Former Tottenham Defender Outlines Reason Spurs Won't Surpass Man City Anytime Soon
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Michael Dawson reckons his old club's hesitancy when it comes to spending will ensure that they remain below Manchester City for the foreseeable future.
Dawson, now at Hull City, spent nine years with the London side before joining the Tigers in 2014. And he says he just doesn't see anyone knocking the current Premier League champions off their pedestal just yet - especially not Tottenham.
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The Lilywhites, who are notoriously miserly when it comes to shopping for players, as well as paying them, are very likely to lose Toby Alderweireld over monetary differences this summer. And there are fears that their approach to spending and their continued failure to bring in silverware will eventually lead to the likes of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli leaving too.
Despite Spurs doing well to put pressure on the teams at the top in recent years, Dawson insists that closing the gap would take quite a bit of doing from where the club stand right now.
“Man City are, in my opinion, untouchable," the defender told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast. "They’ve got an unlimited budget that the owners keep ploughing it in. It’s not a problem for them.
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“So for teams to catch them - how hard is it going to be? Are Spurs going to be able to catch them? I’d love to see it.
“It’s finances; are Daniel Levy and Joe Lewis going to want to spend that kind of money?
“In my opinion I don’t think they are. You hear Mauricio Pochettino and he is getting frustrated. I think the main aim for him at this time is make sure you keep those players you’ve named [Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli].
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“There’s talk about Toby Alderweireld [leaving], who I think is a top, top player… give him his wages!
"Give him what he’s worth! Otherwise if one goes it’s a roll on effect where they all think ‘well, he’s gone and he’s gone’.
“The better players will maybe then be looking [to leave]. I just hope they can hold on and attract a few players, because they are not a million miles away when you see them finish third.
“To close the gap to top, that is a big, big ask."
