Martin Samuel: For Spurs, this could be as good as it gets

15 February 2011 01:45
It will not be a thought greatly preoccupying those returning to the San Siro stadium from north London this week but, for Tottenham Hotspur, what if this is as good as it gets? [LNB]What if a last-16 Champions League tie against AC Milan is the pinnacle of achievement this season? What if the European adventure ends here and Tottenham are muscled out of the Champions League qualification places for next time? [LNB]What if, after this tie is resolved with the return leg on March 9, it is back to the Europa League in 2011-12, with continuing uncertainty over a new home and the future of manager Harry Redknapp? [LNB]It must be the strangest sensation for Lilywhite loyalists. Tottenham are on the threshold of something momentous but in which direction, who can say? Leeds United were in the Champions League semi-finals in 2001 and the third tier of English domestic football by 2007. [LNB] Reaching a peak? Peter Crouch (second right) latches on to Inter Milan's tormentor-in-chief Gareth Bale's (left) cross to give Spurs a 2-0 lead over European champions Inter Milan[LNB]That will not happen to Tottenham, whose success is built on a more stable financial footing, but while progress in Milan would be interpreted as evidence of the club as a powerful growing force, defeat could just as easily predate a chain of events that would return the club to the ranks of those outside the elite. [LNB]Redknapp put forward the counter argument before training at the San Siro on Monday night, using a question about Tottenham's future as a way of making a plea to the board. [LNB]'This could be the start of a golden era, but it depends on whether they want to take it on,' he said. 'The owners hold the key more than me; they could take this club a long way. To be fair, had the right player been available in the transfer window they would have bought him. Keep doing that and the sky's the limit. [LNB]'There is not a lot between the top teams anymore. We are on the tails of Manchester City and Arsenal and were above Chelsea after this weekend. I'm not saying we are a better team but a few years ago we were miles behind, a gap of 18 or 20 points. We beat Arsenal at our place last year, and then won away this time. If we can keep that up we'll be in the top four every season.' [LNB]He is right, but come back down to earth. For there is a growing belief that Redknapp will not be at White Hart Lane for much longer, moving on to manage England, providing he emerges unscathed from a summer trial on charges of tax evasion. That alone puts the short-term future in a new light. [LNB] Pointing in the right direction: Harry Redknapp has masterminded an upturn in Spurs' fortunes - but have they reached a pinnacle?[LNB]Redknapp has done an outstanding job, hence the interest of the Football Association, but there is no obvious successor from within his regime. Were he to leave, who knows what direction the club would take? [LNB]A cynic might even suggest an offer from the FA would suit all parties. Tottenham have been wonderful for Redknapp, and vice versa, but his style is the exception in an era when chairman Daniel Levy has chosen mainly to work with continental coaches who are used to the method in which transfer policies are as much guided by a director of football in collaboration with the board. [LNB]It is common knowledge Redknapp was keen to buy a striker when Rafael van der Vaart arrived in the summer, and Levy is believed to have been the motivating force behind one of the most intuitive moves of the season. [LNB]Winter dealings were also a puzzle: an inadequate offer for Phil Neville of Everton, a player the manager clearly wanted, was followed by a stunning ?38m bid for Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid and a ?35m offer for Giuseppe Rossi of Villarreal. [LNB]It seemed an incredible departure from the pragmatism for which Levy has been renowned: backing his managers without the extravagance of rivals. [LNB]Here, at last, was evidence Tottenham were prepared to invest to stay in the big time, but the moves failed and, judging by his words, Redknapp is wondering if this change in policy has come too late.[LNB] Hair-raising: Spurs made lavish bids for Rossi (left) and Aguero[LNB]If Tottenham are not a Champions League team next season, is Levy prepared to gamble big again in the hope of returning? [LNB]Competition will be even tighter next year, with Liverpool under Kenny Dalglish added to the five names already competing for four Champions League spots. [LNB]It could also be Redknapp's final season in charge if he does replace Fabio Capello after the 2012 European Championship. [LNB]At West Ham and Portsmouth his personal style of man management proved hard to replicate, and fortunes nosedived. Van der Vaart has spoken enthusiastically of the way Redknapp moulds the confidence of a team and, no matter the pedigree of the successor, it will leave a hole if he goes. [LNB]Will Tottenham then be able to hang on to talent such as Gareth Bale and Luka Modric; particularly if the club do not qualify for the grandest European tournament?[LNB] Harsh reality: After losing out to West Ham in the bid for the Olympic Stadium, Spurs must find a new ground - and fast[LNB]The final issue surrounds the ground. When it was announced West Ham had all but been given the keys to the Olympic Stadium, arguably the biggest cheer would have come from supporters in north London. [LNB]Yet for Levy and owner Joe Lewis it was back to the drawing board. Tottenham's relationship with Haringey, the local borough council, is at such a low ebb that Lewis was talking of leaving the area even if the Olympic bid was unsuccessful. [LNB]But for where? The redevelopment of the White Hart Lane site would no longer appear to be on Tottenham's agenda, yet the club know they must replicate the earning potential of a rival such as Arsenal if they are to maintain a position in the elite. [LNB]Tottenham collect ?36.8m annually from match days compared to Arsenal 's ?93.9m from their 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium. [LNB]It is not just tonight's match that could go either way. [LNB] Redknapp can talk to England: Spurs won't stand in his way as FA look for Capello successorHarry Redknapp: We're going all out attack in the San Siro Can Jermain Defoe leave the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the shade at the San Siro?Harry Redknapp Q&A: Spurs boss on his big Champions League test...All the latest Tottenham news, features and opinion[LNB]  Explore more:People: Joe Lewis, Phil Neville, Daniel Levy, Fabio Capello, Harry Redknapp, Luka Modric, Sergio Aguero, Gareth Bale Places: Milan, Liverpool, London, United Kingdom, Olympic Stadium Organisations: Football Association

Source: Daily_Mail