Tottenham Hotspur are finally banishing the demons of their mid-table past and are now Premier League high-flyers

Tottenham Hotspur are finally banishing the demons of their mid-table past and are now Premier League high-flyers
Gone are the days of mid-table finishes for Spurs fans and @TalkingTHFCon Twitter is loving it.The transformation of Tottenham Hotspur from mid-table nothingness to Premier League high-flyers is one of English football’s greatest modern stories, and there is little you can say to convince me otherwise.The north London side finished 14th in the Premier League table 15 years ago.3

A poor start to the 2003/04 season cost Glenn Hoddle his job as Tottenham manager

Ending this campaign in their current position of third would become the sixth time they’ve managed a top four finish in that time.Their rise is not only unrivalled, but an insight into how quietly plodding along in this age of social media scrutiny is nothing to be scoffed at.Cast your mind back 15 years to the 2003/04 Premier League season.Following a dismal 3-1 home defeat to Southampton, club legend Glenn Hoddle was relieved of his duties as manager, with director of football David Pleat taking the reigns until the end of the season. Under Pleat’s leadership, Tottenham secured just 10 wins throughout the remainder of the campaign, suffering 15 defeats in the process to the likes of League One Charlton and Portsmouth.The squad, which included the likes ofGoran Bunjevevi, Mbulelo Mabizela and Rohan Ricketts, is a polar opposite to the current outfit.Fast forward to 2010.Spurs, now under the leadership of I’m A Celebrity winner Harry Redknapp, secure their first ever top-four finish above the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.3

Tottenham finished in the Premier League top four for the first time under Harry Redknapp

To put into perspective the incredible ascent of Spurs in those six years, the Merseyside outfit finished ten places higher than the Lilywhites in that season under Pleat’s care.A mystery that continues to baffle me as of late is the hatred from rivals fans towards Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.Tottenham are the perfect example of how to navigate modern football, with the players a group that most teams would dream of. Harry Kane, the club’s fourth all-time top scorer, seems to receive the bulk of the hate for reasons I cannot fathom.3

Tottenham, led by Pochettino, have gone about things the right way

A model professional, England captain and two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner, should be a player that the country emphatically gets behind. Instead, the striker is under constant scrutiny.This select group of haters appears to be stuck back in 2004, living under the impression that the club’s recent success is just a phase, and that they will inevitably fall back down to the dark days of mid-table.It is perhaps no coincidence that Spurs’ rise has coincided with the emergence of social media, with those that once taunted them for finishing mid-table growing up alongside these new tools.The fact that a sixth top-four finish is on the horizon should signal those days are far from close to returning. In fact, they’re dead and buried. We’re now approaching 11 years to the day since the club last tasted the sweet taste of silverware, and fans continue to live in hope that this year will indeed be our year.It’s perhaps easy to say that in order to shake this hatred from rivals, the club just needs to get their hands on a trophy. With the quadruple very much still on this season, who knows what the future may hold. Yes, I know we all know the answer to that one.RIP mid-table Spurs (1992-2005)

---

Gareth Bale: How much does golf-crazy Real Madrid star earn compared…
Premier League Golden Boot: 2018/19 winner and top scorers
naijajury.com/2019/05/12/premier-league-golden-boot-2018-19-winner-and-top-scorers-full-ranking-revealed-as-three-players-finish/
Previous Post Premier League Playmaker award: 2018/19 winner and most assists: Full ranking revealed as Eden Hazard crowned Next Post Premier League top four confirmed: Tottenham secure Champions League qualification on final day as Arsenal
Eden Hazard: The Premier League's best player of the last

---

Former Tottenham midfielder Adel Taarabt makes Benfica debut nearly FOUR YEARS after signing from QPR. Adel Taarabt made his debut for Benfica as a sub in Saturday's win over Tondela
Fulham sign Adel Taarabt from QPR on loan | Daily Mail Online

---

"The coach has helped me a lot to improve and that's the most important thing. "I was surprised to be honest because I didn't think that I would start as good as I did, but it's only a positive thing when you start good [straight away]. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp spent £13m to sign Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke (Pic: GETTY)
Xherdan Shaqiri 'could leave Liverpool' as Jurgen Klopp eyes

---

Emmanuel Petit says Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino needs to win a trophy soon or leave the club, and he could be the Arsene Wenger of Spurs.
News list for mauricio pochettino 'motivated' to stay real

---

John Stones can be "a good captain for Manchester City", says Richard Dunne, while his partnership with Aymeric Laporte boasts the potential to be "the most successful in Premier League
Richard Dunne: Laporte and Stones can be the most successful

---

Manchester City are considering installing safe standing areas as part of an expansion of the Etihad Stadium that could also see ticket prices reduced and a singing section introduced. The club have sent a questionnaire to fans to gather opinion on extending the stadium to 63,000 from its 55,000 capacity.
Man City ask fans about pricing for safe-standing season ticket

---

James McClean has reiterated his strong belief that any player not proudly committed to the Republic of Ireland cause can "sod off and play for someone else". The Derry man pulled no punches in an
McClean to Rice: 'Sod off and play for someone else' - BeSoccer

---

Liverpool transfer news: Reds striker Daniel Sturridge

---

Leeds United's plan to deal with Kemar Roofe transfer interest amid Aston Villa links. Speculation has mounted that AVFC are considering an offer for Roofe, who has one year left on his Elland
Leeds United transfer latest: Kemar Roofe 'going nowhere

---

The funniest Nwankwo Kanu story you will ever hear by Harry Redknapp Harry tells how he signed Nwankwo Kanu from West Brom, his scintillating performances and how they once had to wheel the former
Harry Redknapp recalls hilarious safari trip from time as

---

Arsenal fans mock Tim Sherwood for his North London derby combined XI of all Spurs players Spurs players and not a single player from the red half of North London. Piers Morgan celebrates
Piers Morgan gives embarassing rant about Tottenham on

---