Six months ago, the future looked bleak for Tottenham. A disappointing eighth-place finish in the Premier League reflected a chaotic campaign that saw Antonio Conte and his interim replacement Cristian Stellini both sacked as a number of key players failed to live up to expectations.
Harry Kane was one of the few that could hold his head up high after another 30-goal season, but Bayern Munich quickly made it clear that the England captain was their top summer transfer target and his eventual departure felt inevitable.
It was reported that a number of high-profile managers turned down the chance to replace Conte, including the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, which led Tottenham to instead turn to Ange Postecoglou. The former Celtic boss was a huge success in Scotland, but his initial appointment did little to lift the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Postecoglou was not the big name Spurs fans would have expected, and his lack of experience at the very highest level raised alarm bells. But the Australian has since proven to be exactly the right man to lead the club into a bold new era.
An encouraging pre-season campaign showed that Postecoglou was ready to implement a new forward-thinking style designed to get the best out of Spurs' most dangerous players, and he was also able to bring in a host of new signings to fit his philosophy. By the time Kane's move to Bayern was confirmed on the eve of the season, a new wave of optimism had started sweeping across north London.
And now here we are, with Spurs sitting top of the Premier League heading into the second international break of the 2023-24 season. Postecoglou's men are ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal on goals scored, with reigning champions Manchester City two points further back in third, and they have yet to taste defeat.
The general consensus is that Tottenham won't be able to stay the course, but that is more based on their recent history than anything else. Their current position is no accident - Postecoglou has transformed a confidence-stricken outfit into arguably the most well-rounded side in the division, and they deserve to be taken seriously as potential title contenders.