Ah, Tottenham. So much admiration for the club, yet they are just never quite good enough. Spurs have built a near world class squad by spending a fraction of the money of their top six rivals in the Premier League, earning the club manager and its players plenty of respect.
You can only do so much on a shoestring however, and although Spurs were in the title race for much of the current season, as soon as the wheels started to come off, inevitably their transfer policy would be questioned. No club in the history of the Premier League has failed to sign a player in a whole season, but Tottenham did exactly that when they opted not to dip into their pockets during either the summer or January transfer windows.
Yes, a new stadium is on the way, but that won’t be the solution for a talented squad who just need to be lifted to the next level.
Your task is therefore tricky in charge of Tottenham Football Manager 2019, as RealSport gives you all you need to know for the Lilywhites, equipped with little finances to spend.
Philosophies
Given Tottenham’s status in British football as well their newfound consistency of making the Premier League top four, they have a whole host of philosophies to follow as manager. On FM, you need to play possession and attacking football, but with a focus on younger players. You need to sign young players for the first team and develop players using the club’s youth system.
Expectations
For your expectations, you will be expected to finish in the top four and qualify for the European Champions Cup. In the FA Cup you will need to reach the final, whereas in Europe the target is to reach the quarter-finals. If you aim for higher targets, you will be given more cash for your transfer budget.
Tactical style
There are various sensible tactical styles to go for at Tottenham, but with five at the back a realistic possibility given the quality of three centre halves Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen to play in a back five, we have gone for fluid counter attack. Other possible tactical styles are control possession, tiki-taka, vertical tiki-taka and wing play.
Formation
Since the departure of Mousa Dembele in January without a replacement, the Tottenham squad looks slightly imbalanced. Add to that a string of injuries to the start the campaign (Hugo Lloris, Victor Wanyama, Moussa Sissoko and Vincent Janssen are all out), your hands are tied. We have gone for a bizarre ‘5-1-1-3 DM WB Asymmetric AM (L)’formation, which is essentially a 5-2-3 with players adjusted to play in their best positions.
If you want a more conventional midfield, go for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, with another possible five the back formation being a 5-2-1-2.
Paulo Gazzaniga deputises for the injured Hugo Lloris at the start of the season, with the back five made up by Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose.
Eric Dier is the defensive midfielder, with Christian Eriksen slightly further ahead. Dele Alli is the tricky one to throw in with the England international playing as a right central attacking midfielder, with Heung-Min Son out wide on the left. Harry Kane is the first name on the team sheet up front.
On the bench go for Michel Vorm, Serge Aurier, Ben Davies, Harry Winks, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Fernando Llorente. Victor Wanyama, Moussa Sissoko and Vincent Janssen will all be in contention upon their return.
Key players
Tottenham have some world class depth in their squad, giving them a chance against any team they may come up against in the Premier League or in Europe.
Harry Kane – CA 4.5 star (183), PA 4.5 star (185)
The jewel in the crown is Harry Kane. Soon to be club captain you would imagine, and you would think any chance of Spurs winning silverware in the years ahead is paramount on the England skipper staying at the club. The 25-year-old already has 124 goals in 174 Premier League games, meaning he is on course to break Alan Shearer’s 260 goal record (441) games).
On FM, Kane has a 183 CA which can improve to a potential of 185. The striker’s best stats include 19 finishing, 19 determination and 19 penalty taking, which see him valued at £78 million and a wage of £200,000 a week.
Christian Eriksen – CA 4.5 star (178), PA 4.5 star (180)
Christian Eriksen make the Spurs side tick, with the Danish midfielder one of the finest technicians in the Premier League. Since arriving from Ajax in 2013, Eriksen has assisted 81 goals and scored an additional 63, linking up with the likes of Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli in attack.
Eriksen’s 178 CA on the game contains stats of 18 stamina, 18 teamwork and 18 work rate. These can rise slightly for the 26-year-old with his PA at 180, meaning he is valued at £73 million, but his wages are surprisingly low at £75,000 a week.
Jan Vertonghen – CA 4 star (165), PA 4 star (165)
Jan Vertonghen organises the defence with the Belgian having been at the club since 2012. The 31-year-old has emerged into one of the finest defenders on the planet, but he has a severe lack of silverware for a man of his calibre. Vertonghen hasn’t picked up a trophy since back-to-back league titles at Ajax in 2011 & 2012, which must change as he moves past his peak.
Vertonghen’s 165 CA is at its maximum potential, and at his age don’t be surprised if his stats of 17 tackling, 16 marking and 16 composure start to fall. The centre back has a value of £47.5 million with wages of £90,000 a week.
Young talent
Harry Kane, Danny Rose, Harry Winks and Kyle Walker-Peters have all come through the club’s academy in recent years, with names such as Sol Campbell, Ledley King, Peter Crouch, Andros Townsend all becoming England internationals in recent history. Who could be next to club through at Spurs and become a Premier League regular?
Troy Parrott – CA 1.5 star (87), PA 3.5-4.5 star (150-180)
Yet to appear for the first team, but with 11 goals in seven U18 Premier League games this season has seen Troy Parrot pop up on the academy radar. He is yet to score at ‘PL2’ level, but aged 17, there is plenty of time for the Irish striker to make his mark. On FM, his 87 CA can rise to a PA between 150 and 180.
Oliver Skipp – CA 2 star (113), PA 3-4 star (140-170)
Oliver Skipp has stepped up to the senior side this season, with the defensive midfielder making 10 appearances. The England U18 international has made four starts for the club this season, and if he progresses like many of the other recent graduates, he could help fill the void left by Mousa Dembele in January. The 17-year-old has a 113 CA on FM which can improve to a PA between 140 and 170.
Rodel Richards – CA 1 star (79), PA 2-3 star (130-160)
Another striker, Rodel Richards is looking to follow in the footsteps of Harry Kane, but hasn’t played enough games in one position to start showing some form. In seven U18 Premier League games this season he has three goals and two assists, but the 17-year-old needs to do more to earn a shot at first team football. A 79 CA should develop to a PA between 130 and 160.
Team Report
Strengths | Weaknesses | |
---|---|---|
GK Eccentricity | Overall Depth | |
Heading | Defence depth | |
Star attacker (Harry Kane) | Midfield depth | |
Youth Prospects | Transfer budget | |
Coaching staff | ||
Teamwork | ||
Tackling | ||
Work rate | ||
Scouting staff | ||
Free kick taking | ||
Stamina | ||
Midfield depth | ||
Marking | ||
GK handling | ||
GK one on ones | ||
GK reflexes | ||
GK rushing out | ||
Star goalkeeper (Hugo Lloris) | ||
Star defender (Jan Vertonghen) | ||
Finishing |
Dynamics
Team Leaders - Hugo Lloris (C), Harry Kane (VC), Jan Vertonghen
Highly influential - Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Heung-Min Son, Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks, Kieran Trippier
The Transfer Market
Starting transfer budget: £12.5 million
Remaining wage budget: £50,000 a week
Player to sell
With four men sidelined through injury at the start of the season, you can’t afford to sell many players, if any, at Tottenham. There are two possible options, Kyle Walker-Peters and Vincent Janssen. With Janssen out injured until the new year, it would make sense to sell him, with the Dutchman likely to fetch you around £8 million. That will add an extra £34,000 a week to your wage budget.
If you want to bring in a new first team player, you need to let a regular go, and this is likely to be Moussa Sissoko. The French international is useful in that he can play in central or right midfield, but in starting the season injured and being your weakest midfield option, you should sell him and bring in a new starter. He should collect you around £14 million and free up £80,000 a week in your wage budget.
Transfer targets
New transfer budget: £35 million
New remaining wage budget: £164,000 a week
Central midfield option
With Mousa Dembele gone and if you do sell Moussa Sissoko, you will be looking short in central midfield. You can either go down the defensive route, to free up attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli or go for a versatile player who can play in a number of roles.
The best value for money signing would be Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey who can be picked up for just over £20 million. The Ghanaian wages are currently a reasonable £42,000 a week, and he holds a 147 CA with a potential of 162. The 25-year-old’s best stats are 17 teamwork, 16 work rate and 16 stamina.
Alternative options
Player | Age | Club | Country | CA/ PA | Value | Wage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hakim Ziyech | 25 | Ajax | Morocco | 150/ 155 | £12m | £32k |
Ever Banega | 30 | Sevilla | Argentina | 152/ 161 | £21m | £110k |
Rafinha | 25 | Barcelona | Brazil | 149/ 156 | £15m | £77k |
Pizzi | 28 | Benfica | Portugal | 148/ 156 | £20m | £23k |
Giacomo Bonaventura | 28 | AC Milan | Italy | 149/ 155 | £24m | £64k |
Contracts
Just two players have contracts running out at Tottenham, and despite Fernando Llorente being 33 years old, you should keep him another year to provide backup to Harry Kane. If you manage to find a replacement next season, you can sell him.
As for Michel Vorm, he is now the third-choice goalkeeper behind Hugo Lloris and Paulo Gazzaniga, and you can afford to release him at the end of the season. If Lloris wasn’t injured at the start of the campaign, you could sell the Dutchman straightaway.
Finances
Tottenham’s finances look to be in check with the club balance on the rise. Turnover will increase for a year, perhaps due to the completion of the new stadium, with profit starting to depreciate at the end of the season. There is no reason to be alarmed, and even though expenditure is likely to increase, you should have a much more sensible bank balance of £120 million next season.
No money, no problem?
It’s been a remarkable season, all things considering, for Tottenham in real life, with the club reaching the last eight of the Champions League, last four of the EFL Cup and challenging for the title until March. This has all been done without spending any money (Spurs have made a £13 million profit on transfer activity this season), but you cannot expect to pick up silverware doing the same.
Be shrewd in the market to add that little bit of quality in the transfer market, and it may take selling one of your talented players to give you the funds to bring in more quality to the club. Either way, it will be a tough season for Spurs, but anything worth having never comes easy.
Full Tottenham player ratings
Player | Age | Pos | Role | Duty | Role Ability | CA/ PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting lineup | ||||||
Paulo Gazzaniga | 26 | GK | SK | Defend | 2.5 star | 138/ 144 |
Kieran Trippier | 27 | DR WBR | WB FB | Any | 3 star | 146/ 152 |
Toby Alderweireld | 29 | DC | BPD | Any | 4 star | 163/ 170 |
Davinson Sanchez | 22 | DC | BPD | Any | 3 star | 149/ 165 |
Jan Vertonghen | 31 | DC | BPD | Any | 4 star | 165/ 165 |
Danny Rose | 28 | DL WBL | WB | Support Auto Defend | 3 star | 146/ 152 |
Eric Dier | 24 | DM MC DC | BWM HB DM SV | Defend Support Auto | 3.5 star | 152/ 162 |
Christian Eriksen | 26 | AMC MC | AP AM DLP | Support Attack | 4.5 star | 178/ 180 |
Dele Alli | 22 | AMC AML | AP AM SS | Support Attack | 4 star | 164/ 176 |
Heung-Min Son | 26 | AML ST | Winger | Support Attack | 3.5 star | 157/ 159 |
Harry Kane | 25 | ST | DLF AF CF | Support Attack | 4.5 star | 183/ 185 |
Substitutes | ||||||
Michel Vorm | 34 | GK | SK | Support Attack | 2.5 star | 131/ 146 |
Ben Davies | 25 | DL | WB FB | Any | 3 star | 142/ 146 |
Serge Aurier | 25 | DR | WB | Support Auto | 2.5 star | 142/ 144 |
Harry Winks | 22 | MC | DLP B2B | Support Defend | 3 star | 143/ 152 |
Erik Lamela | 26 | AMR AMC | AP IF | Support Attack | 2.5 star | 142/ 150 |
Lucas Moura | 25 | MR AMR | Winger | Attack Support | 3 star | 146/ 156 |
Fernando Llorente | 33 | ST | DLF | Support Attack | 2.5 star | 133/ 159 |
Reserves | ||||||
Kyle Walker-Peters | 21 | DR WBR | WB FB | Any | 2.5 star | 133/ 142 |
Juan Foyth | 20 | DC | BPD Libero | Defend Support Cover | 2.5 star | 129/ 155 |
Injured | ||||||
Hugo Lloris | 31 | GK | SK | Support Attack | 3.5 star | 159/ 170 |
Victor Wanyama | 27 | DM MC | BWM | Defend Support | 3 star | 144/ 154 |
Moussa Sissoko | 28 | MC MR | B2B Winger | Support | 2.5 star | 143/ 150 |
Vincent Janssen | 24 | ST | PF DLF | Attack Support | 2.5 star | 134/ 145 |