This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Harry Redknapp believes the players available to Mauricio Pochettino are capable of finishing in the top four, and therefore thinks that no new signings are required.
What did he say?
Spurs have finished in the top four for four consecutive years, which suggests they have a quality squad and are just temporarily suffering from poor form.
That is Redknapp’s belief, and his comments will probably please Daniel Levy, who will likely be keen to refrain from spending more money in order to get Tottenham to the level they have been at over the last few seasons.
The former Spurs manager pointed to the fact that not much has changed in terms of personnel, so suggested it was a case of getting players performing back at their best.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Where [would you make signings]?
“When I look at the team, they are full of good players everywhere. It is the same group of players – but one or two are not playing as well.
“Dele Alli, I love him, what a footballer, but he has not been in the same form as he showed, maybe over a year ago. He comes back to form, he is an incredible player.
“I think they have got the players. They are going through a bad spell but they will come out of that.”
Tottenham’s convincing display against Red Star Belgrade in midweek is evidence of what Redknapp is talking about. With a line-up that omitted many of the disgruntled players at the club they showed what they are capable of, and if Pochettino continues along that method he could begin to turn around the bad form.
Good news for Levy
There has been considerable speculation recently about potential transfer targets for January, with a right-back and a creative midfielder seemingly high on the agenda.
Players such as Isco and Bruno Fernandes have been linked, two individuals who would likely fetch a high fee, something Levy would likely want to avoid.
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Instead, the chairman would prefer to follow the words of Redknapp, and for Pochettino to get the best out of the players currently at his disposal, such as Alli and Erik Lamela, or even Serge Aurier at right-back.
Levy has built up a reputation for his frugality and tough negotiating style, for both incomings and outgoings, and that was highlighted most when the club went two transfer windows without signing a player.
Last summer Paulo Dybala looked set to join but the move failed at the last minute due to complications over his image rights, suggesting Tottenham may have failed to meet the asking price that the third-party company set.
Pochettino’s future has occasionally been put in doubt due to the Argentine’s concerns about the lack of money available to him, with Spurs’ wage structure on a completely different level to their competitors.
In 2017/18 the club recorded a world-record profit, yet spent almost £100m less on wages than Arsenal, who spent the second-least out of the top-six clubs – that underlines the shrewdness at which Levy operates, and explains why he might be keen for Pochettino to heed the advice of Redknapp.