After a summer of big spending, there was understandable optimism heading into Saturday’s opening day fixture with Brentford. However, Tottenham fans were quickly reminded that the club’s issues run far deeper than the playing squad and cannot simply be fixed by throwing money at them.
Tottenham suffered their joint biggest opening day defeat since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. From start to finish, Brentford showcased everything Tottenham are currently not. They were organised, powerful and, more importantly, settled and familiar with each other’s jobs and abilities.
The 2-0 defeat to Newcastle showed a few signs of improvement for Spurs, but not enough to keep a clean sheet, earn a point, or even score a goal. Thankfully, the attack has been further reinforced with the likes of Savio, Marmoush, and Mudryk, while a number of Tottenham players are finally making their way back from long-term injuries.
With all of that in mind, here are the five levels of expectation for Tottenham this season.
Level 1: The Bare Minimum for Tottenham
Ultimately, anything less than this should be viewed as a disaster. The club would risk imploding and potentially finding itself in a relegation battle sooner rather than later.
Tottenham must start and finish the season with the same manager. De Zerbi is being backed, but the club has to give him time to blend this newly assembled squad and change the mentality of a club that has been losing for far too long. He needs time.
On the pitch, the bare minimum should be a top half finish, being competitive in our big London derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal, including winning at least one of them, and reaching at least the quarter finals of both domestic cups.
A clear identity and style of play must also emerge over the course of the season to indicate that we are moving in the right direction.
Level 2: Tottenham’s Expected Level of Success
Given a £400 million outlay on players, a top-level coach and the infrastructure already in place at the club, a return to European football is needed.
Finishing in the top eight would signal significant progress and provide Tottenham with a foundation from which to rebuild. The Conference League may not be the most glamorous of competitions, but Tottenham would be heavy favourites to win it. Bringing another trophy into the cabinet could breed confidence and help establish a winning mentality throughout the team.
In the Premier League, the expectation should be to win more games than we lose, turn the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a place teams fear visiting and go deep into at least one of the domestic cup competitions.
That would represent significant steps in the right direction.
Level 3: A Very Good Season for Spurs
A return to the top six or winning a domestic cup would be considered a very good season from a Spurs fan’s point of view.
Qualifying for the Europa League after back to back relegation battles would indicate that this summer’s huge investment was worthwhile and that De Zerbi is the man capable of taking Tottenham back towards the top end of the Premier League.
Bringing home the FA Cup or League Cup is also long overdue. We have the unwanted record of consecutive semi final defeats in the FA Cup. Going one step further, giving the fans a Wembley day out, securing European qualification and potentially setting up an almost certain Charity Shield clash with old enemy Arsenal at the start of next season would have supporters licking their lips.
Level 4: Unbelievable Progress in N17
Tottenham’s transfer business this summer, with spending of more than £400 million, is on the level of clubs regularly competing in the Champions League. If Tottenham can find themselves back among Europe’s elite and genuinely competing with those clubs, it would represent an unbelievable step forward.
The lack of European football this season could actually give the club an advantage. It means more time on the training pitch, fewer injuries and one primary focus.
We saw last season with Manchester United that a dramatic turnaround can happen. Going from 16th place to Champions League qualification shows what is possible when things click. Spurs going deep in a domestic cup, or even bringing home a trophy alongside a Champions League return, would make this a truly remarkable season.
Level 5: The Unrealistic Expectations for Tottenham
Any talk of Tottenham challenging Arsenal for the Premier League title has to be viewed as madness at this stage. There is a school of thought that we have built a first-class squad and, without the distraction of European football and with a favourable run of fixtures until December, Spurs could get the blend right, sit inside the top four at Christmas and then ask the question: why not?
Here’s why.
Our best eleven might be good enough, but it is also new. These players will need time to understand each other, develop relationships and build an understanding of how De Zerbi wants them to play. We would need almost everyone to hit the ground running.
As we saw at the weekend, mentality, fitness and physical power are areas where Tottenham are still miles off the standard required to compete consistently at the very top. Whatever happens, this is a season of transition.
After such an exciting summer of spending, Tottenham fans have every reason to be optimistic. The club has invested heavily, the squad has been transformed, and there is finally a sense that something different could be developing.
But optimism also requires patience. Losses will happen. Performances will disappoint. Players will make mistakes. There will be moments when the new signings look brilliant and others when they look like strangers playing together.
We cannot jump down the Spurs players’ throats every time something goes wrong. This season is about progress. The expectation should be ambition, not impatience. Manage your expectations.