen any pitch time (and, when he has, he hasn't looked anything like a 30 million pound player). Nacer Chadli has been very underwhelming. Credit where it is due - he turned down a move to Swansea in January to fight for his place at White Hart Lane and subsequently scored what could be Spurs' goal of the season against Newcastle this past week - but he hasn't exactly shone in general. Christian Eriksen is starting to look the part - but even he had a very slow start in the white of Spurs. Etienne Capoue has struggled to find match time - although when he has, he's looked decent enough. Only Vlad Chiriches and Paulinho have genuinely impressed since they first pulled on the Spurs jersey - and Chiriches currently finds himself out in the cold and Paulinho spent a hefty spell on the sidelines recently, following a terrible tackle from Stoke City's Charlie Adam. The point is that Spurs have over a hundred million pound's worth of new talent and, to different degrees, none of them have shown Spurs fans what they're truly capable of yet. The club's longer-serving players have also all had turbulent seasons. After a season of transition, next season, with all guns blazing, Spurs fans could be in for a real treat.
