Tottenham Hotspur supporters went into the current campaign with cautious optimism, the 2022/23 season had brought nothing but misery and culminated in the growing sense that Harry Kane would depart in the summer.
Well, depart he did, heading for Bayern Munich in August to deliver an early knock for new manager Ange Postecoglou, who simply shrugged off the loss of the club's record scorer and blitzed into the ascendancy.
Ten matches into the Premier League term, Spurs topped the table and looked as formidable and fluid as any in the division, with wins over Manchester United and Liverpool and a draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
But having now lost the past two matches, Postecoglou's side's flaws have been exposed; a thinness exacerbated by a spate of injuries and suspensions.
The January transfer window looms near, and the Lilywhites will be eager to bolster their ranks to return to winning ways and maintain the renaissance. So, without further ado, here's a possible dream XI once things slam shut after the first month of the New Year.
1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario
Guglielmo Vicario. Signed from Italian side Empoli for an initial £17m in the summer. Potentially the best shot-stopper in the Premier League this season; unequivocally an upgrade on Hugo Lloris after last season.
Barring an unthinkable injury, Vicario will be expected to deputise between the sticks for the entirety of the campaign, and beyond.
2 RB – Pedro Porro
Arriving in London last January, Pedro Porro endured a forgettable debut, with Tim Sherwood branding his display against Leicester City as "absolutely disgusting" – it was not meant effusively, as one might say following a snap-motion weave from the likes of Lionel Messi, snapping heels.
No.
Player
Club
Stat
1
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
52
2
Pedro Porro
Tottenham
39
3
Vinicius Souza
Sheffield United
38
4
Marvellous Nakamba
Luton Town
38
5
Yves Bissouma
Tottenham
36
*Sourced via premierleague.com
He's redeemed himself, it must be said, having played an integral role in Postecoglou's system this season, making a stunning average of 3.5 tackles per game, as per Sofascore.
3 CB – Cristian Romero
Romero is another member of the revived group down the N17. Despite winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Argentina one year ago, Cristian Romero was rebuked for his performances; a little overzealous, perhaps, in the tackle.
The 25-year-old was sent off against Chelsea and will miss key matches against Aston Villa and Manchester City after the international break, but thankfully he will be firmly back in match action by the time the January window comes a-calling.
By and large, he's been a rock this season and has comfortably been one of the Premier League's defenders. By and large. When Spurs click into gear once again, this tough-tackling titan will be at the heart of the exploits.
4 CB – Lloyd Kelly
The first winter addition to Postecoglou's project. You will notice that Lloyd Kelly's place on this list comes at the expense of Van de Ven, but this is due to the Dutchman's likely easing into action in January, should he recover from his hamstring injury by then.
According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Tottenham are indeed planning a winter move for Kelly, having failed to secure his signature after a £20m offer last summer.
With Liverpool also interested, Bournemouth will demand a ballpark £30m for the dynamic defender, dubbed a "Rolls-Royce" by Jonathan Woodgate, though Daniel Levy will hope that his tough negotiating and past intrigue will sway the odds in his side's favour.
5 LB – Destiny Udogie
Destiny Udogie is another star who has not been in the good books recently, with his last involvement on the pitch the scything of Raheem Sterling's legs, aggravating Spurs' woes against Chelsea as they sank to a two-man disadvantage.
That being said, the young Italian has been immense since earning his first minutes for Tottenham, ranking among the top 18% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 19% for assists, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
Kelly can play left-back and will offer valuable depth, but when the squad's fully fit, there's only one man for that starting spot.
6 CM – Pape Matar Sarr
While young, Pape Matar Sarr has been a revelation in Postecoglou's side this year, with the 21-year-old spending much of the 2022/23 campaign on the fringe after signing from Metz in 2021 and returning to the French side on loan for the following year.
Having started 11 of Spurs' 12 Premier League matches so far this season and received praise for his "outstanding" displays by the Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare, it's unlikely he will lose his place.
7 CM – Yves Bissouma
Possibly enjoying the biggest revival in the Premier League this season, Bissouma fell by the wayside last season but has returned with vigour since the summer, having completed 92% of his passes, and averaged 3.3 tackles and 5.5 tackles per game.
Probably one of the first names on the team sheet, the Malian's all-action mettle in the engine room has been the perfect core for the rest of the Lilywhites squad to bounce off.
8 AM – James Maddison
Like Van de Ven, Maddison is expected to be out until the new year, though given that his ankle injury was initially considered far less serious, there will be hope that he can recover in time to claim his spot back in the team come January.
He's certainly a big miss, having dazzled after joining from Leicester City in a £40m transfer in the summer, winning August's Player of the Month award and plundering three goals and five assists in the division so far.
The England international is the creative conduit in Tottenham's team, and there is no doubt that he will play an instrumental role in the business end of the campaign.
9 RW – Raphinha
According to Football Transfers, Tottenham have dropped their interest in Brentford striker Ivan Toney to pursue a £61m move for Barcelona winger Raphinha, formerly of Leeds United.
The Brazilian has not quite cut the mustard with La Blaugrana but that by no means negates his quality, having been hailed as a "magician" by former teammate Dan James, scoring 17 times and providing 12 assists from 65 Premier League appearances.
Dejan Kulusevski has been a valuable member of Tottenham's side, but this mercurial whiz would offer the perfect competition.
10 LW – Jota
According to TEAMtalk, Postecoglou is 'very keen' on reuniting with former Celtic star Jota, who has found game time hard to come by in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad.
Scoring 27 direct goal contributions across all competitions with the Scottish champions last season, the Portuguese dynamo might offer the kind of protean, prolific threat to really bolster Spurs' attacking efforts. And he's clearly a player that Postecoglou knows well…
