Well, I’m about to say one of my least favorite things to say: The 2023 – 2024 Premier League season is now over. Tottenham Hotspur completed their first campaign under new manager Ange Postecoglu. At first I was very skeptical about Ange, but it only took a couple of press conferences until he won me over. I love his honesty and straight to business mentality. His first Premier League campaign saw Tottenham finish 5th and earn a spot in next season’s Europa League. After how Tottenham played last season, I would definitely call this season a success. Here is my in depth breakdown of the players and some big moments in the season.
The Manager
From the get go, Ange Postecoglu said that this campaign would be a tough one with ups and downs as the year went on. He was not wrong. It was easy for us Tottenham fans to get excited as the club got off to a high flying start going undefeated through their first 10 matches played. Ange completely changed Tottenham’s style of play this year. The club went from boring counterattacking Jose and Conteball to a take charge wide open attacking style of play.
One of my favorite quotes from Ange this season came after the dreaded first match against Chelsea. Tottenham saw Romero and Udogie sent off with red cards, but Ange refused to change the clubs tactics. The quote that truly endeared Ange to me was in this post match interview. He said, “If we go down to five men, mate, we’ll have a crack.” I love that never back down and always have a go mentality. This is the type of mentality that championship caliber clubs are made of.
I can’t wait to see what Ange can do next season. He is clearly building something new and special at Tottenham. Hopefully Daniel Levy will fully back Ange this summer and bring in the players Ange needs to help this club take on the likes of Liverpool, City and that other really stupid club in North London I refuse to name.
The Players
I’ll try to be brief in this section, but I also want to make sure I talk about each player at least a little bit. Let’s dive in!
Goalkeeper
Guglielmo Vicario: I’ll be honest, when Tottenham first went to sign him I had no clue who he was. I saw a viral video that he had where he made a triple save in a match last season. Vicario quickly showed that he has the potential to be a top level keeper in the Prem. He got pushed around later in the season, but if he bulks up a bit and gets a little more aggressive I believe that he can be one of the best keepers in the league. He’s on the right track and saw his success at the club level bring him his first international cap for Italy.
Defenders
Emerson Royal: He showed all sorts of ups and downs this season. He’s a capable player, but I’m not sure if he’s the right player for an Ange Postecoglu style system. Tottenham has told the player he can leave in the summer. I expect him to be sold for around 30M pounds.
Cristian Romero: Cuti’s season got off to a great start when he was named as a vice captain for the squad. His aggressive style of play can get him into trouble at times as we saw in that first Chelsea match. However, as the season went on he got his card getting under control. I believe a big part of that is due to his brilliant counterpart at the back, who I will talk about in just a bit. Cuti showed that he can score goals and defend at an elite level. He’s quickly becoming one of the top center backs in the Prem.
Ben Davies: After the first Chelsea match Ben Davies was called upon to fill in at center back, a position not natural to the Welsh international. Davies did an admirable job, but still wasn’t quite good enough. He was then called upon again to fill in after Udogie went down for the rest of the season. Unfortunately he picked up an injury of his own and missed the last few matches. His future with the club is a bit murky, but I could see the club selling him.
Pedro Porro: When Porro first came to the club last season I was convinced he couldn’t defend. I thought he would have been better suited as a winger. He proved me wrong this season. Porro became one of Tottenham’s more reliable defenders and also proved to be a big piece in the attacking build up. He has exceptional quality to play the long ball and can also score with absolute rockets. Porro has a high ceiling and will be fun to watch going forward.
Micky van de Ven: VDV came over to Tottenham the week before the Prem season started. I was surprised that Ange started him in the first game at Brentford, but he quickly proved that he belongs in the Prem. I believe he was a stabilizing force at the back that really helped Cuti improve his game. The Tottenham defense really struggled when he was out with injury, but were always improved by his presence. VDV is my vote for Tottenham Player of the Year.
Radu Dragusin: Dragusin came over in the January transfer window. Unfortunately for him, once he came over our back line got healthy which made it a challenge for him to break into the Starting XI. He got some more playing time at the end of the season when injuries began to hit the squad again. Having a back line of Draguisn, Porro, VDV and Cuti is a scary good back line.
Destiny Udogie: Udogie had a brilliant season at Tottenham. His debut campaign for the club was one where he showed his huge potential to be a top quality left back. Unfortunately his season was cut short due to a knee injury, but I expect great things from him moving forward.
Midfielders
Oliver Skipp: Skippy didn’t get a ton of playing time this season. He did play some in the midfield, but proved himself to be a valuable backup left back option in a Postecoglu style system. Ange has said he is in the club’s future plans.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: PEH has more than likely played his last match at Tottenham. He turned in a decent season seeing many appearances as a sub. When Bissouma struggled PEH got a chance to grab hold of the #6 role. He couldn’t quite deliver and the best option forward is for him to find a new club. Atletico are apparently quite interested in his services this summer.
Pape Matar Sarr: Sarr had really shown signs of brilliance before the 2023 – 2024 campaign, but he broke out this season. He was probably one of the more consistent midfielders the club had this year. Sarr fell off a little bit after the AFCON Cup tournament, but he still played quite well. He needs to bulk up a bit more, but he has a very bright future. Sarr is my vote for the Tottenham Breakout Player of the Year.
Rodrigo Bentancur: Bentancur had a rough start to the campaign. He started the year still recovering from a knee injury suffered last season. Then soon after he came back he suffered a big ankle injury thanks to a horrible challenge from the (in Tottenham fans eyes) evil Matty Cash. Bentancur came back sooner than expected and looked decent. I don’t think he fully got back into top form, but a summer playing in the Copa America should help him get back to where he needs to be.
Yves Bissouma: Bissouma was brilliant in the first 10 matches of the campaign. However, he did pick up a clumsy red card at Luton and didn’t seem to be the same player after that. He has potential to be really good, but he needs to find consistency in his game. If the right offer comes in Tottenham could be open to selling the player this summer.
Dejan Kulusevski: Deki had a season of ups and downs. When he was on, he was really on. When he was off, he was really off. Deki has potential to be a really good winger and can also do a decent job in filling in at the #10 role when needed. He played a part in helping Tottenham sign his Swedish international teammate and potential future star Lucas Bergvall. Deki ended the season on a high note with a brace against Sheffield United on the last day of the season.
James Maddison: Madders came in to Tottenham and got off to a flying start. He picked up a serious ankle injury in the first Chelsea match and ended up missing substantial time. He never seemed to be the same player after that. Madders is a player of high quality and I’m hoping that a summer break to help him rest up can help him get back fully fit. He’s a really good player and I believe he will be very important to the squad moving forward.
Giovani Lo Celso: GLC is a really good player. The issue with him is that he cannot seem to stay healthy. He filled in nicely for Madders when he got hurt, but GLC couldn’t stay fit himself. If he could stay fit I believe he would find himself as a valuable piece to the club. Unfortunately, it sounds likely that he has played his last match for Tottenham.
Forwards
Son Heung-Min: At first, I wasn’t quite sure if Sonny was the right fit to be captain of the squad. Throughout the season he showed his leadership quality on and off the pitch. The way he started the season by bringing the players to huddle in front of the away end at Brentford spoke volumes. He knows that the connection between the club and the players is vital to the club’s success. He went on to lead the team in goals (17) and tied for the team lead in assists (10) with Brennan Johnson. His drive and professionalism is a shinning beacon for the young players to follow. Sonny played well as the #9, but I believe he played better out on the wing. I would expect Tottenham to bring in a top striker this summer to move Sonny back out to the left.
Richarlison: Richy’s season got off to a very rough start. It got to a point to where he broke down on the bench during a Brazil match. After that, Richy got some mental help and had surgery to deal with an injury he had been carrying. I feel like after that he got his season, and possibly his career, back on track. Richy showed signs of being a really good striker, but lacked a bit on consistency and health. Even with all the time that he missed, Richy finished second on the team in goals (11) and finished fifth in assists (4). Tottenham may part ways with him if the right deal comes along, but if he stays with the club and can stay healthy, I believe that he could have a 20 goal season under Ange’s leadership.
Bryan Gil: Gil had a few appearances this season, but failed to make an impact. Tottenham will probably try to sell him this summer, which would be good for both parties.
Manor Solomon: Solomon joined Tottenham on a free transfer last summer from Fulham. He did decent for a couple of games and then picked up a knee injury in training. He seemed to be working his way back before requiring a second knee surgery that effectively killed his season. I expect the club to move on from him this summer.
Brennan Johnson: Tottenham has to have two of the fastest players in the league with VDV and Johnson. Johnson showed great ability this season to drive the ball up the pitch. He has a great ability to deliver quality balls into the box while picking out the best goal scoring option. He tied Sonny for the team lead in assists (10) and finished tied with Cuti for fourth in goals (5). Johnson is young and exciting and has a ton of room to grow. He needs to bulk up a little more, but I expect another strong season from him next season.
Dane Scarlett: Scarlett began the season on loan at Ipswich Town. He was recalled in December after an unsuccessful loan spell and injuries for Tottenham built up. He made a few non-impactful appearances for the club. Dane has a lot of potential and can hopefully find a way to break through next season.
Alejo Velez: Veliz was a surprise signing last summer. The 18 year old Argentinian showed some great promise in a few appearances this past season. He was sent out on loan to Sevilla where he was systematically ignored by the manager during a spat the manager had with team ownership. I believe his time at Sevilla will hurt his development a little bit, but I see a bright future for him is he can continue to develop.
Timo Werner: Werner came in as a transfer in the January transfer window. He showed a lot of potential as a player who can really push the ball up the pitch and deliver a solid cross into the box. His big weakness is scoring goals. Tottenham need to improve at winger and a permanent transfer fee for him at around 15M pounds seems like a good deal. However, I wouldn’t want him to be the only winger the club brought in.
Favorite Moment
My favorite moment in the Tottenham season comes from the sixth match of the season. Tottenham was at home against Sheffield United, a club they should have been beating. Going into stoppage time in the second half, Tottenham was trailing Sheffield 1-0. Then, magic happened.
There was a crazy 12 minutes of stoppage time added in the second half. Tottenham won a corner kick and Ivan Perisic and delivered an amazing ball into the box in the 98th minute. The ball found Richy, freshly back from injury and brought on the pitch in the 80th minute. Richy gave a strong header to bring Tottenham level at 1-1.
Tottenham wasn’t done yet. in the 100th minute, Udogie won the ball high up the pitch. He had a nice pass back to PEH who had a beautiful quick touch to push Madders up the pitch. Madders found Richy just outside the box who then passed it to a wide open Kulusevski. Deki did his thing and burried the ball into the back net to assure Tottenham the 2-1 victory.
After the match, the Tottenham players celebrated in front of the home crowd. The players pushed Richy out in front of the team to help him get the much needed love from the fans. That was one of the most exciting ends to a match I’ve ever seen and was my favorite part of the season. I look forward to many great moments next season under big Ange.
That’s my breakdown of the 2023-2024 season for Tottenham Hotspur. I can’t wait to see the lads compete in the Europa tournament next season and try to improve upon this season’s finish in the Prem. Come On You Spurs!!!
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