Tottenham's Adebayor

Reuters

Last season, we saw the saga of how Liverpool star Luis Suarez reacted when the reds were unable to provide the Uruguayan with Champions League football. Without some serious convincing from captain Steven Gerrard and some hard-nosed tactics from the front office, Luis Suarez could be dominating for some other club this season instead of helping Liverpool march towards a top four finish. Sadly for Tottenham this season, the same situation could be looming over the club.

The Liverpool situation still probably exists for the club and Suarez this season, but now the players from White Hart Lane are starting to make it known that, should their club wish to retain their services, Spurs need to get into the top four. Considering the two players that have already made this clear, the top four should become an even BIGGER priority for Tottenham. Here’s why:

BECAUSE: This season’s Premier League competitors are not going to get any weaker…they will get stronger. If Tottenham misses out and they lose some of their best players, they should not expect their main competition for the top four to see the same situation occur. Liverpool, as long as they make top four, will actually grow stronger as their pull of quality players will increase with the Champions League draw. Manchester United will throw money at their current problem and will definitely enter the next campaign built to return to the top. Everton are growing every single year and seem unlikely to start a downward trend with Martinez at the helm. And, thinking that Chelsea, City, or Arsenal will start to weaken would be the imaginings of a crazy person. Newcastle also seems to keep surviving the selling off of their best players and it would be difficult to bet against them using the Cabaye money to recoup a bit of their squad.

BECAUSE: Tottenham already experienced a massive player influx this summer and, even though they would recoup and even make some serious money for the players leaving, a constant changing of the players that are on the pitch will always result in some difficulty gelling as a team and playing at the best level. Take one look at Real Madrid and realize that most of the squad that is currently marching through Europe has been together for three seasons and yet it has taken them this long to look like the juggernaut that they are (and, Tottenham will not bring in the quality that Madrid is dealing with). Another summer of new faces would not help propel them into the top four and this could become a vicious cycle for the top-tier players that they bring in.

Tottenham's keeper Lloris

BECAUSE: The two players saying that they will probably leave are MASSIVE talents with a long career in front of them. Hugo Lloris is only 27, meaning that he has another ten years or so playing at the peak of his game. The probable choice for France’s #1 this summer in Brazil, Lloris shows constant improvement and would be a Tottenham staple for years. Considering that this is a team that has had keeper controversy and issues for the last several seasons, keeping Lloris would help ease an old wound for Spurs. Jan Vertonghen has emerged as one of the premier central defenders in the Premier League and the general idea of him defending with Vincent Kompany at the World Cup has football fans genuinely excited. At 26 years old, Vertonghen possesses an obvious quality on the ball and for defending that would make most think that he can improve even more over the next few years. A keeper and a key central defender being lost in the off-season would be a loss that very few clubs could recoup from and be prepared for the next season.

If Tottenham are unable to capitalize on games against teams like Norwich or if they are unable to take advantage when Liverpool drop points, then the summer could turn sour very quickly for Tottenham. Both Liverpool and Tottenham do have a few difficult games left in this season, but they also both face a large group of teams that are located far below them in the table. The team that is able to win the games that they are expected to win will be the team prepping for the Champions League once this season ends…the other, will be fielding offers for their best players…

 

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