Tottenham Hotspur have been beset with inconsistency for too long but under Ange Postecoglou's tutelage – while that ebb and flow of results persists – the players are refreshed and the transfer recruitment has been promising.
Most importantly, there is a clear, focused vision at N17 that denotes Postecoglou's managerial acumen and the chance of putting the recent seasons of trouble in the past.
Two weeks ago, Tottenham were defeated on home turf by Wolverhampton Wanderers in what marked the perfect chance to close the gap on fourth-placed Aston Villa and make significant progress in the fight for Champions League qualification, with the season now approaching the business end.
Spurs have done remarkably well, all things considered, with Harry Kane leaving for Bayern Munich back in August after the London club languished to an eighth-place Premier League finish last season.
The first year of a new era was always going to be peppered with irregularities in both performance and result but with influential signings such as James Maddison and Micky van de Ven melding with existing stars such as Heung-min Son, Cristian Romero and co, a successful finish is certainly attainable.
Captain Son, in particular, has been sublime in his offensive efforts, compensating for Kane's sale with displays both dynamic and deadly.
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More impressively, perhaps, has been the resurgence of Richarlison, who has rekindled his career under his Australian manager's wing to stand as one of the league's most effective goalscorers.
Richarlison's season in numbers
Richarlison joined Tottenham from divisional rivals Everton in a £60m transfer back in July 2022, having been regarded as a menacing forward on Merseyside with a healthy return of 53 goals from 152 outings.
But a new system in new settings proved to unravel his best attributes and Richarlison endured a truly wretched maiden year in the capital, posting one goal from 27 Premier League appearances.
However, back in November, the Brazilian underwent surgery to deal with a groin issue that had clearly hampered his chances of building form and fluidity into his efforts at Tottenham, for since his comeback the 26-year-old has been in truly resounding showing.
Indeed, Richarlison has posted nine goals from his past ten matches in the top flight and looks to have unearthed the formula for success, producing clinical displays that have kept his club in the fight for Champions League football after a dismal run of results throughout November and December.
He's hit that vein of performance that has sparked life and optimism back into his Premier League career and he is undoubtedly one of the most fearsome attacking units in England right now, albeit set for an agonising three-to-four-week spell on the sidelines after Postecoglou confirmed that he picked up a knee problem against Wolves two weeks ago.
While Son is an invariably clinical goalscorer in the Premier League, Richarlison's absence does highlight the need for a striker in north London following Kane's departure, and some might feel that man allies within the academy.
Jamie Donley's season in numbers
Considered by many to be Tottenham youth's cream of the crop, Jamie Donley has started to earn appearances within the senior set-up and it is certainly not without merit.
Donley has featured three times in the Premier League this season while making a cameo against Burnley in the FA Cup in January after producing staggering levels of creative success as the centrepiece of Wayne Burnett's U21 side, clinching six goals and 12 assists across just 17 fixtures.
Matches played
3
Goals
2
Assists
3
Pass completion
80%
Key passes per game
3.3
Tackles per game
2.7
Duels won per game
6.3
Ball recoveries per game
10.0
Not only impressing in the Premier League 2, Donley was mesmerising against senior opposition in the EFL Trophy and the range of quality that he offers, many-faceted in his midfield approach, speaks volumes for his chances of breaking into the first-team for good.
However, while Donley is an immense talent, he doesn't quite have the mould of an out-and-out centre-forward to succeed a phenomenon such as Kane, though Alejo Veliz, who completed a £13m transfer to Spurs last August, might just be the man for the job.
Spurs have a bigger talent than Jamie Donley
Before making the move to Tottenham, Veliz was described as "cunning" and "mischievous" by former youth coach Adrian Dezotti after some prodigious attacking performances in his homeland, scoring 11 times from 22 Liga Profesional games with Rosario Central.
Hailing the 20-year-old's qualities, Argentinian presenter and commentator Francisco Canepa said: “He has that characteristic of a player that’s quite rare.
"There aren’t many No 9s like that now — a tall, very strong guy that knows how to play in the box. He can run and press. He’s not so good with the ball at his feet, but he’s good at taking defenders into areas they don’t want to go and attacking the empty space. He’s really smart at doing that.”
Standing at 6 foot 1, Veliz is something of a monster in his rangy, sinew-framed presence and innate eye for goal, while he boasts aerial dominance to boot – something that sets him in good stead to effectively serve as Richarlison's heir down the line.
As per FBref, Veliz ranks among the top 10% of forwards for aerial duels won and the top 1% for clearances per 90, showing that he can indeed fill in such a role while also maintaining a defensive contribution that will slot right into the high-octane, multi-functional approach that Postecoglou seeks to implement within his system.
Therefore, while Veliz is still young and currently plying his trade on loan with Sevilla after receiving limited opportunities across the first months of his Spurs career, he has the making of a top-class striker and must be aided on his journey to the top.
