Why Spurs Are Genuine Dark Horses For Premier League Title

This is the most painful article to write for somebody that is a committed Arsenal fan, but the only reason it is so painful is because it is so obviously truthful. A decade or so ago, this would have been a hilarious joke article saved for April Fools' Day. But, for the last few years, Tottenham Hotspur have often been on the cusp of the biggest teams in the country, desperate not only to break into the coveted top four, but to challenge for the Premier League trophy itself. Of course, the predominant aim for the club should be to get Champions League football and stay there for a number of seasons, which will require one of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal to fall down a peg. However, it cannot be denied that not only does the club look set to do that, but their first-team has all the capability to compete and defeat all the clubs around them. The first game of the season at Crystal Palace may not have seemed impressive, but Tottenham were dominant and were under virtually zero threat. Now, Palace aren't expected to make any waves this season, and if Spurs had lost there would have been a great deal of questions to answer. But, people would always claim that the most necessary quality of a team that has eyes on the title is being able to win when you play poorly. Well, that was one match that is evidence to that important characteristic. Now, that is not the be-all and end-all, as it will become clearer over the coming months to determine Spurs' championship credentials with matches against their rivals for the coveted trophy, with bitter rivals Arsenal the first up on September 1st. And, it would seem a little churlish to suggest that Tottenham are becoming a stronger squad when they are about to lose who many argue is the third best player on the planet. Gareth Bale took all the plaudits for the club last season, and as he looks set to move to Real Madrid for a world record sum, pundits have come out suggesting that Bale has grown too big for the club. Not only is that a kick in the teeth for a side with genuine aspirations at the very top of the table to be seen as smaller than a single player, but losing a player of his magnitude will certainly take some transition to become used to, especially due to the impact he had on determining the club's fortunes last year. I have some issue with pundits always arguing that Real Madrid are the biggest side in the world. Yes, they have held the European Cup more times than any side, but they haven't made any impact on that competition since 2002. Furthermore, whilst Tottenham play against clubs surrounded by immense quality even amongst mid-table sides, Madrid are in a two-horse race every season, and in spite of their terrible start last season, the club still comfortably finished second due to the poor quality of every other club that is not named Barcelona. Nevertheless, my problems with pundits' assessment of the club is not the point. Bale will be successful at the club and could well provide the added potency to make them a force in Europe again. But his sale could prove to be as useful to Tottenham as it would be to Madrid. Bale's presence, though a presence that no club would ever turn their nose up to, meant that the club became too reliant on his performances to employ an effective Plan B when the Welshman was not on his usual form. His sale of course will be a blow to the club, but will also put a pressure on the other players to adapt and perform. It will take some time for Andre Villas-Boas to adapt the tactics for a life without Bale, but once that starts to come into fruition and is used more often, the club will become better for it. No matter how good Bale is, every player has their price, and Bale's price has essentially bought Tottenham a new first team, which should be striking fear into the rest of the teams in the division.

Let's have a look at Tottenham in a number of regards to demonstrate how important a role they could play in determining the destination of the league trophy this year. Firstly, the squad is of key importance. They haven't added much to their defence this year, but arguably that is an area that is strong enough already. With Hugo Lloris they have a keeper that still has many years left in him, immense experience both in Europe and competing for league championships, and above all else is incredibly impressive between the sticks. And, with Brad Friedel as the substitute, you would be unlikely to find a more competent and experienced back-up. The first-choice back four is also intimidating, with Kyle Walker the country's top right-back, Michael Dawson, Younes Kaboul and Jan Vertonghen are superb central defenders, with Vertonghen in particular a special talent. The only iffy area is their left-back position, with Benoit Assou-Ekotto hit and miss, and Danny Rose still learning and growing as a player. If the club is able to acquire Fabio Coentrao as part of the Bale deal, it will be an excellent way to improve the position for this season. With the defence solid, the midfield is where Tottenham has been at its most fulfilled in the last few seasons, and this season shows no sign of breaking that trend. Established stars such as Aaron Lennon, Sandro, Mousa Dembele and Gylfi Sigurdsson have performed admirably for the club on numerous occasions. Lennon's pace will trouble any full-back, Dembele and Sigurdsson have cultured touches and excellent passing ability, whilst Sandro has a point to prove following his injury problems last year and has a wicked shot to go with his skill in controlling the pace of the game.

To this cavalcade of top midfielders, the club has let some players go and brought some players in to bolster their numbers. When experienced and long-lasting names such as Tom Huddlestone, Clint Dempsey and Scott Parker have departed for pastures new. But, in their place they have added some serious creative and attacking threat, with Nacer Chadli and Paulinho the stand-out names. The Brazilian flair of Paulinho looks to be an impressive addition to the side, with Chadli an excellent technical prodigy. With Etienne Capoue providing adding some bite to the midfield, a lot of Tottenham's potential will ride on the potential signings of the incredibly skilful Willian from Anzhi Makhachkala, and also the pacey dribbler and notable goalscorer Erik Lamela from AS Roma for a total around £60 million to add some South American talent and show the rest of the teams that they are willing to spend big to progress. The big question mark over the potential of winning the Premier League for Spurs in my opinion is the threat posed by their strikers. Last year, a predominant amount of Spurs' goals came from their midfield, with Bale especially bringing the bulk of goals. In the mean time, the actual strikers were less than prolific. Jermain Defoe was injured for a significant proportion of the time, but has always proven to be a goal threat. The issue with Defoe is whether he will stay at the club, and then whether he can stay fit and in the first team. Emmanuel Adebayor had a poor season in front of goal, but also has a proven track record that means he could return to top form at any point. And recent signing Roberto Soldado has excellent credentials from Spain, it is just whether he can translate that to the Premier League. So, their strike force has all the potential in the world, but it will all be down to their execution throughout the campaign.

Outside of the team itself, Tottenham are in a strong position administratively. There is hardly a job market that is so prone to change than in the role of football manager, but in Villas-Boas, they have a manager that has a noted reputation for his time at FC Porto, and despite his less than successful stint at Chelsea, his first year at Tottenham has shown his prodigious status which has brought much praise and enticed names to the club. He plays in an attacking, free-flowing style that looks to bring the midfield forward whilst keeping as solid as possible at the back, and that is the manner that any player wants to be a part of. His philosophy wasn't really suiting Chelsea, but with Tottenham it looks like it could pay dividends. In addition, in spite of my dislike of the negotiation strategies employed by Daniel Levy in the past when securing transfers, he has shown a desire to push Tottenham to the next level permanently by spending large sums of money on a mix of established European stars and exciting prospects that could become world superstars in the near future. And, with Franco Baldini now a part of the set-up, there is a man of superb experience to support Villas-Boas and further a famous and respected name in the football world that will be able to link Tottenham to a wide range of superb players, especially from Italy. Couple this with the long-term plans for the club including a new stadium and the youth in the side, it would not be a stretch to suggest that Spurs could push into the top four this season and stay there for years to come.

However, I challenge them to go further than this because they have the potential to do so. Not only would I argue that Tottenham are certainly in the most desirable position with regards to reach the Champions League places, but with their signings and style of football that they can produce, they are more than capable of having a go at taking the title itself. Nobody who follows the club from White Hart Lane will be upset if they don't win the title if they can break into the top four and look like they belong, as that is what is hoped for and would certainly be a great first step in the overall aim to win the main prize in the upcoming years. Even clubs like Chelsea and Man City that were saturated with money had to break the top four initially before reaching the summit. Let's watch and see if Spurs can be the first to skip that step and hit the jackpot early. Obviously, you shouldn't hope that happens; that might be pushing it.