First of all, my apologies to Tottenham fans for the title of the post; however, the opportunity was too obvious not to be taken. I just had to, you know?
Anyway, on to the main point of the post.
The latest set of Premier League features included a showdown between the league's first- and second-placed teams. In a pulsating match which saw much action from opening kickoff to the final whistle, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Anfield. Roberto Firmino's header just before stoppage time ensured that the Reds left the match with all three points. The victory also ensured that Liverpool overtook Spurs in the league standings, becoming the new league leaders as they pursue back-to-back Premier League titles.
Despite a valiant effort, Tottenham were once again left to lick their wounds. Even though this season has gone better than most fans of the North London club could have expected at its beginning, their strong league form hit a wall in this most crucial of matches.
There is arguably nothing more difficult in the sporting world than overcoming both history and a mental block. Often, as is true with Tottenham, the two are intertwined. Consider the fact that this is a club which have not won the league since 1961. What's more, Tottenham have not won a trophy of any sort since the 2008 League Cup, and if you restrict the criteria to just major trophies (i.e., the league, main domestic cup, and main European competition), the drought dates all the way back to the 1991 FA Cup.
Unfortunately, there is a reason why "lads, it's Tottenham" has become an inside joke among football fans the world over. Time and again, Tottenham have folded when the stakes have been at their highest. The most striking recent example has to be the 2015-16 Premier League season. For most of that season, Tottenham were embroiled in a tight battle for the league title with Leicester City. However, in the final stretch of the season, Tottenham's form declined so dramatically that they not only surrendered the league title to the Foxes; much to the chagrin of their fans, they even lost second place in the league to North London arch-rivals Arsenal.
The very next season, while they did not implode as they had a year before, they again lost the Premier League title in a way that detractors would say "only Tottenham could". In 2016-17, they scored the most league goals while conceding the fewest at the other end. Their points tally of 86 was the highest in the club's history, and by finishing second in the league, they obtained their highest final league position in 54 years. Harry Kane also claimed his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot.
In spite of all these factors working in their favour, Tottenham somehow managed to lose the Premier League title to London rivals Chelsea. They finished seven points behind the Blues, missing out on yet another golden opportunity to snap their league title drought. On top of this, they were knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League, then were subsequently upset by Belgian club Gent in the Europa League's round of 32.
At this point, it's clear that many of the issues plaguing Tottenham right now are mental. On paper, they seem to have it all - perhaps the greatest coach of all time in José Mourinho, a superstar duo leading the line in Kane and Son Heung-min, and a solid supporting cast featuring players such as Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele, Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, and Toby Alderweireld. Yet, as always seems to be the case with this club, it just feels as though a cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
This is exactly why I believe that the hiring of Mourinho to take over from Pochettino was an absolute masterstroke. There is perhaps no coach in world football today who is better at playing the mental game than the Portuguese legend. That being said, he faces a challenge in this area unlike any other he's ever faced. Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United are all clubs with glittering histories full of titles upon titles. While Chelsea's history hadn't been as trophy-laden as those three clubs, they had won an FA Cup in 2000, just four years before Mourinho's arrival. Even Porto had a European Cup title to their name in 1988. None of these clubs were battling the burden of history to the extent that Tottenham are.
It's still early in the season; however, Tottenham's loss to Liverpool is definitely a worrying sign. It seems as though they're not quite over their mental block.
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