Tottenham’s Champions League exit: Trophy drought goes on as Antonio Conte and Harry Kane futures are questioned

Tottenham’s wait for a major trophy will go into 2024 after they were knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League; Spurs last lifted silverware in 2008 when they won the League Cup; Antonio Conte’s contract expires at the end of the season, while Harry Kane’s runs until next summer

The wait for Tottenham fans will now stretch into a 16th year. It’s nearly 5,500 days and counting…

Spurs’ search for a major trophy continues – they won the League Cup in 2008 – and after exiting the FA Cup at the fifth-round stage at Championship side Sheffield United earlier this month, they are now out of the Champions League thanks to a tame 1-0 aggregate defeat to AC Milan on Wednesday night.

With Spurs 18 points behind north London rivals and Premier League table-toppers Arsenal, and only 12 top-flight matches still to play, another trophy-less season beckons.

Conte bemoans attacking woes after third successive shutout
Speaking after the home draw against Milan in which Spurs managed just two shots on target, Antonio Conte admitted his side had to improve in attack.

The north Londoners have now failed to score in three successive games in all competitions, and the manager said: “The game was in the balance but if you ask me if we were really dangerous… no. We can do much better offensively – I speak about the whole team.”

Conte also highlighted Spurs’ injury list – they are without Hugo Lloris, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Ryan Sessegnon – as well as the fact that his side are no longer competing in the third tier of European competition as mitigating factors for their disappointing exit.

“Everybody wanted to try to go to the next round,” he said. “Maybe in the first game we lost a good chance because Milan was without important players. In this game, Milan recovered all the players. We continue to face many games with many injuries.

“But I can’t say anything negative for the commitment of the players because they gave everything from the start until the end.

“If I have to see a positive in the situation, compared to last season we did a little step forward, because last season we played Conference League and we weren’t able to overcome the group stage. Now we did a step forward but for sure it’s not enough and if you want to be competitive you have to fight.”

That final comment may raise eyebrows with Spurs supporters given how little fight their side displayed against Milan. The hosts knew they needed to win the game by two or more goals to progress to the quarter-finals but ended the game with zero big chances created and an expected goals total of just 0.46.

Should Tottenham stick with Conte?
Tottenham have a decision to make: stick or twist with Antonio Conte?

But this question is not aimed at what they do in the summer, it is about what they do right now, despite the Italian saying after their Champions League exit that “this is not the right day to speak about my future.”

Conte has 12 games left before his contract expires and while Spurs will not win a trophy this season, they are firmly in the hunt for a top-four finish.

But having now fired blanks in their last three matches and been dumped out of the FA Cup by Sheffield United, Spurs are heading in the opposite direction while their nearest top-four rivals Liverpool are improving.

Conte’s recent absence from the touchline as he recovered from surgery wouldn’t have helped, although Tottenham were still delivering inconsistent performances during that time before it all unravelled against AC Milan.

If Spurs swing the axe now, their new head coach will have time to assess the squad ahead of the summer and a full pre-season. But there is a top-four place up for grabs and a Conte departure could cause more harm than good.

Then there is the question of who could Spurs get in at such short notice to lead their push for Champions League qualification. Mauricio Pochettino is available…