Jan Vertonghen says Tottenham have made huge strides this season

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Tottenham Hotspur will finish the season trophy-less.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen believes the team have made huge strides this season despite the recent FA Cup semi-final defeat ending their hopes of silverware, the Mirror reports.

Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley means they will finish the current campaign trophy-less for the tenth successive season, since lifting the League Cup way back in 2008.

A lot has happened since Tottenham last won a trophy, but under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino the north London club have established themselves as one of the best teams in England.

This season there is no doubt they have been the best club in the capital up until now, but that does not offer much consolation to those Spurs fans desperate to end the long and painful wait for a major trophy.

Vertonghen, however, believes despite the team’s recent disappointment, there is cause for optimism as the Belgium international feels Spurs have made huge strides this season and progress is evident.

“We have improved results against our rivals – we have beaten Chelsea and dominated pretty much everyone else apart from Manchester City,” Vertonghen explained.

“We have taken huge steps. It was a challenge playing with Wembley as our home and I think we have coped well. We can improve. We showed in the Champions League how good we can be – especially against Real Madrid – and away from home against Dortmund.

“We can compete with anyone in the world – but the case is now not to do it for one or two games – but do it for 10 months.”

Spurs have undoubtedly improved their record against the big clubs, beating the likes of Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge while also winning successive home games against Manchester United and Arsenal.

But on the flip side, Pochettino’s men have dropped more points against the weaker sides and, regardless of what happens between now and the end of the campaign, they are a long way short of last season’s total of 86 points.

Spurs finished third in 2015/16 and second in 2016/17, yet they could still finish outside the top four this term and their recent FA Cup semi-final defeat suggests they still have plenty more maturing to do.