Continuity essential for Spurs

In a summer of spiralling transfer fees, Tottenham’s inactivity stands out. But will the merits of continuity pay off? With the team on their United States tour, Adam Bate examines the great Spurs experiment with the help of an example from basketball…

With Tottenham striker Harry Kane grabbing attention on the club's United States tour by hitting a 50-yard field goal in New York, perhaps it is an appropriate time for Spurs supporters to be looking across the pond for inspiration. But it is in another sport on the other side of the country that provides the most pertinent example to follow. In 2014, Bob Myers, the general manager of California basketball team the Golden State Warriors made a simple but incisive point. "If you've played basketball, you know there is a hard-to-quantify element of continuity," said Myers. "Playing together with the same group of people for a long time makes you better. It just does." The following year, the Warriors ended a 40-year wait to be crowned NBA champions. In part, their victory was heralded as one of continuity, having retained much of the roster from the previous season. Steph Curry led the way but others such as Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have since been given time to develop into stars in their own right.

Incidentally, the team that won the NBA the previous season just happen to be known as Spurs - the San Antonio variety. Their 2014 win was a fourth in 12 years together for Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Fellow all-star Kobe Bryant once admitted he was "extremely jealous" of the understanding that the trio had forged on the court. Clearly, there is much to be said for continuity. Sadly, this is not always possible in football - a sport where everyone bar Real Madrid and Barcelona, even the financial powerhouses of the Premier League, can be considered selling clubs. It requires a special set of circumstances for anyone else to hold onto a successful squad from one year to the next.

As Monaco have discovered this summer, it takes only a glimpse of glory to see a side dismantled. Young talents Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko have already been sold on. Many of the rest are expected to follow. Individually, they will light up the Champions League. As a collective, blossoming partnerships have been cut short.

Instead, the onus will now be on these young players to forge new bonds and create fresh understandings on the pitch. Expectations will be as high as the fees that were paid to secure their signatures. Monaco's magic must be recreated but for the club that thrust them onto the world stage, they are left to wonder what might have been achieved together. And if players cannot settle? If Kylian Mbappe finds Cristiano Ronaldo less than receptive? The chance to grow into a role is not guaranteed. It's not so long ago that James Rodriguez moved from Monaco to Madrid as a World Cup hero. Now he's the most expensive player ever loaned out. Patience is not valued too highly when transfers are considered the virtue.

So where does this leave Tottenham? Daniel Levy's smart contract work has helped to prevent the breakup of the team so far. Even more significant is the presence of Mauricio Pochettino, the coach who has fostered such an atmosphere of excitement at the club. Players genuinely believe they are at the best place to improve; the best place to win.

It has given rise to an unusual situation whereby Spurs are able to retain their stars but it is implausible within the wage structure that they can sign comparable talent from elsewhere. Vincent Janssen is a Netherlands international striker and Moussa Sissoko arrived having starred for France at Euro 2016. They are nowhere near good enough to break into the side.The result is that while Kyle Walker has been allowed to leave for a huge fee, it is his erstwhile deputy Kieran Trippier, the continuity candidate who started half a dozen Premier League games last season, who is considered the best bet. Meanwhile, young midfielder Harry Winks is regarded so highly that he is seen as a superior alternative to those outside.

And so, for now at least, Tottenham are a team seemingly in stasis. Good enough to keep their players but without the resources or inclination to improve upon them. As a result, they become the control experiment for the continuity question. Some supporters might fear that they are standing still but it is a risk that Myers feels can be seriously overstated.

From SkySports