Teddy Sheringham has given his verdict on what the second half of Tottenham's season could bring, with silverware still on the cards and an ongoing battle for a top four spot.
Spurs are currently seventh in the Premier League, just four points off fourth place West Ham but with three games in hand.
After their exit from the Europa Conference League and Carabao Cup, the Lilywhites do still have a chance of ending their almost 14-year trophy drought, in the form of the FA Cup.
Tottenham beat Brighton 3-1 in the fourth round and will now travel to Middlesbrough to play their fifth round tie and try and get one step closer to another cup final.
Since Antonio Conte's arrival in N17, there have been improvements both on and off the pitch with tough training sessions and energetic performances.
However, Spurs are struggling to keep the consistency in their performances, which was shown in their 3-2 defeat to Southampton on Wednesday.
Sheringham has given his verdict on what the Italian has done for the north London club so far.
"He’s [Conte] obviously developed a change of mindset in the Tottenham players; they seem to have a different type of focus with the way they’re approaching games," he said in an interview with Genting Casino. "I like the fact that he’s stayed pretty quiet about things, he’s not been shouting his mouth off in the press.
"I know he’s very passionate on the side lines; he looks hyper, but I don’t think he’s like that off the pitch. I don’t know him, I’ve never met him.
"I think he looks like he’s going to be quite calm off the pitch, and you need that calm, mature leadership," Sheringham added.
"He’s had a big job going in there and he’s steadied the ship. The way I see it, he’s turned it round and it’s going in the right direction."
Harry Kane is one player who has started to find form again, after a slow start to the season and he has now scored 15 goals and registered three assists in his 32 appearances this season.
"He [Conte] was given a tough job in coming in and sorting Harry Kane out, and I think we’re seeing a boost in Harry’s performances as result, especially of late," the former striker explained.
"Top footballers want to play with top footballers, they don’t want to play mediocre footballers.
"If you’re a top player you want to play at the best level."
The 55-year-old highlighted that bringing in the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur will show ambition and encourage Kane want to stay at Tottenham, if the new arrivals can become top players.
Sheringham also compared the England captain's situation to his own, when he was playing in N17.
"I wanted the best players to come and play with me at Tottenham," he said. "It was quite obvious that wasn’t going to happen, so I had to leave to go and play with top footballers.
"Harry’s probably been in the same boat. He thought that he was never going to win anything at Tottenham."
Most of Spurs' January transfer window was done on deadline day and it saw four first team departures and two incomings and Sheringham praised Daniel Levy for what he has done at the club.
"First and foremost, I don’t think you can ever accuse Daniel Levy of not trying to make the football club better," he admitted. "He has tried everything to make Tottenham better, and you’ve got to take your hat off to that."
Spurs will now hope to have the strongest second half to the season as possible, which includes a battle for a top four spot.
However, Sheringham believes that winning the FA Cup could be more beneficial than getting a top four spot.
"If I’m honest, if Tottenham missed out on Champions League football and won the FA Cup, they would be absolutely delighted," he explained.
"They need the cup more than the money to go to the next level, to get the right vibes from everyone at Tottenham. They need to win a trophy. I’ve been saying it for years.
"That is more important than the money from the Champions League to Tottenham right now."
Spurs fans may hope they can get a top four spot and lift a trophy this season but it will be a tough final few months as Conte tries to continue his already positive impact on his new side.
