When Tottenham Hotspur were battered 5-1 by Newcastle United in 2016, the relegated Magpies fielded a side unrecognisable to today. Gini Wijnaldum went onto Champions League glory – Moussa Sissoko would actually aid it by giving away the first-minute penalty for Tottenham against Liverpool – and Aleksandr Mitrovic has lived a fair many lives since.
Yet five of Tottenham's XI for that game seven years ago, were still in the squad for Sunday's 6-1 disaster against Newcastle. The club's new acting manager following Cristian Stellini's sacking, Ryan Mason, lined up in the midfield. If it's a reflection of chairman Daniel Levy's refusal to evolve, this summer marks a make-or-break transfer window in which Tottenham will simply have to bring in a new generation – or risk stagnating further.
