Tottenham return to Premier League action at Newcastle United on Sunday after a turbulent end to an uncomfortable summer.
Football’s summer break is often said to pass too quickly but, for Spurs, it must feel like an age since the end of last season. Their emotional goodbye to White Hart Lane was followed by two record-breaking away wins and they finished the season with a club-record points total and the best attack, defence and goalscorer in the division.
Three months on, the mood ahead of the visit to St James’ Park is very different. Optimism has given way to gloom among supporters, who are still waiting for the club to make a summer signing. Most fans expected Kyle Walker to be sold to Manchester City but they also expected the club to buy a replacement or reinvest the right-back’s £50m fee.
This week, Danny Rose’s candid comments have further soured spirits. Rose’s decision to break ranks and criticise the club’s wage structure, ambition and transfer policy came at the worst possible time, and leaves both supporters and the defender’s team-mates questioning chairman Daniel Levy on the eve of the new season.
The restlessness and dissatisfaction off the pitch make it even more important for Spurs to start well on it. But the squad will travel up to Tyneside tomorrow haunted by memories of the 5-1 defeat to already-relegated Newcastle on the final day of the 2015-16 season, which saw them slip into third, behind Arsenal for the 21st consecutive year.
Mauricio Pochettino described it as his “worst day” in management. It was Pochettino’s third defeat in four league meetings with Newcastle as Spurs boss and his bid to reverse that run has been affected by injuries.
Rose (knee) and Erik Lamela (hip) are a long way from fitness after surgery, and Kieran Trippier has joined them on the sidelines after injuring his ankle last week. Victor Wanyama (knee) and Son Heung-Min (arm) are doubts having barely featured in pre-season.
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Pochettino can still name a strong XI and the spine of his team is relatively unaffected, even though Eric Dier should cover for Trippier at right-back. But the manager is expected to have more than one young player without Premier League experience on the bench at the start of a campaign in which he is targeting the title.
In 2015, Spurs failed to win in the opening four games, losing to Manchester United before three draws, and they never regained the ground on eventual champions Leicester. Last year was an improvement but they looked undercooked in the curtain-raiser at Everton, one of two draws in their first three matches.
Such is the fragile mood at the club, another slow start could prove even more costly this year, increasing the glances at Levy from the terraces and, more significantly, the training ground.
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If Spurs lose on Sunday, confidence will plummet ahead of their Premier League debut at Wembley, where they won just once in five attempts last year. A win would be a timely reminder that, for all the unrest, Spurs are almost the same team that finished last season in such style.