Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur were arguably the most exciting team in the Premier League during the 2017/18 season.
Tottenham Hotspur have made their best ever start to a Premier League campaign this season, winning 13 of 17 games to stay within touching distance at the top of the table.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are also through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, edging out Inter Milan after Lucas Moura’s dramatic late goal away at Barcelona last week.
But there remains a sense that the performances have not quite matched the results. A Tottenham side who scored for fun and blew away the opposition last season have taken to scraping wins by the odd goal or two of late, perhaps summed up by the last-gasp victory against Burnley on Saturday.
And, speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (19 December, 11.30am) former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp believes the North London giants are falling short of last year’s standards – and believes they are not as fearsome going forward without the power-packed full-back duo of Kyle Walker and Danny Rose.
“I think Tottenham were better 18 months ago then they are now,” Redknapp said. “Walker and Danny Rose at full-back were incredible, they gave the team so much pace.
“Walker’s pace and power was incredible, Rose was at the top of his game. I think they were just a little bit more potent than they are now.”
Redknapp has a point. With all due respect to Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier, neither has the speed of an express train like Walker, who moved to Manchester City for £50 million in the summer of 2017.
Rose, meanwhile, has lost his starting place to Ben Davies after suffering an injury hit calendar year but he did show signs of getting back to his best away at Barcelona.
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