James Maddison remembers a point where the medical department of Tottenham was more populated than the dressing room.
But now Ange Postecoglou's long list of injuries is starting to shorten, Maddison thinks they can put together a late run to earn an eighth place that is good enough for Europe.
Saturday's victory on Ipswich was a third in the competition in the competition – their best run since four consecutive victories in December 2023. And for the first time in months, Spurs also has options from the bank – including Maddison.
After just over an hour, he was coming, until many Jibes from Ipswich fans who could not forget his time in Norwich and set up Djed Spence for the third goal.
“It's the difference, right? It was 2-1, it was a tight game, everyone could see that. And I and Wilson (Odobert) came up and changed the dynamics of the game a bit.
“While we were rewinding six weeks, we didn't have those options. We would have started and there would have been children on the couch and there would have been no changes at 60. It is not rocket science, it doesn't have to be someone who is extremely intelligent to realize that that can really help. “
Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson, who scored the first two goals, both returned to Portman Road of fairly long saying.
Add goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Odobert and recent arrivals Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso who will become available in the past two weeks and it is easy to see why traces feel that the dark clouds lift.
Because of their lowest moments, when the defeats picked up, Postecoglou became fed up with the context. But how was it for the players who could not contribute when the season threatened to derail?
“The physiocamer was busier than the dressing room, it was difficult,” Maddison adds. “You look at the names that were also out, they were not a bit-party players, they were strong players of the XI, senior players. So it was difficult. We have many young players who have to take great responsibility.
“If you are a senior player who is out – and I have only had a small injury, but I have it for Cuti Romero, Micky van de Ven, even three months – it is difficult to see the young boys deal with it, Without being able to help.
“That's the worst thing about football if you are injured. You are helpless, you can't help the team there, you have to look, it makes you crazy. “
The gap of Spurs to the eighth is due to a few figures and, with the fifth expected to be good enough for a Champions League spot, a qualifying match of the League conference seems to be executable.
“I think we are one of the teams in the competition that can go on a winning series, we showed it at the start of last season,” says Maddison.
“We have the team and the players to be able to do that, I think there will be teams that are in and around the same position as we, mid-table-like, who probably don't feel they can.
“But our ceiling is quite high, especially if we have our senior players back, so we can go that run and bridge that gap, and that is what we hope to do.”
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