Plenty of Tottenham fans are already counting down the days until the 2022/23 campaign draws to a close after a disastrous week for the football club. Suffering yet another FA Cup humiliation at the hands of Championship opposition followed by a defeat at Wolves in a game they should have won, Tottenham exited the Champions League on Wednesday evening with barely a whimper.
Spurs delivered such a flat performance that you couldn't tell that they were in need of goals and on the verge of crashing out of Europe's premier competition against AC Milan. The Rossoneri were there for the taking and Spurs did nothing at all to trouble them, compounding a truly miserable seven days for supporters.
Their season has completely unravelled in the space of a week and many cannot wait for this campaign to end and the 2023/24 season to begin. It does appear that it will be another fresh start for the club with Antonio Conte looking on course to cut ties with Spurs as it's fairly evident that he doesn't want to be in N17 beyond the end of the campaign going on his reluctance to commit his future to the club and also the speculation about an Italian return.
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Last season ended with so much positivity but that evaporated at some speed due to the team's fluctuating form and the football served up by Conte's men. Tottenham did bolster their squad numbers last summer with seven new players worth £112.5m, including Destiny Udogie who returned to Udinese on loan, arriving through the door at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Adding to the numbers was a must as Spurs' squad was extremely lightweight in the run-in and it was a common occurrence to see a handful of academy players named among the nine substitutes. Looking on paper to be great additions with Ivan Perisic bringing experience and Yves Bissouma and Richarlison excelling for Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton respectively, the signings have not turned out as planned.
They have not improved Conte's starting XI nor has there been a standout summer signing. The fact that we are now approaching the middle of March and neither of Fabio Paratici's signings have stood out is extremely worrying and concerning.
Injuries of course have played a part along the way as has Conte's reluctance to give some of his new players a regular run of games despite the form of others, namely exciting right wing-back Djed Spence, who is tailormade for his system, and now January arrival Arnaut Danjuma. That in turn has left players rusty and unable to make an impact when they have been called upon, thus contributing to Tottenham's poor form in the process.
Speaking after Wednesday's Champions League disappointment against AC Milan, Richarlison spoke to TNT Sports Brazil and delivered an honest verdict on his own season.
"There hasn't been enough minutes given to me, this season - and forgive my language - has been (expletive)," he admitted. "I don't have enough minutes, was injured for a bit, but when I'm on the pitch I give my life. I played well in two games, especially against Chelsea, so I think I should have played tonight, but I can't go on crying about it now."
So, given Richarlison's verdict on his Spurs career to date, who has been Tottenham's signing of the summer? Clement Lenglet can certainly put forward his case and he may well indeed take that crown.
The Frenchman has not come in and taken Tottenham's backline to a whole new level but he has been consistent during his 25 games for the club to date. Playing on either the left of the back three or at the heart of defence, the loanee has also chipped in with an important goal away at Marseille and two assists in the Premier League.
Ivan Perisic will also be towards the top of Tottenham's summer deals if you focus purely on the nine assists he has chipped in with since his move from Inter Milan. However, his assists, which have mainly come from set-pieces rather than open play, mask what has been a really underwhelming start to his Tottenham career.
Thriving in the left wing-back berth in Conte's Inter Milan team and regularly registering goals and assists for the Nerazzurri, Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg and on the international stage for Croatia in the past, the experienced player has struggled to have the same impact in the Premier League. Always going to be a tough ask for the 34-year-old to fully adapt to the Premier League given his age, he has yet to get off the mark in a Spurs shirt and his performances in the final third have left an awful lot to be desired.
Fraser Forster will be towards the top having got a good run of games under his belt over the last month due to Hugo Lloris' injury, with Spence at the opposite end of the rankings after playing a measly 41 minutes across six appearances for the Lilywhites.
Richarlison, as he himself has admitted, has not a good season to date and has not represented value for money at all after only contributing two goals following his £60million move from Everton. Injuries have not helped him nor has a lack of game time, which could well carry on now after his explosive interview after the AC Milan defeat.
Finally, Bissouma has also been a massive disappointment and appears to be a shadow of his former self after wowing in Graham Potter's Brighton team. Not able to nudge ahead of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur in the pecking order after their impressive seasons, the Mali international has just not taken his opportunity when it has come his way and has also struggled with Conte's tactical demands.
In terms of the January signings, Danjuma finds himself in the same position Spence was in during the first part of the campaign with opportunities not there for him despite his fellow attackers struggling and just having no impact in the final third. As was the case with Bryan Gil at the turn of the year, he may only prove his worth in the Tottenham team once Conte has no other option but to play him.
Pedro Porro, on the other hand, has shown glimpses of his quality in the past couple of games but quite clearly needs a run in the team if he is to recapture the eye-catching form he displayed at Sporting CP week in, week out. Adding to the squad this summer but unfortunately failing to improve the first XI as things stand, the likes of Richarlison and Bissouma can still prove their worth to Tottenham providing that the opportunities they crave come their way, which may well be the case under a new head coach come August.
One thing for sure is that Tottenham must get it right in the transfer market this summer or else another season of frustration and disappointment will be on the cards.
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