Tottenham Hotspur no longer haunted by the sale of Gareth Bale
Despite heading into Sunday's Capital One Cup final against Chelsea as undeniable underdogs, Tottenham Hotspur is finally moving on from its post-Gareth Bale hangover by the mere fact that it will be making the trip across town to Wembley Stadium.
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Over much of the 18 months since selling the Welshman to Real Madrid, the North Londoners appeared somewhat adrift. The money recouped from Bale's transfer, a record fee somewhere in the region of $130 million, was quickly reinvested into the club by then-manager Andre Villas-Boas, but the arrival of seven new players to White Hart Lane did not return immediate dividends.
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Ironically, it's not the post-Bale acquisitions that are making things tick again at Tottenham. Much of what has gone right for Spurs this season is down to a crop of homegrown players, many of whom were right under the noses of Villas-Boas and the club's directors all along.
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Chief among them is striker Harry Kane, a 21-year-old North Londoner who's netted 23 goals in all competitions this season. Kane will be the talisman Spurs fans will look to as their resurgent side does battle with Jose Mourinho's almighty Chelsea on Sunday.
Tim Sherwood, who took over after AVB was sacked, may not have earned a great many plaudits for his time in charge at Tottenham. But during his tenure at Spurs, the newly appointed Aston Villa manager made at least one decision that left a lasting impact – giving regular games to Kane, who Sherwood knew from his days in charge of Tottenham's development team. Kane's emergence helped set the stage for this season's success under Mauricio Pochettino
During his ill-fated reign as Tottenham manager, AVB typically preferred to start Roberto Soldado up top. A Bale-financed acquisition, Soldado managed just six Premier League goals in his first season and has netted only one this term. But it's not only Soldado who can be accused of being a flop. Vlad Chiriches has only made five league starts this season, which is four more than Paulinho. Also, Etienne Capoue has turned out to be nothing more than a bit player.
Of the seven players financed by Bale's massive transfer fee, only Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela have become regular contributors.
Fiorentina dumped Spurs out of the Europa League this week, but it still feels as if we're seeing a different Tottenham this season. It's a side that refuses to lie down as Spurs have done so often in the past. And while Kane may get the goals and garner the headlines, other young academy products like Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb have had a hand in rejuvenating Tottenham.
A big part of the credit must also go to Pochettino, who came to White Hart Lane after overseeing Southampton's academy-inspired rise from 14th to eighth last season. Not only has the Argentine largely got his tactics right, but he's also had the conviction to cast aside the high-priced acquisitions brought in with the selling of Bale. Instead, Pochettino sends out teams comprising players that get the job done regardless of age or price tag.
On Sunday, Spurs have a decent shot at adding some silverware to the trophy cabinet at White Hart Lane. But win or lose, they should continue to make a good account of themselves this season, maybe even finish in the top four.
