Whether supporters of Tottenham Hotspur choose to admit it or not, the North Londoners always seem to have the ability to go two steps forward and one back.
Decision making at the club largely stems from chairman, Daniel Levy, of course, and whilst it’s acknowledged that he runs a very tight ship and, it would appear, from a business point of view that things are stable enough, that modus operandi isn’t going to be enough to see Spurs break into the top four anytime soon.
Even if you don’t take the view that you need to speculate to accumulate, the way that elite-level football is going, serious money has to be spent. Whether that be on transfer fees, salaries or a mixture of both.
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When Antonio Conte took over at White Hart Lane, it appeared that, finally, a sea change in attitude had been seen in the boardroom.
Conte’s own way of working, which generally involves being backed heavily in the transfer market, would surely mean that he wasn’t joining the North Londoner’s unless they were about to put their hands in their pockets.
It was a fair assumption, but as time goes by it’s looking more and more likely that isn’t the case.
Certainly, Conte’s demeanour in recent press conferences has been dour and less than upbeat, and his words ahead of the North London derby this weekend hint at a premature departure for the Italian.
“Honestly I like to live in the present and not to think a lot of the future,” he was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
“Now it is important to live in the present, to try in the present to improve the situation and get out the best of my players.
“To work to improve the situation because the present is now, the future is later. Later could be too much later for us.
“We have to be focused on the present and work to try to improve the situation now. Then I will see.