Gary Neville claims Tottenham Hotspur are the modern-day Leeds United

Tottenham celebrate
Tottenham celebrate

Tottenham Hotspur are without silverware since 2008 and are set to end 2019-20 without one after crashing out of the F.A Cup and Champions League within the space of one week.

The North London side will now look to finish the season in top-four/five when Premier League action resumes in order to play in the elite European competition next season, and former Manchester United star Gary Neville reckons they are the modern-day Leeds United.

The Elland Road outfit are currently on top of the English Championship table and will hope to secure promotion for the first time since relegating in 2004.

Prior to that, Leeds used to be one of the heavyweights in the English top-flight, finishing fourth in the league during the 2000-01 campaign, having finished third the previous year, and also reaching the semifinals of the Champions League.

Despite their impressive campaigns, Leeds failed to win a major honour and haven’t done so since 1992.

Neville sees that old Leeds side in the current Tottenham, and he believes they are coming to an end if they haven’t already.

“I think Tottenham are the modern equivalent of that Leeds team. Tottenham haven’t gone onto do what they should have done – maybe they should have won the league the year Leicester won it and could have won a Champions League with a little more luck,” he said on Monday Night Football’s special retro show.

“This Tottenham team is now coming to an end or has come to an end. Teams like Leeds caught you up but never went on to do it. There was something missing. Clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have had history to build on to win trophies, there’s a mentality within the club to win trophies. Leeds were trying to build that mentality during that period.

“You always felt Leeds were getting nearer and nearer – like Tottenham were getting nearer and nearer. And then you think, how are they going to get back?”

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino helped turn them to a perennial top-four side during his tenure, taking them to the Champions League four seasons in a row.

The Argentine led them to the League Cup final in 2014-15 and the Champions League final last term, but was dismissed last November with the side placed 14th in the Premier League table following an underwhelming start to the new season.

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