How to define Tottenham Hotspur's infuriating defeat against arch-rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon? How to define Ange Postecoglou's first campaign at the helm after replacing Antonio Conte at the struggling London club last summer?
Tottenham's narrative is complex and multi-layered, with more depth required than a perfunctory glance at the slide from the fantastic early-season, table-topping form and subsequent inconsistency that has left Champions League qualification dangling by a thread in the final phase of the campaign.
Without question, there is much scope for growth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but there is also a vast stretch of land between the current crop and the coveted location at the forefront of domestic and continental football.
Maybe Tottenham will fail in their bid for a place among Europe's elite next year, maybe that's okay. Of course, there's still every chance that Spurs will prevail against Chelsea, against Liverpool, against Manchester City, it's just a tough run to close the campaign.
One of the chief reasons behind the dip in form, or rather the failure to emulate that early-stage brilliance, has been the struggles of James Maddison, who was so influential in his creative performances early on, transferring from relegated Leicester City for a £40m fee last summer.
James Maddison's season in numbers
What better way to start off your journey at a new club than by earning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August? Thus Maddison had set the tone under Postecoglou, emphatic in lifting the north London side after a terrible 2022/23 campaign that culminated in the sale of Harry Kane.
But an ankle injury suffered against Chelsea in November has kept the 27-year-old away from his finest football ever since, slashing a detrimental blow through the verve that had left Lilywhites supporters giddy.
As per FBref, the Three Lions star ranks among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 6% for passes attempted and the top 1% for progressive passes and shot-creating actions per 90 – evidence, surely, of an elite-level playmaker.
But there's no denying that Maddison has failed to reclaim that blistering pre-injury form that had left the Premier League in a frenzy, with his 3/10 match rating – by football.london – in Spurs' recent loss against the Gunners emblematic of the bitter lapse that sent Spurs' season into a spin.
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While Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and co have strengths in their wide play, Gareth Bale would have been the ultimate partner for Maddison to fire himself back into his finest form, even more so than had Kane remained at the outfit last summer.
Why Spurs signed Gareth Bale
After a promising start to life on the professional scene with Southampton, scoring five goals and supplying 12 assists across 45 matches as a teenage full-back in the Championship, Bale captured the attention of Premier League heavy-hitters Manchester United and Tottenham, with the latter winning the race and signing the 17-year-old for an initial £5m in May 2007.
Incredibly, Bale proved to have something of a penchant for disaster and failed to win any of his opening 24 matches for Spurs, though he put this ill-fortuned reputation behind him and forged a pathway to the top of the game, shifting to a forward-placed role after his supreme athletic ability and blooming deadliness in front of goal become clear.
Across 237 appearances over two spells with Tottenham, the Wales phenomenon posted 72 goals and 57 assists and established himself as one of the finest forwards in Europe, with his final campaign during his first spell – in 2012/13 – securing a return of 26 goals and 14 assists from 41 matches in all competitions.
21/22
20
11
2
12/13
33
21
8
11/12
36
10
13
10/11
30
7
2
09/10
23
3
5
08/09
16
0
0
07/08
8
2
1
The 34-year-old, now retired, improved with each passing campaign and won the PFA Player of the Year during that last, pre-Spain season in London.
Hailed as "unbelievable" and a "super talent" by Andre Villas-Boas back in 2013, the 111-cap international indeed went from strength to strength at Tottenham and dazzled, through his incredible Champions League performances against reigning champions Inter Milan in 2010/11, his ridiculous rate of prolific form, his frightening pace and power.
Bale has etched his name into Tottenham's halls eternally and while he left when a certain Spanish club came calling, he is remembered as a modern legend down at N17, where he cut his teeth and became one of the standout stars of his generation.
Why Spurs sold Gareth Bale
Tottenham sold Bale to Real Madrid in 2013 for a world-record £85m fee, eclipsing the previous record that saw Los Blancos bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Spanish capital from Manchester United in 2009, making a jaw-dropping 750% profit on the one-time outlay that Daniel Levy granted to bring the teenage talent to the side.
It was a staggering transfer but not without full merit, with the Welshman proving his worth as one of Europe's best with his performances at Tottenham and fully deserving a shot at Real, one of the most prestigious and illustrious outfits in the world.
Reports suggested that Manchester United were hellbent on signing Bale after that initial failure to land their man, way back when, though Spurs supporters' pains were spared when he headed overseas, a move that proved auspicious for him.
Having retired at a relatively early age, Bale can rest with a stunning trophy cabinet at Real Madrid that saw him plunder five Champions League titles, three La Liga trophies and one Copa del Rey, among a host of other honours.
European football expert Zach Lowy outlined the facets that have left this wonderful star a true sensation of his time, saying: "Gareth Bale took Wales to the Euros semifinals, took Real Madrid from zero Champions Leagues in 11 years to five Champions Leagues in 8 years, and has just taken Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years. Legend of the game."
While Tottenham's erstwhile maverick didn't enjoy his trophy-laden days at the club, he is truly one of the greatest to play the game, and would be the standout among the current crop, enhancing the games of his peers considerably.
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