Ange Postecoglou has unquestionably brought improvements to Tottenham Hotspur, anointed after the end of the 2022/23 campaign, but to say there is work still to be done would be an understatement.
The Australian manager took headlines back in March when he said "I don't see fourth as the prize," stating that he views the true measure of Spurs' development through collective growth and assimilation of the tactics, philosophy and commitment to the cause.
"I don't want to finish fourth if we haven't grown as a team and developed as a team. If nobody believes me then that's fine. Part of the narrative is to push you in these kind of positions where you think that fourth is some kind of achievement that gives you something for next year."
Tottenham are currently fifth in the Premier League and are just three of Aston Villa in the top four. They have a game in hand. They finished eighth last season, missing out on European competition entirely. There's everything to play for. There's everything to look ahead to.
Even if Spurs miss out on a place in Europe's golden tournament next year, Postecoglou should be content with his team's progress, even if recent contests have exposed issues in relation to hold-up play, sturdiness and collective cohesion.
Micky van de Ven was brought in from Wolfsburg in a £43m transfer last summer to restore the backline and the 22-year-old has done a stellar job in his maiden year in England, but he's not indestructible and will need time to refine his skills into something of world-class quality.
Tottenham possibly need a bit more leadership and composure, and while he had fallen by the wayside in his last days down N17, Eric Dier looks enlivened on the biggest stages with Bayern Munich.
Why Eric Dier was sold
Dier was chucked to the fringe under Postecoglou at Tottenham and provided with chances only with every alternative option exhausted, featuring just four times this season before moving to Bayern Munich in January, six months before his contractual expiry in north London.
He has been a mainstay in Thomas Tuchel's team, winning talkSPORT's Man of the Match against Arsenal as his side advanced to the Champions League semi-finals this week and leading journalist Henry Winter to praise him for "intervening calmly, defending resolutely and ensuring a clean sheet."
Against the Gunners at the Allianz Arena, the 30-year-old won all four of his ground duels, completed 92% of his passes and made four tackles, three interceptions and two clearances, as per Sofascore.
This quality, clearly dormant during his final days as a Tottenham player, would certainly make an impression on Postecoglou's side right now.
He may not have the elite athleticism of Van de Ven, and he might not be endowed with the technical prowess of the aggressive Cristian Romero, but there is no question that Dier's industriousness is glowing at Bayern, alongside Harry Kane.
Matches played
11
Matches started
9
Pass completion
92%
Tackles per game
0.6
Clearances per game
3.1
Ball recoveries per game
3.6
Duels won per game
4.0 (72%)
But Dier was always heading for the exit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, failing to produce the kind of performances that Postecoglou demands and coming off the back of a torrid 2022/23 campaign that brutally illuminated Spurs' deficiencies.
However, Tottenham clearly need something extra in the rearguard and while Dier's departure was timely in the circumstances, perhaps even six months too late, Tottenham may not want to let Joe Rodon leave as well, with the Welshman excelling on loan in the Championship with Leeds United and boasting higher potential.
Spurs will regret selling Joe Rodon
Rodon signed for Tottenham from Swansea City in a £15m move back in 2020 but he has only started eight times in the Premier League and, at 26, will not want to return to Postecoglou's squad without assurances of regular match action.
A key part of Leeds' promotion push this term, Rodon has chalked up 40 appearances in the Championship this season, keeping 17 clean sheets, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 4.2 ball recoveries and 4.6 clearances per game and coming out on top in 66% of his duels, as per Sofascore.
Daniel Farke, Leeds manager, has even praised his "warrior mentality" and rightly so, having performed with crispness and composure in the backline, robust and energetic too.
Rodon ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across divisions similar to the Championship over the past year for pass completion and passes attempted and the top 20% for progressive passes and aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref.
He's got years of mileage left in the tank and is demonstrating his ball-playing expertise and willingness to progress the play at Elland Road.
With Tottenham's power of ball retention coming into question of late, Rodon could add that all-important extra dimension to keep Postecoglou's project heading in the right direction, especially with the expected return of continental, midweek football to challenge the squad after the summer.
However, more latterly, Dier has rekindled the solidness that earned him plaudits for much of his career – after all, the 49-cap England international played a regular role in the most successful period of Tottenham's history in several decades, albeit without silverware.
With figures of £20m being mooted and Football Insider recently revealing that Rodon is among the list of expected departures in north London this summer, might it be that Spurs would make a mistake by allowing him to drift away? After all, Dier is perhaps already proving Postecoglou wrong, and Rodon could be next to do the same.
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While Van de Ven and Romero make up the starring defensive axis at Tottenham, with Radu Dragusin signed for £27m from Genoa in January to compensate for Dier's departure, Spurs do have options – with talented youngsters Alfie Dorrington and Ashley Phillips hoping to make an impression in the years to come too.
But Rodon could be a major player next season, adding depth and dynamism to compete across numerous fronts.