Tottenham Hotspur 2022/23 season review: Kane the shining light in miserable Spurs campaign | OneFootball

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Football Today

·5 June 2023

Tottenham Hotspur 2022/23 season review: Kane the shining light in miserable Spurs campaign

Article image:Tottenham Hotspur 2022/23 season review: Kane the shining light in miserable Spurs campaign

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2022/23 campaign has been one to forget. For the first time in over a decade, they have failed to qualify for any European tournament.

Hope has once again faded into misery and pain for the Tottenham supporters who had faith that this year would be different, especially with a serial winner in Antonio Conte in charge.


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However, nine months later, they’ve had to endure a torrid campaign littered with drama as Spurs always seemed to be making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Here’s Tottenham Hotspur’s 2022/23 season review.

Player of the Year: Harry Kane

Once again, Harry Kane has come up trumps for a massively underwhelming Tottenham side after notching 30 goals while setting up a further three.

Racking up those numbers in this Spurs side and finishing just six goals behind Manchester City’s goal machine Erling Braut Haaland (36) in the Premier League’s top scorers chart is no small feat.

Kane also scored 43% of Spurs’ goals – the highest percentage for one club of any player in the division while earning an extra 24 points for his side.

They’d be level with Everton on 36 points without Kane’s goals.

Performance of the season

Consecutive 2-0 victories over London rivals West Ham United and Chelsea would be a highlight, but both clubs were equally awful in the league this season.

However, their sensational 3-2 comeback victory over Bournemouth at the end of October helped snap a two-match losing streak, with the Cherries close to handing them a third.

Goals on either side of half-time from Kieffer Moore gave Bournemouth a healthy lead, but Conte’s side completed a stunning turnaround on the south coast, with Rodrigo Bentancur striking the knockout blow in stoppage time.

Disappointment of the season

From unprecedented managerial rants, several protestations towards the owners, two managers sacked, under-performing players and a sporting director scandal – take your pick.

However, if we’re talking about on-field drama, losing 4-3 to Liverpool in the dying embers after completing a miraculous turnaround from 3-0 down was hard for the Tottenham supporters.

From elation and euphoria to downright disaster in a matter of seconds was the story at Anfield, but their catastrophic 6-1 thumping at the hands of Newcastle United at St James’ Park was a new low.

What do the stats say?

The Tottenham faithful have been treated to a torrid campaign, having watched their side finish eighth in the Premier League table – their lowest placement since the 2008/09 campaign (also eighth).

They accumulated 60 points (W18, D6, L14) – their lowest tally since 2019/20, but they still clinched a spot in Europe that season.

Despite the overall disappointing season, Tottenham can be proud of their form in the final third as they eclipsed their tally from previous campaigns.

They created 64 big chances (2.1 per match) and hit the woodwork 17 times, but they still scored 70 goals (1.8 per game) – their highest since racking up 74 in 2017/18.

However, their defensive record gives cause for concern as they conceded 63 goals (1.7 per match) – the worst in their top-flight history and the most of any side that finished in the top half this term.

Their defensive metrics also constitute the sixth highest in the division, but on the bright side, they managed ten clean sheets.

Verdict

It’s the hope that kills, but optimistically speaking, it cannot get any worse from here. Tottenham must dust themselves off and start afresh, but several problems need fixing and fast.

Conte was wrong to go about his scathing rant the way he did, but he delivered some home truths that the Spurs bosses need to ponder upon, and whatever revival they have planned should start at the very top.

Chairman Daniel Levy has admitted that sporting decisions have cost the club, and changes at the boardroom level may be needed to root out their inert nature of faltering at the final hurdle.

After three successive managerial appointments that ultimately failed, Spurs need to make a shrewd decision on their next head coach appointment that will give the supporters something to believe in.

They also need a sporting director to spearhead their summer recruitment.

More importantly, they need to sort out Harry Kane’s future with a move away from the club growing ever more likely with each passing day.

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