The news that Tottenham fans have been dreading finally arrived at 1pm on Monday afternoon. Amid plenty of speculation over the past two months, Mauricio Pochettino was announced as Chelsea head coach on a two-year contract, with the Blues having the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.
A painful moment for many Spurs supporters given what he achieved in his five-and-a-half years in north London, some were left to ponder why Daniel Levy had not made his move for the Argentine at a time when the Lilywhites are on the lookout for a new boss following Antonio Conte's exit. Others just questioned why Pochettino could make the move to Tottenham's biggest rival during his time as boss.
Following a truly dreadful campaign in west London, Pochettino is now tasked with getting Chelsea back on track and competing for silverware once again. A project for the 51-year-old where he can go in and rebuild the club, his appointment is perhaps the worst possible news for Tottenham, who themselves face a summer of change at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
READ MORE: Tottenham make Dejan Kulusevski transfer stance clear as he explains what must happen next
In the mix for a Champions League place for the vast majority of the campaign, Spurs' drop in form in the last two months saw them miss out on Europe altogether after finishing eighth. Aston Villa were the biggest beneficiaries of Tottenham's collapse as they recovered from a poor start to the season and came from nowhere under the guidance of Unai Emery to clinch a Europa Conference League berth.
Brighton & Hove Albion also moved ahead of Tottenham, and their prize for a terrific campaign under Roberto De Zerbi is a place in next season's Europa League. Newcastle United were then way ahead of schedule after sealing a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2003 when just qualifying for Europe would have been deemed a huge success after Eddie Howe had moved them away from relegation danger 12 months earlier.
Tottenham, now more than ever, face huge competition to get back into the top six and it really is a pivotal summer in north London. Not only does Levy need to find a new manager and managing director of football to take the club forward, he must also complete a much-needed squad overhaul with a number of players needing to be moved on and a host of fresh faces to come in.
Spurs quite simply cannot afford to stand still as the teams that have already moved ahead of them will only strengthen, thus raising the real possibility of the Lilywhites falling even further behind if things don't go to plan for them ahead of the new season. Despite shelling out an incredible £600million on transfers last season, Chelsea will still be expected to be very busy in the summer window as they look to cut down on their bloated squad and give it a refresh.
Pochettino's experience in the game will only benefit them and they will only head in one direction after finishing 12th, especially with the Argentine having plenty of time on the training pitch at Cobham with his team, just like Spurs, having no European football on the horizon. Aston Villa will then give Emery the funds required to take the club even further forward.
Working his magic on the Villans in such a short space of time since departing Villarreal for Villa Park, the Spaniard having a full pre-season and summer transfer window will only see them go from strength to strength. Outgoings will be the main topic of debate at Brighton this summer, although they have proved time and time again in the past that parting with their top players does not necessarily mean they go backwards as their excellent recruitment sees ready-made replacements, many of whom people know very little about, come in and fill the void.
Newcastle United's wealthy owners will ensure that Howe's squad is improved once again and they take the next step forward in their exciting journey, whereas Liverpool will not want to miss out on the top four for a second successive year and they will be intent on bringing in the players to ensure they get back into title contention with Man City. City, Arsenal and Manchester United, who all finished in the top three, will certainly not rest on their laurels and continue to add to their squads to ensure they challenge at the top again.
Tottenham's failure to strengthen in the summer of 2018 when they were at the peak of their powers under Pochettino was a grave error as it allowed others around them to move ahead and stay there. With their previous top-six rivals, as well as Newcastle, Brighton and Villa, set to do the same over the coming weeks and months, the pressure is on Levy's shoulders to ensure that they have all the right tools in place to get back on track.
The race for the top four is going to be stronger than ever next season and Tottenham must ensure they are very much in contention with their rivals. It is now on Levy to ensure that happens.
Who is your Spurs player of the season? Have your say by voting below!
READ NEXT:
Strange rule leaves Destiny Udogie suspended as Lo Celso scores with rare moment for Reguilon
James Maddison Tottenham transfer hits two major snags as Arsenal and Newcastle look to pounce
Arnaut Danjuma delivers honest verdict on frustrating Tottenham loan spell in message to fans
Tottenham may have already found Lucas Moura alternative for next manager ahead of new season
Ryan Mason believes Daniel Levy has been let down but says Tottenham must learn what fans want
