Football Season Guide

Another extremely poor campaign saw Spurs finish 17th for the second consecutive season. The experiments of Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor experiments failed miserably before Roberto De Zerbi managed to steady the ship and avoid relegation for a struggling Tottenham side. Having entered the transfer window in need of reinforcements, they invested heavily in Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, with all three expected to establish themselves as regular starters under De Zerbi. Meanwhile, Randal Kolo Muani and João Palhinha won’t be missed, while Cristian Romero's departure was expected, with Van Hecke his replacement. Meanwhile, the Italian coach has enjoyed a solid pre-season, with Pedro Porro the only first-choice player to have been given an extended break following the World Cup. While Tottenham look strong defensively, their main concerns remain further up the pitch. Romero’s expected departure is a blow, but Jan Paul van Hecke, fellow new signing Marcos Senesi, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso form a formidable quartet at the back. Yet, with Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons still recovering from injuries, and Mohammed Kudus only recently back, Spurs’ attack looks somewhat weakened at present. De Zerbi’s side will also need to improve their home form after winning just three games on home soil last season.