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Tottenham’s new challenge: going from good to great

By Rucker Haringey

NORWICH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Harry Kane (C) of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team's second goal with his team mate Dele Alli (R) and Christian Eriksen (L) during the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur at Carrow Road on February 2, 2016 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
NORWICH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Harry Kane (C) of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team's second goal with his team mate Dele Alli (R) and Christian Eriksen (L) during the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur at Carrow Road on February 2, 2016 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham now face the difficult task of going from an above average Premier League side to a true title contender

Tottenham can now confidently say they are in the Premier League title race. Sitting in third place, only five points behind the league leaders Leicester City in February earns you that right. Spurs big challenge now, is to progress from a good team, to a great one.

Perhaps manager Mauricio Pochettino should require his squad to read Jim Collins famous work “Good to Great.” That’s certainly the task in front of his Spurs squad at the moment.

Through 24 matches, Tottenham have been quite good. In particular, their defense has been a point of pride. They lead the Premier League in terms of goal difference and also goals allowed. It’s truly new territory for a club that’s always prided itself on swashbuckling offense and taking risks at every opportunity.

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That sort of attacking mindset led Tottenham to have some excellent squads over the years. Some of Harry Redknapp’s Spurs sides played some truly beautiful football. It was only ever enough to get them a fourth place finish in the Premier League though. Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino are truly different.

This edition of Tottenham has a chance to do something that hasn’t been seen at White Hart Lane in an awfully long time. They have a chance to really and truly contend for a Premier League title. They won’t do that by playing the high-flying style of Spurs teams past, but instead by playing with the steely edge that Pochettino has given them.

The challenge lying ahead of the North London club now is to take the toughest step in the development of a franchise. They must go from a really good Premier League side, to a great one. Really good teams are able to qualify comfortably for the Champions League and achieve some memorable wins along the way.

Great Premier League teams stay in the title hunt until the last match of the season. They are defined by their ability to win matches even when they aren’t playing their best. Often times the great teams are made by grinding out three points on a cold night at Stoke. Sure, the epic match-ups with Arsenal or Manchester City will attract the attention, but titles are won by winning the games you must win.

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Emphasis is rightly placed on winning those matches. Pochettino’s Tottenham have been insanely difficult to defeat all season. What’s made their rise up the Premier League table as of late though, is their ability to convert the draws from their early season into wins. That is a crucial part of going from good to great. Great teams don’t leave those two points on the table.

Tottenham fans must understand that going from good to great is the most difficult thing the club will ever have to do. It’s relatively straight forward to reach the top half of the Premier League table, and even joining the top eight is simple by comparison. Crashing the party of the top four and ultimately competing for a title is insanely difficult.

To climb that mountain Tottenham must build on the positive gains it has already made. It must continue to play dominantly in defense while doggedly harassing the opposition when they have the ball. Harry Kane, Dele Alli and others must continue to elevate their level of play when it counts the most. The squad cannot shrink in the face of adversity.

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Most importantly, Tottenham’s players need to believe they can be a great team. Over the past several weeks you can almost see how that belief has begun to slowly seep into the squad. Going down a goal is no longer a reason to panic, it’s just a minor inconvenience on the way to another Premier League victory.

If Tottenham’s players can truly buy into Pochettino’s vision then Spurs will have an opportunity to make history. That belief, coupled with immense effort and a little bit of luck can help Tottenham go from good to great.

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