As I watched Tottenham Hotspurs dominate the North London derby on Sunday, I couldn’t help but notice the array of young talents on display at the Emirates Stadium. To think Dele Alli and Harry Kane among others have only just made their debut in the Barclays Premiership either this season or the previous season is in itself a beauty to behold.
Is this credit to the manager? Or is there a bigger picture overseeing things from the back end?
Is this Mauricio Pochettino? Or is this the ENIC group leading the way?
Even if we give credit to Mauricio Pochettino for Harry Kane and Dele Alli, what about Kyle Walker, Andros Townsend, Aaron Lennon, Ryan Mason, Rose, Bentaleeb, Naughton, Dier, Trippier, Tom Carrol, Ryan Fredericks and all?
It is obvious that Tottenham Hotspurs not only have the right manager, but they also possess a fantastic policy that favour youths but which also compensates for their lack of funds to compete in the transfer market.
Without the billions of Oil Sheikhs, Russian Oligarchs and American billionaires, Spurs have managed to stay in the game with money well spent on young prodigies and exciting prospects.
Is this the way forward for most clubs or would Spurs just develop these players only for the BIG BOYS to come in and pry them away with the lure of big money and big European nights?
In the 90s’ Ajax FC perfected this youth policy with the class of 92-95; Overmars, De Boer brothers, Van Der Saar, Davids, Seedorf, Kluivert, Reiziger, Kanu etc mixing them up with a few experienced hands in Blind, Rikjaard, Finidi and Litmanen but those players eventually got sold off at the peak of their European Cup and domestic cup triumphs and Ajax, revered and feared in the 70’s and the 90s’ have become a shadow of itself today.
Barcelona did it as well under Guardiola, but recent spendings on Rakitic, Neymar, Suarez, Rafinha, Turan, Ter-Stegen, Masherano, Alba, Bravo, Vermalean, Alves, Mathieu suggest that the Catalonians know that money and he who has it dictates the flow of more football money.
So what can we say about Tottenham? Job well done? Or just been creative in a bid to survive?
Whatever the case, most youths would rather head to Tottenham than to Man City or Chelsea at this time, because their policy allows for growth in the young kids at their disposal.
And yes, its not just down to the manager, it is those at the head, dictating the affairs of the club that decide the direction of flow of the team, then the whole structure is built to pursue that objective
Whether it is because Tottenham don’t have money, or it is a direction that has been forced upon them, it is clearly working for now, and whatever the case, well done Tottenham for giving home grown talents a chance.