The kids are alright

This is a season of transition. That is what we tell ourselves every summer. It will take a while for this project to develop and that success is just around the corner. Except this season it really is. Success isn’t fourth place and Champions League qualification, although it would be a nice surprise, success should be working toward an identity for the club to grow into and I, and the late Whitney Houston, believe that children are the future, to be more specific our fantastic academy.

Of the teams who finished above us last year only Everton can we realistically expect to overtake this season but a resurgent Manchester United could ensure we finish in the same position as last. This is not as depressing as it sounds. In some ways there is less pressure on Pochettino than any of his predecessors.

Levy’s comments to the Supporters Trust (THST) in May 2014 regarding the recruitment of the new manager stated the club was looking for:

‘A manager who believed in our footballing philosophy…where we would be entertained… someone who can bring the best out of experienced players and bring through youth too.’

Levy also went as far as acknowledging that:

‘There were always 6 or 7 teams competing for those four places so top 4 was difficult but should always be an ambition.’

[linequote]There is less pressure on Pochettino than any of his predecessors[/linequote]

Pochettino’s success at Southampton was not down to winning trophies or finishing in Sky’s magical Top 4 but for the way they played and the way their youth and senior players developed under his watch.

Much has been written about how Spurs will use that same high–pressing, attacking style which is great news but the latter is possibly more important for our future. Not only do we have a great, but possibly underachieving, squad which he will hope to revitalise, we have a great academy.

Our academy for many years, like many other Premier League academies, has failed to produce talent good enough to break through into the first team. Before last season only Jake Livermore, Steven Caulker and Ledley King had made an impact on the first team in the last twenty years since you-know-who.

Our present batch we had only seen in away games in the Europa League under Harry and on the bench for AVB. The one positive of Sherwood’s reign was his introduction of our academy players into the first team.

Nabil Bentaleb ended the season in the last 16 of the World Cup taking the eventual winners to extra time. Let that sink in. Andros Townsend, albeit under AVB secured England’s place in the competition, for what it’s worth. There was also more responsibility placed on Harry Kane and Zeki Fryers also made a few starts albeit in unfortunate circumstances.

So who from our youth team could play an important part in our squad this year.

Tom Carroll could be the midfield playmaker we have missed since Modric was snatched from us by our parents. He is not there yet but exposure in the first team is imperative for his development. Fitting alongside either Sandro or Capoue or even in a three with Dembele or Bentaleb we don’t have another player in the squad like Carroll, except perhaps Eriksen further up the pitch.

Nabil Bentaleb we now know much about and it is important that as fans we don’t tie him to the man who gave him his chance. Bentaleb has much to offer Spurs even if only as a squad player. His passing is consistently accurate and will become more adventurous in time as will his forward runs which we began to see a little of at the tail end of the season.

[linequote]Nabil Bentaleb ended the season in the last 16 of the World Cup taking the eventual winners to extra time[/linequote]

Harry Kane has already proved his worth to may Spurs fans this year and will continue to improve. Saddled by expectations of him as the number 9 we had dreamed of we are now beginning to understand his role as a support to the striker. He ended the season prolifically and in the open training season I watched in May his finishing was stunning. Again as the third striker he is more than capable.

Zeki Fryers has developed massively in his new position at centre back since joining the club and a spell alongside a stronger defender than Sandro or Capoue would benefit him greatly. Not a starter but not a bad choice for our fourth defender.

These are players you will all be familiar with from their introduction into the first team under Sherwood but there are more waiting to come through in the next few years.

I was very impressed with Milos Veljkovic’s cameo against Aston Villa in the last game of the season. He seemed composed on the ball, physical when needed and certainly not overawed by playing in the first team, much like Bentaleb when he broke through. His switch from defence to midfield has made the use of his passing and I look forward to seeing more cameos this season.

There are also others who could feature this year Ryan Mason, Ryan Fredricks, Cristian Ceballos and Yago Falque to name a few but their development under Pochettino depends as much on their willingness to make that step up as it does their talent.

Further down the chain defender Connor Ogilvie, midfielders Will Miller, Harry Winks, Nathan Oduwa and forward Emmanuel Sonupe have shown much promise in the under 18s.

[linequote]The pressure for fourth is less, the news of the new stadium is still fresh and we have a manager who will take a chance on new players[/linequote]

The talent is there and Sherwood’s comments that he felt ‘the fans at Spurs do not give their own youngsters enough of a chance’ and that ‘Tottenham fans like signings’ was perhaps the most ridiculous things to fall from his mouth.

We would love our team to be made up of homemade players, so would any fan of any team, at least since Manchester United showed it possible in 1992. But these great prospects we have coming through won’t develop playing in the Ukraine on a Thursday night amongst each other.

They need to be integrated properly and played alongside first team players, you need only look at how Caulker, Livermore and Bentaleb reacted so well to such responsibility. I am not saying start them against Woolwich but play the odd one occasionally against Newcastle or Swansea or Villa or anyone but the top 6, bring them on as sub, get them used to playing at that level.

This season is the perfect time to start. The pressure for fourth is less, the news of the new stadium is still fresh and we have a manager who will take a chance on new players. What they need from us is most important of all; our patience and our support, that we will clap them and sing their name when they fall not boo them or groan. Remember those who booed Bale during that losing streak but more importantly remember those who supported him, how easily he could have been lost to that negativity. He’s not doing too bad now.

Our future is bright and the kids are alright.