Mauricio Pochettino’s task is to ensure tipsy Tottenham avoid a hangover | Barney Ronay


It is a sobering thought that Spurs’ excellent season has elevated them to a world were you can look great, win friends, play well and still not cross the line first

Kingsley Amis once wrote the act of getting drunk was much better than actually being drunk. Those first few glasses, the process of moving from sober to drunk is 90% of the fun. Being drunk, on the other hand, is a slog, a losing game, each extra sip a case of chasing with ever-decreasing returns that initial spitz of happiness.

By this register, two seasons into the Mauricio Pochettino revolution and with Arsenal finally reeled in after the derby win on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur are probably on their fourth or fifth glass of champagne and just about hitting the sweet spot. From here the question is simple: how to ensure this is a genuinely altered state and more than simply a moment of glorious tipsiness.

Related: Energía universal: how Pochettino has driven the Tottenham revolution | David Hytner

Related: Eric Dier’s versatility the basis of Tottenham’s exquisite flexibility | Michael Cox

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