In 1976, club legend Bill Nicholson returned to Tottenham Hotspur as a consultant as a request from the new manager, Keith Burkinshaw. The move proved highly successful, with Nicholson helping secure the signings of icons such as Graham Roberts, Tony Galvin, and Gary Mabbutt. Burkinshaw, meanwhile, went on to become the second most successful manager in the club's history (behind Nicholson), winning two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup during his tenure.

Years later, Tottenham has evolved as a club, building one of the best stadiums in the world, and establishing one of the more impressive training facilities in Europe. Financially, they are in a healthy position, and have grown to become one of the 15 most valuable clubs in the world. That being said, the financial successes of the club have not been matched on the field. The last honours won were in 2008, a League Cup triumph over local rival Chelsea. Additionally, the past three managerial hires have brought a dour feeling into the club heading into the new season. Poor style of play, constant whining and bickering, and lack of likability have contributed to a sense that Tottenham are a club that are going backwards.

Tottenham hires Christopher Shaw

A relatively unknown figure has come into the fray, as Christopher Shaw has been tasked to turn the club's fortunes around.

In a quip from The Fighting Cock podcast, the presenters noted,

The Fighting Cock:

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After the s**te we've seen, I would be satisfied with 7th place and playing proper football, so long as we move in the right direction.

Surprisingly, Shaw listened in and offered an impromptu quote to a local journalist. He delivered the following the message,

Christopher Shaw:

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I appreciate the sentiment, but I am not here just to make us feel a little bit better. We will attack, because that is who we are, hunters. But we will also aim high. To fail aiming high is better than to succeed aiming low. And we will aim so high that even in failure, there will be an echo of glory.

Spurs fans know this to be a quote from the aforementioned legend Bill Nicholson (though some historians attribute this to his captain, Danny Blanchflower). Not a bad way to start his tenure, though now he must deliver.

Hours later, Shaw repeated history again, hiring on 88 year old legendary former manager Keith Burkinshaw as a consultant.

LIVE: First Press Conference -- Christopher Shaw

R: Welcome Chris. You have been hired into a job that many have labeled as "impossible" following the tenures of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. How are you feeling about the role?

CS: First of all, thank you, and I am delighted to be here. This is a club I have supported since I was a boy, it's a club that my dad has supported, and I will do everything to help this club be successful on the pitch, playing attacking football. I am unconcerned about what was done before. I want to do things the right way, my way, the club's way, starting today.

R: Do you feel the squad is adequate for achieving your goals, or will you need a rebuild?

CS: Let us address the elephant in the room. Harry is gone. While he has been sold, we will not be making excuses. We have capable players here. That being said, there are certain philosophies that I want to uphold. The players should want to be at this fantastic club, as should the staff, it is world class. Anyone with questionable loyalty is free to leave. With any outgoings, you can expect we will be looking to bring people in, but we will be financially responsible in accordance with the chairman.

R: You mention loyalty, is there a sense that some of the players will not buy-in?

CS: These players are all professional. I just hold my own standards, every player will need to be on board not just with my philosophy in how we play and how we train, but with the club's values.

R: Anything you can specifically mention?

CS: Our local rivals are Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham. Our players should not identify with them in any form.

R: Seems harsh at this level, no?

CS: As I said, I hold my own standards.

R: You also mentioned finances. Are you being restricted at all by Daniel Levy?

CS: We have to be financially responsible, Daniel does a great job managing that side of the club. We must comply with Financial Fair Play. Whatever budget Daniel gives us, we will stick with. No need to play around with future fees.

R: How do you want this team to play?

CS: Daniel said it in his statement before my hiring, the club needs to go back to its DNA. Our DNA is to attack, that is my aim.

R: What does success look like on the back of a disappointing season such as last?

CS: I am a coach first and foremost. These players need to develop and grow at the highest level. Success? That can only be defined in the future. Did I impact these young men positively? Did they take lessons from our sessions into their game and their personal development? Success for me is to achieve these things.

R: Lastly, you hired on Keith Burkinshaw as a consultant. What was your thought process behind that?

CS: He is a club legend. Why wouldn't I want him around?

Purge at Spurs

Christopher Shaw has wasted no time clearing out those he has deemed "not up to his standards" of loyalty or ability. 30 members of the staff, across Senior and Youth teams, have been sacked. Among those surprisingly, and rather ruthlessly, were Assistant Manager Chris Davies, Senior Coaches Ryan Mason and Mile Jedinak, Technical Director Johan Lange, and Youth Coach Jermaine Defoe.

The sacking of former players Mason and Defoe has brought some concern amongst supporters, especially considering Shaw's previous remarks about loyalty. How could two beloved Spurs not be up to scratch?

Furthermore, Spurs have placed as many as twelve senior team players up for sale, and an additional two youth team prospects. Rumor has it that players such as Dejan Kulusevski, Oliver Skipp, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg have fallen out with the new manager.

Questions have arisen as to how Spurs can rebuild when they are chopping so much down. It brings to mind a quote attributed to newly appointed consultant Keith Burkinshaw when he left Tottenham in 1984.

Keith Burkinshaw:

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There used to be a football club over there.

He was questioning whether the club had become just a business. We are wondering that still, today, 40 years later.

Captain Hugo Departs

In transfer preparations for the new season, long serving captain and number 1 goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been sold to Saudi club Al-Ettifaq, in a deal worth around £2m. Italian stopper Guglielmo Vicario had been brought in earlier in the window, making Lloris' departure more and more likely heading into the new season.

Lloris leaves the club after captaining the side for eight seasons, making 361 appearances, highlighted by his 2020-2021 season, holding a career-high 16 clean sheets in the league.

Hugo Lloris:

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It's the end of an era. I had a desire for something else. I will never forget Spurs. They were my club for so long, my family's club for so long. COYS now and always.

In addition to the departure of Hugo Lloris, Tottenham sold academy product Brooklyn Lyons-Foster to Barnsley for a nominal fee. He failed to make an appearance with the club.

Coming into the side, Christopher Shaw welcomed depth at centre-back, signing David Carmo, a left-footer from FC Porto for a quoted fee of £17.5m.

Christopher Shaw:

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I am delighted to be bringing in much needed reinforcements for our backline. We have one more target we are pushing for before the end of the window, but I am happy to get this one over the line.

Any new incomings, however, would require a few more outgoings. Surprisingly, one player who seemed to be on his way out has signed a new extension until 2028. That player is long serving centre-back Eric Dier, whose loyalty for the club has earned him a new deal.

Christopher Shaw:

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Eric has come under much criticism and has been scapegoated for a lot of troubles at this club. His dedication has never faltered. His attitude and professionalism will be important for us going forward.

While he has signed his new deal, it seems he will not be given a starting role, with Cristian Romero set to be given the nod after Shaw announced him as vice-captain to Heung-Min Son.

A new season fast approaches, and many are wondering if Shaw has done enough business to allow the squad to reach European heights.

Tough First Month for Shaw

Spurs were not handed the kindest of starts in August, and they struggled with injuries to boot. Micky van de Ven, Heung-Min Son, and Richarlison all missed out with injury.

Christopher Shaw:

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We missed some key players, but there is no excuse for some of our performances. Dreadful against City and Newcastle.

Manchester City 6 - 0 Tottenham

To start the season, Spurs faced Manchester City at the Etihad, losing by a monstrous 6-0 to the defending champions.

Key Points:
1. The inverted wing-backs Pedro Porro and Ben Davies had abysmal games. Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, new signing David Carmo, Dejan Kulusevski, and Manor Solomon all struggled as well. It was a poor overall performance.
2. Cristian Romero received a straight red card in the 18th minute, forcing Maddison to be subbed off for more defensive security.
3. Jamie Donley was forced into his debut at the senior level, replacing an injured Richarlison in the 29th minute. He struggled in what was a difficult situation.
4. City had a few players who had terrific games, Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic each scoring a brace, with new signing Raphinha providing two assists.

Statistical Battles:
xG -- 4.28 - 0.13 in favor of Manchester City
Shots on Targets -- 14 - 1 in favor of Manchester City
Possession: 45% - 55% in favor of Tottenham

Tottenham 1 - 0 Everton

Tottenham came back from a disappointing start to the season, deservedly beating Everton 1-0.

Key Points:
1. Jamie Donley made his first Premier League start with both Heung-Min Son and Richarlison out injured, scoring what proved to be the winner in the 60th minute. Yves Bissouma provided the assist. Ashley Phillips, Destiny Udogie, and Yago Santiago also went on to make their debuts, albeit from the bench.

2. Ben Davies struggled again in the inverted wing-back postion.

3. Dejan Kulusevski had a goal disallowed in the 28th minute.

4. A few Everton players struggled, with new signings Arnaut Danjuma, Jesse Lingard as well as other players such as James Tarkowski and Vitaliy Mykolenko having poor games.

Statistical Battles:
xG -- 1.67 - 0.89 in favor of Tottenham
Shots on Target -- 9 - 3 in favor of Tottenham
Possession: 64% - 36% in favor of Tottenham

Newcastle 4 - 1 Tottenham

Another poor result on the road, as Spurs were emphatically beaten 4-1 at St. James' Park. Son and van de Ven returned from injury, but were not at their best. The whole team save Eric Dier struggled from the start, with he providing an assist for the substitute Jamie Donley in stoppage time.

Key Points:
1. Poor games from -- Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Manor Solomon, and Heung-Min Son.

2. Harvey Barnes was excellent for the hosts, whilst Alexander Isak did well scoring a brace.

Statistical Battles:
xG -- 2.87 - 1.15 in favor of Newcastle
Shots on Target -- 9 - 4 in favor of Newcastle
Possession -- 55% - 45% in favor of Newcastle

Cheltenham 0 - 2 Tottenham

Spurs put their road troubles aside here, with a youthful outfit winning comfortably in the Carabao Cup 2nd Round. Unfortunately, Jamie Donley was hurt during his start in the 4th minute, so he was replaced by new signing and debutant Alejo Veliz.

Key Points:
1. Awful game from Cheltenham's Aidan Keena, as well as poor games from keeper Luke Southwood, Curtis Davies, and Elliot Bonds.

Statistical Battles:
xG -- 1.64 - 2.83 in favor of Tottenham
Shots on Target -- 3 - 7 in favor of Tottenham
Possession: 42% - 58% in favor of Tottenham

A difficult start for Spurs, we'll see if they can improve from here. Keith Burkinshaw will not be pleased with what he has seen, and maybe will look at deadline day as the right opportunity to improve the squad.

Shaw's Thoughts: August 2023

In terms of performances, we are clearly working to get to the required level. Everton and Cheltenham showed the work we were putting in, but injuries hampered our start, and we had abysmal showings against Manchester City and Newcastle. We will be putting it right in September. Here are a few highlights from the month that you may have missed:

New Contracts:
Pape Matar Sarr -- 2028
Yago Santiago -- 2028

Top Performer:

I wanted to highlight Jamie Donley, as he made his debut this month and capped it with two Premier League goals. With a lot of injuries, this young lad has shined since coming on as a substitute against City. He capped off August with the award for Premier League Goal of the Month vs Newcastle, a game that was lost by the time he came on, yet he scored a belter.

Expectations:
The board had asked of us a Top Half finish in the league and a Quarter Final appearance in the FA Cup. At the end of August, we missed the mark in the league, lying in 16th place on goal difference. The defense needs to tighten up ahead of the next month.

Stats Leaders:
Avg Rating: Alejo Veliz (7.8)
CS -- David Carmo & Ben Davies (2 apiece)
Goals -- Jamie Donley (2)
Assists -- Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski & Eric Dier (1 apiece)

September 2023

A much better second month in charge for Christopher Shaw, as his players started buying into his ideas.

Tottenham 2 - 0 Chelsea

This was a commanding victory at home for Tottenham, a great way to start the month.

Key Points:
1. Pedro Porro put in a good performance, contributing a goal and an assist, but captain Heung-Min Son was poor. Pape Matar Sarr scored in the 42nd minute.

2. Chelsea had a number of mediocre performances, notably from Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez, and Raheem Sterling. Ian Maatsen also had a bad day off the bench.

Statistical Battles:
xG -- 2.14 - 0.77 in favor of Tottenham
Shots on Target -- 8 - 4 in favor of Tottenham
Possession -- 35% - 65% in favor of Chelsea

Sheffield United 1 - 6 Tottenham

Finally some away form was shown here, albeit against a weak Sheffield United side.

Key Points:
1. A number of players did well for Spurs, most notably James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

2. Sheffield United were plagued with poor performances all around, notably from Chris Basham, John Egan, Jack Robinson, Oliver Norwood, Max Lowe, Gustavo Hamer, and Benie Traore.

Statistical Battles
xG -- 0.85 - 3.16 in favor of Tottenham
Shots on Target -- 4 - 12 in favor of Tottenham
Possession -- 45% - 55% in favor of Tottenham

Tottenham 1 - 0 Burnley

A controlled performance that deserved more than one goal in it.

Key Points:
1. Heung-Min Son had a good game and scored the winner.

2. Burnley struggled, lucky to have goalkeeper Arijanet Muric standing on his head, man of the match performance. Otherwise, players such as Jordan Beyer, Jack Cork, Sander Berge, Manuel Benson, Luca Koleosho, and Zeki Amdouni were poor.

3. Dejan Kulusevski had a goal disallowed. James Maddison also had a penalty saved.

Statistical Battles
xG -- 2.95 - 0.32 in favor of Tottenham
Shots on Target -- 14 - 2 in favor of Tottenham
Possession -- 70% - 30% in favor of Tottenham

Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 1 (5 -4 pen) Tottenham

A disappointing end to the month, as we were knocked out in the Carabao Cup 3rd Round away to Sheffield Wednesday. We dominated the match, but could not put our chances away.

Key Points:
1. While we were not poor, David Carmo did not have the best game.

2. Sheffield Wednesday's keeper, Devis Vasquez, had a great game. Akin Famewo, Salvatore Molina, and Josh Windass struggled, however.

3. Brennan Johnson had an 89th minute winner disallowed.

Statistical Battles:
xG -- 0.34 - 2.03 in favor of Tottenham
Shots on Target -- 2 - 8 in favor of Tottenham
Possession -- 51% - 49% in favor of Sheffield Wednesday.

A good month in the Prem, but disappointed to go out in the Carabao Cup. We'll see what October brings.