All posts by h79snht.top

Twenty years ago today, a then-little known Ali Dia pulled off one of the greatest cons the beautiful game has ever witnessed. We’re sure you all know the story, but we’re going to tell it again anyway.

Down and out after failing to make a name for himself in Germany and France, the Senegalese striker headed to England but was rejected trials at Gillingham, Port Vale and Bournemouth.

Seemingly with nothing left to lose, Dia went impostor – claiming to be George Weah’s cousin, a Senegal international and a former youngster at PSG.

He even got a university friend to impersonate Weah in a phone call to then-Southampton manager Graeme Souness, who completely bought the mock former World Player of the Year’s story and handed Dia a one-month contract.

Then came the moment of truth as injuries and a cancelled reserves match saw Dia claim a spot on the bench for a Premier League clash with Leeds United.

But the story gets even better – Dia actually made it onto the pitch, where his lack of footballing talent became painfully evident, leading Souness to sub him off again before cancelling his contract.

Nonetheless, Ali Dia remains arguably football’s greatest ever impostor. So in honour of twenty years since his all-time con, here’s nine more imposters – some accused, some genuine – for you to feast over.

Renato Sanches

It certainly wasn’t his fault, other than the fact he’s outrageously talented for such a young age, however many didn’t believe Bayern Munich’s new star was only 19 after his transfer to the German Champions. Accused of lying about his age by French coach Guy Roux, Sanches quickly clarified the rumours with proof of his date of birth.

Didier Baptiste

‘Liverpool Set to Sign £3.5 million AS Monaco star’, read the headlines. What the newspapers failed to clock on to however was that that ‘star’ – one Didier Baptiste – was a character on the popular football themed TV show Dream Team. It wasn’t until Gerard Houiller mentioned he’d never heard of the player that the media spotted their mistake.

Masai Bugduv

Dreamed up by an Irishman bored of the unreliability of the media, Masai Bugduv was the fictional forward who went from one (possibly drunk) Irishman’s head to The Times’ ‘Top 50 Rising Star’ list within a matter of months. The supposed Moroccan forward was also set to move to Arsenal, work permit permitting of course. Even though he was indeed fake, he probably still would have been a better forward than Yaya Sanogo.

Alessandro Zarelli

The ‘Hit and Run’ conman of football impostors, Zarelli winged himself wages and free accommodation with a number of clubs including Bangor City and Lisburn Distillery (who?) before running off with the cash before you could say Lisburn Distillery (again, who?). An Ali Dia of the Valleys and furtive fellow of the highest order, he famously featured on the Sky TV show ‘Super Fakes’ in 2006.

Incredibly, Zarelli is actually a footballer, albeit not a very good one, currently plying his trade with Teversal FC in the tenth tier of the English pyramid.

Taribo West

You’d think it would be difficult to lie about your age, but apparently not in the world of football. Taribo West allegedly subtracted a whopping 12 years onto his age as he told porkies when signing for a number of clubs including Plymouth Argyle, for whom he had little success. West had told The Pilgrims he was 32, but the club actually believed him to be 44. Surely the zimmer-frame gave it away?

Fernando Torres

I just couldn’t help myself. However, I am 99.9% certain that the Fernando Torres who moved from Liverpool to Chelsea for £50million was indeed his twin brother/doppelgänger and that the real Fernando Torres was and probably still is sitting on a beach somewhere sipping sangria. Admittedly, evidence of said theory – barring a DNA test – is proving quite hard to come by, and probably won’t be much consolation for Blues supporters who endured the Spaniard’s incredible fall from grace.

Sir Alf Ramsey

World Cup winning manager Sir Alf allegedly forged his own documents to make himself two years younger, by changing his date of birth from 1922 to 1920. Apparently he thought he would be too old for a job after the second world war and made himself younger, although it  later came to light that it was complete nonsense and Sir Alf’s reputation remained unharmed. Not sure anyone would have cared anyhow – he did win England the world cup after all.

Carlos Henrique Kaiser

Friend of Romario (pictured) and Renato Gaucho, Carlos Henrique used his highly impressive social skills to sneak his way onto the payroll of a number of Brazilian and European clubs by pretending to be a professional footballer. Feigning injury whilst keeping an athletic build and the personality of a footballer led to the Brazilian not playing a single match in a career that spanned several years and nine different clubs – not least including Fluminense, Botafogo and Flamengo.

Mexico 1988

The Cachirules Scandal, as it was better known, saw Mexico u-20s field four overage players during an international match, and led to the whole country being banned from any tournament run by FIFA for two years. The investigation was the reason Mexico were absent from the 1990 World Cup and the football tournament at the Olympics two years earlier. It also saw eleven Mexican officials banned from the beautiful game for life.

In one of the week’s craziest transfer stories, The Mirror report that Paris Saint-Germain are in the market for Spurs’ star player Dele Alli and are willing to pay an eye-watering amount to get him.

What’s the word?

England international Dele Alli is enjoying his football at White Hart Lane but his life could be turned upside down if PSG follow through with an incredible summer transfer bid.

The Mirror report Unai Emery’s side are willing to pay up to £50m to bring the 20 year old across the channel to Paris.

They reckon Real Madrid are also in for the midfielder having scouted him at the end of last season.

If two of the world’s richest clubs are in for a player you can be sure that the selling club are in for a bumper deal and £50m would be hard for even Spurs to turn down.

Should Spurs keep hold of him anyway?

£50m is serious money but is it worth it to Spurs to sell? The Lilywhites paid a fraction of that sum to bring him to White Hart Lane from MK Dons but he has been one of their most consistent performers ever since.

At just 20 years old he has the potential to go on and become a Spurs legend.

The Mirror report that he is on £60,000 a week in London and that PSG are willing to improve the wage significantly. If Spurs can make room in their budget to match the French big spenders, that could stave off interest from the continent.

Goalscoring midfielders are hard to come by. Pochettino and the club would have to think long and hard whether the money received would be enough to replace his impact on the starting XI.

Interesting times ahead…

Dumped out of the Europa League and EFL Cup and lying in 16th position in the Premier League table – just one point above the relegation zone – it’s fair to say that it’s been a disappointing campaign to date for West Ham United.

After failing to reach the group stages in Europe for the second successive season, the Irons’ poor form at their new home – the London Stadium – has seen them struggling at the wrong end of the league table.

Slaven Bilic’s miserable season was confounded by a poor display in the 4-1 EFL Cup quarter-final defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, and the Croatian may already be looking ahead to the winter transfer window in order to shake-up his squad that includes summer arrivals such as Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza, who have flopped thus far.

Here are FIVE January transfer window priorities for the Hammers…

Send Zaza back and buy ANOTHER striker

It seems that every transfer window West Ham are looking for a new striker and it is likely to be same old scenario for Bilic in January with his side netting just 14 goals in 13 Premier League matches this term.

With loanee Simone Zaza struggling to adapt to English football and Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll spending most of their time on the sidelines because of injury, Bilic has few options up top.

It is about time the Irons struck lucky with a new attacker and the challenge is to find one that can be their main man up front for a couple of years at least.

Bring in a new centre-back

While they have struggled to score goals, the Hammers are also leaking far too many at the back.

Only Crystal Palace, Swansea and Hull have conceded more than Bilic’s side this term and that must change if the east London outfit are to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle come the end of the season.

The Croatian boss has opted for three centre-backs in recent weeks with Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna and Cheikhou Kouyate, but he could look to bring in a new defender in January to allow the latter to move back into the defensive midfield position.

Find a solution to the right-sided issue

Bilic is currently playing a system that incorporates wing-backs, but is a position that doesn’t seem to suit its current occupier on the right-hand side, Michail Antonio – defensively at least.

The England international has played at right-back on a number of occasions last season and this because of injuries to the likes of Sam Byram, but he has shown time and time again that he struggles with the defensive side of his game, and Bilic must find a solution to the problem sooner rather than later.

Of course, Antonio is also the club’s top goalscorer with six Premier League goals this term, and as a huge goal threat in the side, he must surely be played further up the pitch than where he currently is.

Keep hold of Dimitri Payet

The Frenchman was incredible for the Irons last term and despite being a little quieter this season, he is still the one player that seems to be able to make things happen for Bilic’s side.

With the club hovering just above the relegation zone, the worry will be that the big clubs could start to circle around Payet, who may want to join a team that is challenging at the right end of the table, either here or abroad.

Whether any interest comes in January remains to be seen, but he is surely on the radars of a number of clubs.

Inject some pace into the side

One of the problems for West Ham this season is that they have lacked that energy and pace away from the likes of Antonio and Aaron Cresswell in the wing-back positions.

That is something that needs to change if the club are to provide more of a threat on the counter-attack for example, and Bilic could look to bring in some more pacey players to freshen up his lethargic team during the transfer window.

The dust has barely settled on Bob Bradley’s brief, 85-day foray into English football management, and already all eyes are on who will next take up the mantle at beleaguered Swansea City.

The American gaffer was on a hiding to nothing when he walked through the doors at the Liberty Stadium, with Francesco Guidolin having done his best to keep things under control after the club elected to sell two of his best players over the summer: Andre Ayew and Ashley Williams.

With the games coming thick and fast this time of year, a swift appointment is necessary to plug the leak sooner rather than later, and there’s also the January transfer window to consider – possibly the only chance the Swans will have to adjust their trajectory and avoid drifting further from safety.

Swansea City are 19th in the table, with just 14 points won this season (Hull City sit below them on goal difference alone) and only three wins to their name, two of them against fellow-strugglers Sunderland and Crystal Palace.

Who can steady the ship, though? Well, here are FIVE options…

Gary Rowett

Out of all the potential candidates currently being touted for the South Wales club, Gary Rowett is by far the most surprising to be available. Sacked just before Christmas after the Chinese ownership at Birmingham City decided they preferred Gianfranco Zola, he left St. Andrews with the club in 7th position and looking at a second successive season of challenging for the play-offs. It’s interesting to note that, since his departure, the club have lost both their festive games and dropped to 11th, six points away from the top six.

Rowett is one of a few up-and-coming English managers in the game, having proved himself at lower league Burton Albion and then at Birmingham City where, despite budget restrictions and ownership issues, he was able to take the side successive top-half finishes in the Championship. There is no doubt that he will be itching for a chance to manage in the Premier League sooner or later.

Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins is known for giving unknown managers a chance, with both Roberto Martinez and Garry Monk coming in straight from their playing days, while, more recently, Michael Laudrup, Francesco Guidolin and Bob Bradley were all brought into English football for the first time by the South Wales club. He doesn’t have the top-level experience of other candidates, and he is not another Sam Allardyce who can all but guarantee survival, but perhaps it is his inexperience and unfamiliarity which could prove vital to their current mission.

Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs appears to be waiting for the right moment to step into football management after a wonderful career at Manchester United. His experience as a manager boils down to four games at the end of the 2013/14 campaign following the dismissal of David Moyes, and then his subsequent appointment as assistant under Louis van Gaal. He learned and developed under the previous incumbent at Old Trafford, as well as acting as an unofficial ‘player liaison’ which would have helped his man-management skills no end, before departing at the end of last season as Jose Mourinho arrived.

This isn’t the first time Giggs has been connected with Swansea City. They spoke with him more than once before appointing Bob Bradley prior to the current campaign, but there were indications that Swans’ chairman Huw Jenkins wasn’t ‘impressed’ with how the discussions went. His worth as a player, as well as his Welsh nationality, will surely play into his hands with Swansea City.

But the perennial question that the former midfielder (if, indeed, Swansea decide that he is the right man for the job) is whether this is the right club and the right time to be taking his first step into his managerial career. It could either go well – and he would be considered a hero – or they could fail to survive – and he would have stumbled before even having a chance to prove himself.

Harry Redknapp

Most football fans could be forgiven for thinking that Harry Redknapp had left the game for good after he departed QPR in 2015 citing an imminent knee operation as the reason he could no longer commit 100% to football management (as well as the other more controversial reason that he “didn’t know” who was on his side at the London club). His frequent appearances on BT Sport and what we can only imagine is a flourishing garden in Sussex give enough of an explanation to his life beyond the dug-out.

Redknapp has form. He has managed West Ham United, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and, perhaps most relevantly, he has experienced relegation from the top-tier, once with Southampton and twice with Rangers. He is certainly the most experienced Premier League manager on the Swans’ radar, but he doesn’t come without controversy, a facet of his behaviour which may have prevented him from getting the England job ahead of Roy Hodgson once upon a time.

While Redknapp could be considered ‘past it’ in football terms, he could also be just the man Swansea City require in their current position – someone who has knowledge and experience of both ends of the table, as well as being a coach able to get results with both top teams (Tottenham) or suffering sides (QPR). He is something of a transfer-extraordinaire which will be helpful with January coming, but his controversial nature could make his appointment potentially catastrophic for a club already in jeopardy.

Alan Pardew

Alan Pardew is the most recent Premier League managerial casualty prior to Bradley, with Crystal Palace also opting to make a change before it was too late. Despite reaching the FA Cup final last season with the Eagles, 2016 was a bad year for the club as they won just six of 36 games in the calendar year, meaning they had the worst form of 2016 of all the 92 clubs in the top four divisions of English football. His sacking came with the words that “expansive football hasn’t worked” and that the club were going to “wind the dial back the other way”, which made sense once Sam Allardyce’s appointment was announced.

Like Redknapp, Pardew is no stranger to controversy, having been charged with head-butting Hull City midfielder David Meyler during a game as well as being involved in various skirmishes with other managers. It’s perhaps this nature which led to only 5.5% of Newcastle United fans wanting him in the job in a Sky Sports poll taken shortly after his arrival at St. James’ Park.

Pardew is a ‘boom & bust’ manager, indicating an inconsistency to his approach and an uncertainty about what he can provide a team. The thought process is that he could probably look after Swansea without the added pressure of relegation looming over them, but, if he came to the club hoping to be their saviour, fans wouldn’t be wrong to second guess the decision.

Jurgen Klinsmann

Jurgen Klinsmann is one of the outside runners for this job, not least because he comes offering the same background that Bob Bradley did; manager of the USA national side. Neither made any significant progress with the 28th-ranked side in the world, winning one Gold Cup each as their main achievement. But Klinsmann’s achievements with the side (particularly his work behind the scenes to help promote the sport in America) far outweigh the lack of them on the field of play.

He is capable of results – he took Germany to third place in the 2006 World Cup – but he is an unknown in club football, with just one season in charge of Bayern Munich in the 2008/09 campaign under his belt. His achievement of second place was sandwiched between two Bundesliga-winning seasons, as well as failure to win the German Cup which his predecessor did and successor would with a similar squad.

Klinsmann will always retain his legendary status as a player, and there are examples of former greats who have had successful managerial careers: Kenny Dalglish, Brian Clough, Carlo Ancelotti and Johan Cryuff to name but a few. But there are also flops as well: Paul Gascoigne, Ruud Gullit, Alan Shearer and, most recently, Terry Butcher, whose brief time in charge of Newport County saw him leave after just two months. Klinsmann will have to decide whether he wants to stick or twist on his reputation.

Sunday saw Southampton kick off the Premier League action with an impressive 3-0 win over reigning champions Leicester City.

It was a match largely decided by tactical systems, as the Foxes struggled to cope with their second major formation change in the space of two games and the diamond midfield Claudio Ranieri had implemented for their trip to St. Mary’s.

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Indeed, the absence of wingers – and the consequential confusion over when the central midfielders should close down wide or tuck in – allowed Southampton’s full-backs to run riot against the Foxes, as shown below by BBC Sport’s heat maps from the first half…

Whilst both impressed upon taking full advantage of what Ranieri later admitted was an error of judgement on his part (below), Euro 2016 winner Cedric Soares particularly stood out on the right-hand side, making telling contributions both defensively and offensively.

“I tried to change the system to help my players find the solution but it’s much better to maintain the normal way. I think it’s better to give them something we know. There are no excuses. Southampton were the better team and deserved to win. But I take responsibility for our shape.”

As our infographic shows, the Portuguese not only completed five tackles and three interceptions, but also whipped in five crosses and produced three key passes – one of those was the assist for James Ward-Prowse’s impressive opener; a short layoff from the right channel that allowed the English midfielder to open up his body and curl into the opposite side of the net.

Some have questioned the 25-year-old’s performance levels since returning from his summer heroics with Portugal, but he was arguably the Man of the Match as Southampton demolished the Premier League champions.

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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants a swift resolution to the speculation regarding Branislav Ivanovic, as reported by ESPN.

What’s the word?

Branislav Ivanovic looks set to leave Stamford Bridge before Tuesday’s transfer deadline but the Serbian defender has to make a decision on his future, as he mulls over offers from Zenit St Petersburg and alternative options in the Premier League.

After giving his all for Chelsea and winning every single title he could possibly get his hands on in West London, Ivanovic can earn himself a free transfer this month as a thank you from Roman Abramovich- but not if he remains in English football.

As things stand though, Ivanovic’s situation is yet to reach a final outcome and boss Antonio Conte is pushing the defender for a resolution.

What was said?

Speaking after Chelsea’s FA Cup win over Brentford, Conte said:

“When one player has the habit to play every game and it happens that you are not playing regularly, it’s not easy to accept this decision. Ivan knows well the situation and I’m pleased if he remains here, if he stays with us. But in this situation, for sure, the player must make the best decision for him, for his family.”

“Ivan deserves great respect for his career at Chelsea. He played a lot of games, he won a lot with this team. I think we have to respect every decision.”

Will he go?

It’s pretty much guaranteed that Ivanovic will not be a Chelsea player come Wednesday morning but it’s difficult to predict his destination. An offer from Zenit has been received but his family are settled in London, whilst remaining in England would mean interested parties would have to negotiate a deal.

Ivanovic’s options in England are reported to include West Brom, West Ham and Everton, so keep your eyes peeled over the coming days for any developments.

Having found the net against Brentford, he’s potentially giving the Blues a perfect goodbye.

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Top of the table and looking pretty healthy, Chelsea shouldn’t have any cares in the world. The Blues are playing some of the best football of the entire Roman Abramovich era and Eden Hazard has been revived by manager Antonio Conte, while no European football, alongside a nine-point buffer at the top of the table, means that the west Londoners already have one hand on the trophy they so famously failed to defend last season.

Alas, there is one cloud on the horizon: Diego Costa. The Spaniard may be banging in goals at the moment, but the whole prospect of a mega-money move to China is still dangling, with some reports even suggesting that the 28-year-old will take the pay-day in the Far East when 2016/17 comes to an end. It would be no surprise to see him do so; after all this is a player who turned his back on the country of his birth, Brazil, at international level and has never shied away from controversy. There’s nothing wrong with those things, and if he sees the move as the right choice for himself, who can argue?

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It will, however, leave Chelsea with a headache: how do you replace a player of Costa’s ability and potency? Well, they may indeed look to the past by re-signing Romelu Lukaku from Everton, as Yahoo have claimed today.

The Belgian famously left the capital club on a series of loan moves before settling at Goodison Park after signing for Chelsea as a teenager. He may feel he has unfinished business, and his stats this season certainly suggest the league leaders would be getting a great striker to lead the line…

The standout number, aside from his league goalscoring chart-topping 16, is Lukaku’s aerial duel count (79 won) which is the eighth highest of any player in the division. On top of this, the 23-year-old has a shot accuracy return of 64%, has made 49 take-ons and created 33 chances, four of which have been assists.

Life after Costa may not be so bleak, assuming a deal can be done!

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Manchester United may face a fight to keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the club following an admission from Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, which is reported by Napoli Today.

What’s the word?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been an instant hit in the Premier League with Manchester United, scoring 15 goals in 24 appearances for the Red Devils and helping Jose Mourinho’s side fight for a return to Champions League football.

Given the performances of the veteran Swedish striker, Manchester United are keen for Ibrahimovic to extend his stay at Old Trafford for another year but may find it difficult to secure that deal, with Serie A outfit Napoli eyeing a move.

Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola recently hinted that a move to Naples could take place and Napoli are dreaming of a swoop, their president revealed.

What was said?

Speaking to Napoli Today, the Italian club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis said:

“My dream signing? I always try to go forward with what I have. One that I would like, though, is that giant who is at Manchester United now. I had him as a dinner guest in Los Angeles and he’s incredibly nice, even though he always seems angry.”

“You know the one I’m talking about, right?”

This follows comments from Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola, who said last month:

“All I can say is at Ciro Ferrara’s farewell game at the San Paolo, Zlatan called me and told me: ‘Mino, I want to end my career in Naples’. That’s because the mentality of the Neapolitans is the one closest to his, and if [Serie A] remained as it was back then, he might have done just that.”

Will he stay?

It’s difficult to envisage Zlatan Ibrahimovic leaving Manchester United after just a year but the veteran striker aspires to be the best and may not take it kindly if the Red Devils secure a move for long-term target Antoine Griezmann this summer.

If Griezmann does arrive, Ibrahimovic would be fighting the Frenchman and starlet Marcus Rashford for regular opportunities up-front and a move to Napoli, where he would be the main man in attack, may appeal.

Napoli are also enjoying an impressive project at the moment, which sees the Naples side boast the likes of Marek Hamsik, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens. If Ibrahimovic were to arrive, they would have a real chance of securing Serie A success.

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Tottenham Hotspur surged to their third big win over Stoke in a row with a 4-0 drubbing at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Mark Hughes’ side were unable to compete with a wonderful first half performance from the Lilywhites with Harry Kane in particular proving that when on top form is absolutely unplayable.

Kane scored his third hat-trick in nine matches, punishing the Potters with clinical precision and ruthless finishing. Dele Alli also got himself onto the scoresheet, making sure the game was over at half-time.

The win moves Spurs up into second, although they have now played a game more than Manchester City in third.

It was an important win for Mauricio Pochettino’s team given their demoralising exit from the UEFA Europa League midweek and they can now look to challenges ahead with confidence.

For Stoke it’s simply one to forget and they must think long and hard before they play Spurs again. Losing 4-0 each time is simply not acceptable.

Here are the FIVE photos that summed up all the action…

One…

Harry Kane got his goal show off with a typical poacher’s instinct seeing him in the right place in the right time inside the box, ready to finish smartly and put Spurs well on their way to victory. Stoke City must have known it would be a long afternoon from that point on, having lost their previous two matches against the Lilywhites 4-0.

For Kane, it just gave him the hunger for more and it wouldn’t be long before he added to his tally.

…Two…

Less than twenty minutes later Harry Kane had Spurs two goals up and it was a sumptuous finish on the half-volley from a Christian Eriksen corner. He really is a clinical finisher and can score from almost anywhere and that was evident again after he banged this one home.

With Spurs well on top in the match, this goal was always going to prove too much for Stoke to come back from and Spurs started playing with a real swagger and confidence from this point on.

…Three

There was a huge element of luck about his third goal but you’ll be unlikely to hear any Spurs fans complaining about that. Smashing Christian Eriksen’s lay-off at goal, the ball took a massive deflection off of Peter Crouch to spin into the back of the net.

Scoring hat-tricks is no mean feat but scoring three in nine games is quite incredible. Harry Kane is one of the best strikers around right now and has become a real talisman for Spurs. Can he inspire them to their highest league finish for decades?

Alli’s goalscoring return

Dele Alli hadn’t scored for six games prior to finishing this one off which for most other midfielders is normal. For Dele Alli though that’s something of a drought and coming off the back of a disastrous red card mid-week, the pressure was on him to put in a performance.

He’s now scored an incredible 14 goals this season and could break the 20 mark before the season’s end which would be quite the achievement considering he’s far from an out and out striker.

Hughes’ lament

Another Spurs game, another 4-0 defeat. Mark Hughes cut a lonely figure on the touchline as he watched his Stoke side slump to yet another heavy loss at the hands of Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

He must be scratching his head about what to try next against the Lilywhites. Next time, should he go for a more defensive formation or throw caution to the wind and try to beat Spurs at their own game?

Good to Great is supposedly the name of a self-help textbook read by David Moyes on a plane journey home from Athens after a Champions League last 16 tie away to Olympiacos.

It was a dismal 2-0 defeat that night, but the lasting, laughable image to come from David Moyes’ tenure as Manchester United boss wasn’t the result but his choice of reading on the ride home. It didn’t matter that the book is recommended to all coaches on UEFA’s coaching pro-licence reading list, the image of a pathetic man who was in over his head seemed to stick. Especially as the players themselves reportedly mocked him for it.

But what didn’t work for David Moyes might well work for others. To go from good to great is exactly the advice that Tottenham need to heed ahead of their final FA Cup game at White Hart Lane tomorrow afternoon against Millwall. And for the rest of the season, too.

Whereas David Moyes took on a team who considered themselves already in the ‘great’ category – they were Manchester United, champions of England, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and they were mostly all chosen by arguably the greatest manager of all time – Tottenham can’t really lay claim to greatness just yet.

If you’re of a Spurs persuasion, though, you might not place your club quite within the very top bracket the greats of world football, but there certainly have been great Tottenham teams.

Bill Nicholson’s double winners spring instantly to mind, as do the 1981 FA Cup winners, just as the class of 1991 do, too. The pick of the crop of the decade in between also went on to great things. The difference between those generations and this one, of course, is a trophy haul.

Over the last few weeks, that thought has been shared widely. From Jamie Carragher in the Monday Night Football studio, to various pundits, fans and commentators on social media: if this quite clearly talented Spurs side is to rank as one of the club’s great teams, they’ll have to win a piece of silverware sooner rather than later.

United themselves have won two trophies in the last few months. Arsenal have won two FA Cups, as well. Both of those sides are – at the most generous reading – just as good as Spurs are this season, certainly no better.

You look, though, to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and point to over a decade without a league title, and for nearly a decade without a trophy of any kind until the 2014 FA Cup. And yet the club – if not its players, perhaps – would have characterised themselves as great. And that has to do with the successes they had in the early part of their manager’s reign.

Spurs will not bridge the gap between themselves and the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and the other greats of European football just by winning a few competitions, and certainly not just by winning this year’s FA Cup. But what they can do it establish themselves as a great Tottenham side and take it from there.

Because when you look back at this team of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Hugo Lloris all playing together under Mauricio Pochettino, you need more than one great game to look back on as a memory: you need a trophy for all the memories to gravitate towards.

But it’s more than that, too.

When a player pulls on the Manchester United shirt, they instantly feel like they’re part of a club that wins. The club has won so many trophies that it doesn’t matter if the player has never won a medal before, they should feel part of something ‘great’, not just ‘good’. And that’s why Moyes’ book was such a laughing stock.

At Tottenham that book couldn’t yet be a laughing stock. But instead of settling for Champions League qualification in the league, crashing out of Europe in Arsenal territory, and a decent cup run, Spurs need to be aiming for more than that. Otherwise a Tottenham manager will never look out of place reading a self-help book on the plane back home from an embarrassing defeat to a European minnow.

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