It's a beautiful thing in football when a squad rekindles its fire and streaks away from a poor patch.
Tottenham Hotspur have done just that this season, appointing Ange Postecoglou last summer after slumping to an eighth-placed Premier League finish, since surging into the mix for Champions League qualification.
Currently fifth in the table after 28 fixtures, Tottenham trail Aston Villa in the top four by three points having played a game less and despite a bleak defeat against Fulham last weekend will be confident in reaching the finish line having secured a place in Europe's elite club competition.
One of the biggest reasons Spurs have found success this season has been the recruitment, Postecoglou's arrival preceding deals for stars such as James Maddison and Micky van de Ven.
Both got injured in November in what sent the season into a spin, and Van de Ven was sidelined once again at Craven Cottage as Tottenham toiled. He's the real deal.
Why Micky van de Ven is so important
When Van de Ven plays, Tottenham stand a far greater chance of winning. It's all very simple really, with the dynamic Dutch defender joining from Wolfsburg for £43m back in August and quickly garnering praise for his elite athleticism and blistering pace.
With Van de Ven
18
12
2.2
Without Van de Ven
10
4
1.3
He's also crisp as an autumn leaf, completing 95% of his passes across 22 Premier League appearances so far to complement his average of 5.8 ball recoveries per game and 60% duel success rate, as per Sofascore.
The difference made with the 22-year-old in the starting line-up is remarkable and given that Tottenham leaked goals at a cascade last season, shipping 63 in the Premier League, it's understandable that there's a regression when he's not in the mix.
Cristian Romero is a fine player but stand-ins such as Emerson Royal are not at the requisite level for Postecoglou's side, targetting new levels of success.
Interestingly, Emerson is still valued higher than Van de Ven by Football Transfers' player valuation model (£23m vs £22m), so perhaps Daniel Levy should cash in soon – while he can still collect a pretty penny.
Why Emerson Royal must be sold
Praised for his "relentless" running in the past by one-time Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, Emerson is a versatile defender and has filled in at centre-back and both wide defensive roles this season, but his inconsistency is a problem and it's hard to see him playing a prominent part in the anticipated growth under Postecoglou's management.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson believes that the club should cash in on the player this summer if the right replacement emerges, even though the Brazilian has enjoyed his "best time" in a Spurs shirt this term.
Speaking recently, the former goalkeeper admitted: "I think he was susceptible for too many goals conceded, too many chances down his side and I think when he played down the right as right back and Eric Dier played there as well, I think that’s what teams targeted down that right-hand side."
While the 25-year-old is contracted until 2026, it's unlikely that he will be rewarded with fresh terms given the bit-part role he plays. Indeed, only nine starts have fallen the Brazilian defender's way this term in the league. That's hardly a marker of Postecoglou's faith in the defender.
Signed for the club from Barcelona for £26m back in 2021, under Nuno Espirito Santo, he has failed to ever prove himself as the player to cement a top spot in the squad. Ranking in the worst 6% of positionally similar players in Europe for assists and the worst 36% for progressive carries, it's easy to see why, errors aside, the manager hasn't preferred him this term.
Given the gains that are being made by Spurs, it might be time to ship him on and continue the reshuffle that has already hinted at sparkling results in this early stage of a new chapter.