Spurs have always been known as a 'Cup' team. At one stage they held the record for more F.A. Cup victories than any other club, before being overtaken by Manchester United and Arsenal, with their North London rivals holding the record of Cup wins now with 13.
For a club that has been so long in our consciousness, it may surprise you that Tottenham have only won the League twice, in 1951, and as part of a League and Cup double in 1961. It's a poor return for a club rich in heritage, as that 1961 domination was the first English double of the 20th Century, and Spurs were the first British club to win a European trophy, when they claimed the 1963 Cup Winners' Cup.
Harry Redknapp may have planted the seed in the last decade, but current manager Mauricio Pochettino has taken Spurs to a new level, the greatest heights since the era of Danny Blanchflower and Dave Mackay. All that is missing now is silverware.
In 2016 they pushed Leicester City all the way for the Premier League crown, playing some of the best football at times, before fizzling out in the closing stretch, punch drunk on the receiving end of a football miracle. Last season the Lilywhites were comfortably the second best team, but Chelsea's 13 successive wins in the middle of the season meant Spurs played Wile E.Coyote to the Pensioners' Road Runner.
I was at Old Trafford on Saturday, and I felt that Spurs, without Harry Kane, are nearly there. Nearly, but not quite. They succumbed to a smash and grab United victory which had Jose Mourinho's fingerprints all over it. The test was whether they could sandwich a tough reversal between the 4-1 dismissal of Liverpool by putting it up to the European champions, Real Madrid. The answer was emphatic as Tottenham extinguished any superstition around their suitability for the rental property of Wembley by taking the Spanish giants to the cleaners in a 3-1 victory that was thoroughly deserved. 7 years ago, Spurs beat the then holders, Inter Milan in the Group stage en route to the quarter finals, but they were then thrashed 5-0 on aggregate by Real Madrid. The recent gutsy display at the Bernabeu demonstrates that this is a different environment.
Manchester City's Premier League lead over Tottenham is 8 points, City's squad so strong and their form so irresistible that it's hard to fathom how Spurs can turn that around between now and next May. City are no pacemakers - they are guided by the elite of world managers in Pep Guardiola who has now settled on a winning blend, orchestrated by the beautiful skills of the Belgian, Kevin De Bruyne.
In the Champions League, a two legged cup competition, the deck of cards may suit Tottenham much more to launch an unlikely assault on the prize in Kiev next year. Firstly, there is no pressure on Spurs. None. In the Premier League, a top four finish is essential to retain Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Toby Alderweireld, whatever the opinions on Chairman's Daniel Levy's wage structure. That is pressure, but with Liverpool and Chelsea in uncertain form, it's a path that should be negotiated by regular trimming of weaker opponents.
In the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition, for which Spurs have now qualified, the draw is set to be favourable by virtue of a Group win. Tottenham are a hard team to break down - their defence is teak tough and in Harry Winks, they have yet another player who is flourishing under Pochettino. Christian Eriksen is growing into more of a number 10 and Alli is a diamond, strong, skilful, edgy, with an eye for goal. Kane is irreplaceable right now and any absence of the England striker diminishes the side's potency. The flip side is that with their 'A' team available, assured ball retention and the freedom to express themselves, Spurs look comfortable breathing this rarefied air of Real, City, PSG and Barcelona. We often look back at great teams and wonder when the moment was when they surprised us by breaking through. Tottenham, right now, may be one team that is composing football history before it is written.
