With the memory of the Stoke City loss having to last the entire international break, fans are feeling pessimistic. Here are three reasons why Tottenham Hotspur fans should in fact be excited to return to watching Premier League games.

Kyle Walker’s return is significant.

Eric Dier’s solid performances have served well to have us forget the reality that Tottenham Hotspur have been playing a 20 year old centre back with minimal Premier League experience out of position for the majority of fixtures this season. With Kyle Naughton falling afoul of two red cards and a temporary injury over the course of the season, Eric Dier had been filling in the majority of matches played, including Europa League and Cup Games.

With Kyle Naughton falling afoul of a red card and a temporary injury over the course of the season, Eric Dier had been filling in the majority of matches played, including Europa League and Cup Games.

Between the 18th and 26th of October, Spurs faced champions Manchester City as well as Asteras Tripolis and Newcastle United. Besides Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier was the only member of the Spurs squad to participate a full 90 minutes across the three of these games, perhaps explaining his lack of concentration which saw a goal conceded against Newcastle United.

Kyle Walker’s return to squad rotation will not only provide much needed relief to the energy levels of our back four, his aggressive pace will complement our use of inverted wingers. Hopefully that will help add some width to the right hand side of the pitch and provide some important crosses to our attacking players.

Our youth are making a real impact.

If Eric Dier’s mistake against Newcastle United was an example of why he should not be playing in the short term, his attitude and early performances this season are a powerful example as to why we will absolutely need him in the long term. A recent interview with the Telegraph demonstrated that he was willing to pull out of the England squad and risk his place in the European Championships due to his willingness to fight for a position as a centre-half. This level of commitment and maturity shows true promise, it also means that amongst Walker’s return we will see Dier work hard to return to his favoured centre-back role amongst the starting eleven, strengthening us further defensively.

Elsewhere, Harry Kane continues to demonstrate true passion when playing for the club, his late substitution against Aston Villa had fans respond with loud, continuous chants which appeared to completely rejuvenate the mentality the players held on the pitch. He immediately participated within two goal-scoring opportunities and then went on to show true leadership in breaking up Mason and Benteke’s conflict, as well as acting reproachfully to Erik Lamela gesturing the referee to book the latter, an act which could have got himself in trouble. Harry Kane’s late free kick winner will be fondly remembered as a legendary moment amongst fans, and such displays are likely to continue against Hull City and Everton.

“The real Nacer Chadli” is here to stay.

Nacer Chadli reported to the Dutch newspaper ‘De Telegraaf’ last May that fans could expect to see ‘the real’ side of him this season. He debuted this season prominently by scoring two goals against Queens Park Rangers, yet after an important missed chance against Liverpool, many suspected his brief show of excellence could have been considered no more than a fluke.

He has proven that this is not so. He scored against Sunderland, and again against rivals Arsenal. He provided a fabulous assist for our victory against Southampton, and also scored a crucial goal which aided in turning the tables for our late win against Aston Villa. Even amongst our very poor performance against Stoke City, he had the heart to score a stunning volley and rescue some esteem for the squad. Strong showings like these are vital for the team’s progression within this tough season. Nacer Chadli’s consistency can give fans comfort knowing that we will look dangerous with him in the squad.

What positives have you excited for our next games?

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