Few football supporters delight in seeing their club going about their business ‘on the cheap’ but Tottenham supporters may feel a sense of pride in the knowledge that they muscled their way past some of England’s biggest sides without spending an extra penny on wages.

Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance revealed that only Tottenham and one other of the 92 clubs in the Football League had cut their wage bill between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 season, taking it from £107m to £105m.

It was in the second of those years that Spurs emphatically established themselves as members of the “big six” at the Premier League’s pinnacle even if they wait to unlock the same financial might as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the Manchester clubs.

The summer had seen manager Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy clear out a host of space on the wage bill with the departures of big-earning disappointments such as Paulinho, Roberto Soldado and Etienne Capoue, all remnants of the post-Gareth Bale departure splurge.

In their place came a mixture of intelligent buys from around England (Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier) and mostly wise investments from overseas, though Heung-min Son wouldn’t hit his pinnacle until the following year and the less said about Clinton N’Jie the better.

But to have cut the wage bill and still honed Pochettino’s squad was an impressive achievement, even if no-one could have predicted the heights Spurs would scale in the early months of 2016.

On the field a season of remarkable growth ended on something of a sour note, with Leicester ultimately holding Pochettino’s side off in the title race before the exertions of staying the course at the top of the table eventually took their toll on Spurs, who conceded second place to Arsenal on the final day of the season.

Tottenham 2015/16 season Player Ratings 23 show all Tottenham 2015/16 season Player Ratings 1/23 Tottenham season ratings Who has had a season to remember for Spurs? And who has come up short? 2/23 Hugo Lloris: 8 The Frenchman was part of the division's best defence until the final day and was helpless to prevent a route at Newcastle but cannot hide from the fact he has made a couple of costly individual errors too. 3/23 Kyle Walker: 7 The Englishman has made a significant improvement but continues to be let down by rash decision making and lapses in concentration. 4/23 Toby Alderweireld: 8 The best defender in the Premier League this season. Few forwards have got the better of the Belgian and his passing repertoire is better than plenty of midfielders. 5/23 Jan Vertonghen: 7 Would have secured a higher mark if he had not suffered a knee injury against Crystal Palace in February, which disrupted the second half of his season. Not yet back to his best, but still an imperious presence. 2015 Getty Images 6/23 Danny Rose: 8 The full-back was not assured of his place in the first half of the season but is now considered first-choice ahead of Ben Davies and is likely to have done enough to secure a similar role in France this summer. 7/23 Eric Dier: 8 The 22-year-old started the season as Tottenham's third-choice central defender but finishes it as one of the best holding midfielders in the division. Still has much to learn, and commits too many fouls, but looks set to be a key member of the side for years to come. 8/23 Mousa Dembele: 7 The Belgian has excelled alongside Dier in central midfield, delivering doses of power to help drive Spurs forward. His influence is crucial but the incident at Stamford Bridge has knocked him down a peg and means his campaign ends on a sour note. Should have been leading by example when the pressure was on. 9/23 Erik Lamela: 7 The Argentinian appears to have finally silenced the majority of his doubters. He is still not the finished article but few can argue with his effort levels, which embody Mauricio Pochettino's brand of pressing football. His eye for a goal has also improved. 10/23 Dele Alli: 9 Alli has surpassed everything which was expected of him in a superb debut season at the highest level. His temper has threatened to boil over on a number of occasions but he has firmly established himself as one of the most promising youngsters in world football. He's got it all. 11/23 Christian Eriksen: 8 The Danish midfielder's positional tweak has slipped under the radar somewhat. Being shunted out to the left to accommodate Dele Alli took its toll on Eriksen's influence but he has been the side's chief creator with a total of 13 assists. 12/23 Harry Kane: 9 One season wonder? Not a chance. Kane has continued to improve this season and finishes only his second top-flight campaign with the Golden Boot. Can do no wrong at White Hart Lane as it stands. 13/23 Heung-Min Son: 6 The South Korean is yet to justify his huge price tag, but primarily due to the stop-start season he has enjoyed. Yet to nail down one position but has shown plenty of glimpses to suggest he will be a real asset once he has adjusted to English football fully. 14/23 Kieran Trippier: 6 Trippier's arrival from newly-relegated Burnley last summer raised eyebrows, but he has proven to be a reliable squad member and back-up when called upon. However, filling in on European nights in the Champions League is entirely different to what has been asked of him this season. 15/23 Ryan Mason: 4 A disappointing season. Mason was still assured of a place in the side prior to his injury against Sunderland but has been unable to reclaim it after returning to full fitness. The exploits of other midfielders at the club this season have exposed the Englishman's shortcomings. 16/23 Kevin Wimmer: 6 Thrown in at the deep end when Jan Vertonghen was ruled out for a considerable chunk of the campaign and coped well in his 10 appearances, helping to secure four clean sheets. Encouraging signs for the future. 17/23 Nacer Chadli: 6 The majority of the Belgian's appearances have come from the bench and he still does not offer enough to make a serious case for a starting spot. Made meaningful contributions on a couple of occasions but too often he does too little to change the course of a game. 18/23 Ben Davies: 6 The Welshman will be disappointed not to have been given more game time during the second half of the season but Danny Rose slowly eased ahead of him in the pecking order. Solid rather than spectacular but a reliable option nonetheless. 19/23 Nabil Bentaleb: 4 The midfielder has gone backwards during an injury-hit season in which he made just five appearances. Given that Bentaleb is 21 his potential remains vast but he will have to convince many of his talent all over again after so long on the sidelines. 20/23 Tom Carroll: 5 The 23-year-old has not done too much wrong this season but has done little of note either. His frequent, but brief, substitute appearances are often uneventful and he has rarely threatened to be anything other than squad fodder. 21/23 Clinton N'Jie: 5 Knee surgery has disrupted the Cameroon international's progress. He is difficult to judge given that he has featured so sporadically but certainly does not look like the out-and-out striker needed to offer an alternative to Harry Kane. 22/23 Joshua Onomah: 6 Seven substitute appearances represent significant progress for the 19-year-old. Onomah was rewarded with a new contract in February, which suggests he is part of Pochettino's plans. 23/23 Michel Vorm: 5 The Dutchman's sole appearance arrived on the opening day defeat to Manchester United. If Hugo Lloris is fit, the the best Vorm can hope for a place on the substitutes' bench, but there is plenty be said for a settle second choice who will not throw his toys out of the pram. 1/23 Tottenham season ratings Who has had a season to remember for Spurs? And who has come up short? 2/23 Hugo Lloris: 8 The Frenchman was part of the division's best defence until the final day and was helpless to prevent a route at Newcastle but cannot hide from the fact he has made a couple of costly individual errors too. 3/23 Kyle Walker: 7 The Englishman has made a significant improvement but continues to be let down by rash decision making and lapses in concentration. 4/23 Toby Alderweireld: 8 The best defender in the Premier League this season. Few forwards have got the better of the Belgian and his passing repertoire is better than plenty of midfielders. 5/23 Jan Vertonghen: 7 Would have secured a higher mark if he had not suffered a knee injury against Crystal Palace in February, which disrupted the second half of his season. Not yet back to his best, but still an imperious presence. 2015 Getty Images 6/23 Danny Rose: 8 The full-back was not assured of his place in the first half of the season but is now considered first-choice ahead of Ben Davies and is likely to have done enough to secure a similar role in France this summer. 7/23 Eric Dier: 8 The 22-year-old started the season as Tottenham's third-choice central defender but finishes it as one of the best holding midfielders in the division. Still has much to learn, and commits too many fouls, but looks set to be a key member of the side for years to come. 8/23 Mousa Dembele: 7 The Belgian has excelled alongside Dier in central midfield, delivering doses of power to help drive Spurs forward. His influence is crucial but the incident at Stamford Bridge has knocked him down a peg and means his campaign ends on a sour note. Should have been leading by example when the pressure was on. 9/23 Erik Lamela: 7 The Argentinian appears to have finally silenced the majority of his doubters. He is still not the finished article but few can argue with his effort levels, which embody Mauricio Pochettino's brand of pressing football. His eye for a goal has also improved. 10/23 Dele Alli: 9 Alli has surpassed everything which was expected of him in a superb debut season at the highest level. His temper has threatened to boil over on a number of occasions but he has firmly established himself as one of the most promising youngsters in world football. He's got it all. 11/23 Christian Eriksen: 8 The Danish midfielder's positional tweak has slipped under the radar somewhat. Being shunted out to the left to accommodate Dele Alli took its toll on Eriksen's influence but he has been the side's chief creator with a total of 13 assists. 12/23 Harry Kane: 9 One season wonder? Not a chance. Kane has continued to improve this season and finishes only his second top-flight campaign with the Golden Boot. Can do no wrong at White Hart Lane as it stands. 13/23 Heung-Min Son: 6 The South Korean is yet to justify his huge price tag, but primarily due to the stop-start season he has enjoyed. Yet to nail down one position but has shown plenty of glimpses to suggest he will be a real asset once he has adjusted to English football fully. 14/23 Kieran Trippier: 6 Trippier's arrival from newly-relegated Burnley last summer raised eyebrows, but he has proven to be a reliable squad member and back-up when called upon. However, filling in on European nights in the Champions League is entirely different to what has been asked of him this season. 15/23 Ryan Mason: 4 A disappointing season. Mason was still assured of a place in the side prior to his injury against Sunderland but has been unable to reclaim it after returning to full fitness. The exploits of other midfielders at the club this season have exposed the Englishman's shortcomings. 16/23 Kevin Wimmer: 6 Thrown in at the deep end when Jan Vertonghen was ruled out for a considerable chunk of the campaign and coped well in his 10 appearances, helping to secure four clean sheets. Encouraging signs for the future. 17/23 Nacer Chadli: 6 The majority of the Belgian's appearances have come from the bench and he still does not offer enough to make a serious case for a starting spot. Made meaningful contributions on a couple of occasions but too often he does too little to change the course of a game. 18/23 Ben Davies: 6 The Welshman will be disappointed not to have been given more game time during the second half of the season but Danny Rose slowly eased ahead of him in the pecking order. Solid rather than spectacular but a reliable option nonetheless. 19/23 Nabil Bentaleb: 4 The midfielder has gone backwards during an injury-hit season in which he made just five appearances. Given that Bentaleb is 21 his potential remains vast but he will have to convince many of his talent all over again after so long on the sidelines. 20/23 Tom Carroll: 5 The 23-year-old has not done too much wrong this season but has done little of note either. His frequent, but brief, substitute appearances are often uneventful and he has rarely threatened to be anything other than squad fodder. 21/23 Clinton N'Jie: 5 Knee surgery has disrupted the Cameroon international's progress. He is difficult to judge given that he has featured so sporadically but certainly does not look like the out-and-out striker needed to offer an alternative to Harry Kane. 22/23 Joshua Onomah: 6 Seven substitute appearances represent significant progress for the 19-year-old. Onomah was rewarded with a new contract in February, which suggests he is part of Pochettino's plans. 23/23 Michel Vorm: 5 The Dutchman's sole appearance arrived on the opening day defeat to Manchester United. If Hugo Lloris is fit, the the best Vorm can hope for a place on the substitutes' bench, but there is plenty be said for a settle second choice who will not throw his toys out of the pram.

But as the following season proved, when Tottenham were once more the only side to provide much resistance to the eventual champions as they finished second to Chelsea, Spurs are set fair for great success.

That is as true for finances as football, with a 61,000 capacity stadium being built in time for the 2018-19 season and a major new sponsorship deal with Nike believed to be worth around £25 millon a year.

Next year’s Deloitte figures will also account for the significant increase in broadcasting rights brought about by the Premier League’s £8bn broadcasting deal and Adam Bull, a senior consultant in the multinational’s Sports Business Group, believes Spurs have left themselves on a very strong financial footing.

“They’ve got a healthy operating profit, a good pre-tax profit and they’re clearly improving in footballing terms,” Bull told Standard Sport. “Their wages to revenue ratio is at 50 per cent, which compares well to the rest of the top six.

“They’re ticking all the boxes both on and off the pitch. A new stadium will really help make them even stronger financially.”

A keen eye on the wage bill and player contracts is already proving its benefits, with Spurs well-placed to rebuff interest in key squad players such as Eric Dier and drive a hard bargain for those such as Kyle Walker who they may be willing to move on.

The gap to Arsenal and Chelsea on the balance sheets remains sizeable – Spurs were earning £209.2m in revenue in the 2015/16 compared to the Blues’ £334.6m and the £350.4m of the Gunners.

But if Daniel Levy and company can come close to replicating Pochettino’s progress in the Premier League in the boardroom the 2015-16 season may go down as the start of something very special.