SportQuestion.com

The last time that Tottenham Hotspur lifted a trophy was well over a decade ago in 2008. Despite some false dawns, most notably the hallowed years of Mauricio Pochettino and the encouraging if uninspiring start to life at the Lane with Jose Mourinho at the helm, Spurs have not managed to replicate that success.

Indeed, since the League Cup triumph against Chelsea 14 years ago, they have reached four major finals (including the Holy Grail of the Champions League) without winning a single one. However, the incredible upturn in results inspired by head coach Antonio Conte, coupled with the astute signings made so far and the return to form of talismanic Harry Kane, gives Spurs fans plenty of cause for optimism. Should they continue in the same vein, it might be worth placing a flutter on them next season – and with Bitcoin it becomes easy to gamble anonymously for those who prioritise their privacy above all else.

Kane and Conte key

Spurs were a whisker away from losing their captain and boyhood fan Kane last summer, who has posted over 20 goals in six of the last nine seasons. However, Daniel Levy’s refusal to countenance a deal, coupled with the fact that his main suitor Man City have turned their attention elsewhere to Erling Braut Haaland, means Kane is most likely to stay put.

That outcome will be made all the more probable if Spurs do manage to outdo their fierce rivals Arsenal and pip the Gunners to the final Champions League spot. Such an achievement would be remarkable given the turmoil that Conte inherited when arriving in Tottenham and would go some way in convincing him to extend his stay. That, and significant backing the transfer market, of course.

New recruits needed

Conte has undoubtedly turned a decent squad into a strong one, with the additions of Rodrigo Bentacur and Dejan Kulusevski providing some much-needed composure, class and flair to the team. Other improved lpayers under Conte’s tutelage include Ben Davies, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Eric Dier, while he has also succeeded in bring the best out of the Kane-Son axis.

Nonetheless, it’s obvious that Spurs will have to dip into the transfer market if they are to compete with the big boys next season. Cristian Romero has been a revelation in centre defence but has proven injury prone, so another top-class centre back in the mould of Alessandro Bastoni or Josko Gvardiol is a must. Elsewhere, improved options at RWB and LWB would not go amiss; Jurgen Maehle, Tariq Lamptey and Aaron Hickey are all potential upgrades, while a ball-playing central midfielder would complete the puzzle. Youri Tielemans of Leicester and Spurs fans favourite Christian Eriksen would both be ideal additions. And a backup striker for Kane is the conundrum that just keeps of confounding those in the Spurs boardroom.

Of course, the main keys to achieving silverware and breaking their long-standing hoodoo will be to hold onto Conte and Kane. That, alongside a few astute signings in the off-season, would mean that Spurs would certainly be a force to be reckoned with on all fronts.

For the uninitiated, ‘that tackle by Moore’ is immortalised in the song ‘Three Lions’, which was first released in 1996 and has since become an anthem of the English national football team. Readers of a certain age will, no doubt, be all too familiar with the Moore in question, and his tackle, which has been replayed countless times on television.

However, for those unfamiliar with the history of English football, the lyric refers to the late Robert ‘Bobby’ Moore OBE, who was capped 108 times by England and, most famously, captained the team to its 4-2 victory over West Germany in the World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in 1966. Indeed, Sir Alf Ramsey, who managed the national team between 1963 and 1974, said of Moore, ‘Without him England would never have won the World Cup.’

However, ‘that tackle’ did not occur in 1966, but four years later, in a group game between England and Brazil at the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, during the 1970 World Cup. Facing a Brazilian break, led by right winger Jairzinho, Moore found himself two against two, but bided his time and, as his opponent dribbled into the England penalty, cleanly dispossessed him and carried the ball away upfield. The impeccable timing of the tackle, or interception, made it one of the most iconic in the history of football.