Tottenham Hotspur are having a strange season – one of change and transition, with it remaining to be seen whether ‘success’ awaits at the end of it.
Spurs have replaced Mauricio Pochettino with Jose Mourinho, in a move that initially looked to have the desired impact.
However, in recent weeks Tottenham have looked frail at the back and recorded disappointing results, meaning the North London side are currently nine points adrift of the Champions League qualification berths.
One of the reasons for Spurs’ struggles is bad luck with injuries, as a number of key players are currently unavailable and on the treatment table.
But, how can Mourinho get Tottenham back to their best and back in contention for a top-four finish?
The likes of Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko are set to spend the next few months on the treatment table, meaning Spurs’ squad is stretched thin.
Mourinho will have the remaining players taking their vanilla protein powder after every training session and will be praying that no more of the Tottenham stars are ruled out with niggling injury concerns.
Kane’s absence appears to be the biggest problem, with Spurs struggling to score since the England captain injured his hamstring in the defeat to Southampton.
While both Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min are capable of playing as a centre forward, neither have the required strike rate to fire Tottenham back into the Premier League’s elite.
Signing someone like AC Milan forward Krzysztof Piatek, who has been linked with a move to Spurs this month, seems like the most sensible solution.
Even a loan move for the Poland international, who has shown that he can score regularly in Serie A, would add firepower to a Tottenham forward line that is clearly missing Kane.
In central midfield, Sissoko has become an important player for Spurs and the Frenchman’s absence has robbed the side of energy and dynamism.
With Harry Winks having injury concerns of his own, Christian Eriksen’s future unclear and Eric Dier working to get back to full fitness, Tottenham do not have a plethora of options in the heart of their team.
Spurs are reportedly closing in on an 18-month loan deal for Portuguese talent Gedson Fernandes, who could join from Benfica and add to Mourinho’s squad.
But, despite the 21-year-old being a clear talent, he may take time to adjust to his new environment and the rough and tumble of Premier League football.
Looking for another, more-experienced midfielder before the January window closes could also be a shrewd move for Spurs, who will have fixtures coming up thick and fast across three competitions in the next month.
