After beating Sheffield United 1-0 at White Hart Lane in what was a cagey match on Wednesday night, Tottenham are making good progress in all of the four competitions they are featuring in this season. However, the next 30 days will be crucial for the club, as they play matches in the Europa League, League Cup, FA Cup, and the Premier League, with a minimum of 7 games being played in the space of just 30 days. Although the transfer market is open, and Tottenham do have an admittedly bloated squad, trying to stay strong on every front for all 10 months of the season is a huge challenge, even for the biggest teams. So the question is, what should Tottenham’s main priority be?

For me, it should still be securing a place in next year’s Champions League, whether it be through winning the Europa League, or finishing in that elusive top 4. After the disappointment of last season, the board wouldn’t have made finishing in the top 4 Mauricio Pochettino’s full remit. However, given the inconsistencies of Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Manchester United, now would be the opportune time for Pochettino’s men to finally land a place in the top four. They are in a good run of form at the moment having lost just one of their last eight Premier League matches, and if they can put together a run of victories, they could go from being outsiders to real odds on favourites for the top 4. This may sound rather fanciful, but given that 3 of their next 6 matches are against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, they could inflict severe damage on their rivals while boosting their own chances considerably.

For all the optimism though, there still remains one question: Do Tottenham need a new striker? The North London club have been linked with the players such as Saido Berahino, Danny Ings, and Charlie Austin, while the issue of whether Soldado and Adebayor are good enough remains unresolved. I’d take this back to two seasons ago, where Tottenham were faced with a similar dilemma. AVB’s side were sitting pretty in 4th, but there were still calls for the underwhelming combination of Defoe and Adebayor to be supported by new centre forward. AVB ultimately decided against buying a new striker, and Tottenham finished outside the top four, despite the goals of Gareth Bale. I think that Tottenham will feel a strong sense of Deja Vú should they once again rule out buying a recognised number 9.

Harry Kane is a brilliant young talent whose goals have significantly helped his team’s cause. However, he is only 21, and sooner or later, his form will dip, and he won’t be able to score the goals that he was once banging in for fun. When that happens, who is going to pick up the mantel? Roberto Soldado has proven that he has everything needed to be a top class Premier League forward except for the ability to score goals, while Emmanuel Adebayor’s feisty relationship with the Spurs faithful will always hinder the Togolese’s performances. Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli have chipped in with goals this season but without a focal point like Harry Kane in attack, they too have struggled, as we saw in the early stages of the season.

As for the Europa League, there will be no doubt that Pochettino wants to go as far as he can in the competition, but finishing second in the group behind Besiktas really did them no favours, as a tough tie against Fiorentina now looms. Spurs’ outlook on the competition will heavily depend on how they perform in the league. If they fall away in the league, then Pochettino will view the Europa League as their best chance of finishing in the top four, but if they do keep up their good domestic form, Europa League ambitions may have to be put on hold. The Europa League is a chance at a major trophy, but with all the travelling in midweek, and therefore limited time on the training pitch, trying to prioritise the Europa League could jeopardise the freshness of their players, making it a less practical long-term goal than Premier League success.

Tottenham’s last trophy came in 2008, and if they want to end a drought that is now approaching seven years, their best chance lies in the League Cup. Lady Luck definitely smiled on Tottenham, giving them three home matches en route to a seemingly easy semi final against Sheffield United, but to Tottenham’s credit, they haven’t shown complacency, and are now just one match away from playing at Wembley. Pochettino will definitely want to add a trophy to his resume, and although the Capital One Cup is often regarded as a Mickey Mouse cup, any silverware is a success. Should Tottenham claim the League Cup or even just make the finals, the FA Cup will surely be at the bottom of Pochettino’s priority list. The oldest cup competition in the world is a prestigious trophy, but after a strong League Cup run, there will be no onus placed on Pochettino from the board to do well in another domestic cup. Surrendering the FA Cup will also free up Tottenham’s fixture list, allowing them to focus more on the Premier League.