King: Settled side is Spurs' strong suit
Former captain King says upheaval at title rivals could play into Tottenham's hands
As a former captain with 321 appearances to his name, Ledley King is truly a Tottenham Hotspur legend. Since hanging up his boots in 2012, he has continued his involvement with the club as an ambassador.
Here, the former defender shares with The New Paper's GABRIEL TAN his thoughts on how Spurs could fare in the upcoming Premier League campaign.
There was plenty for Tottenham fans to get excited about last season even though it was ultimately not to be. How do you rate their chances of winning the title this time around?
KING: It's not going to be easy, the Premier League is very difficult to win and each season is different.
The likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea all have new managers so they will be spending to strengthen their squads.
But Tottenham's advantage lies in that they're a settled team with a settled manager.
What about new players?
We've managed to bring in some new faces, who will be needed for (the rigours) of Champions League football.
We've definitely strengthened and I'm hopeful we can have a good challenge again.
Two new faces at White Hart Lane this summer are defensive midfielder Victor Wanyama and striker Vincent Janssen. Do you believe they will prove to be astute signings?
I think the key was to strengthen the squad and get players who are going to be rotated at times.
If you're missing a player through suspension or injury, who's going to step in?
So far, I'm very happy with the new signings.
I think they're two very strong players at a good age, who are hungry to prove something.
Apart from Wanyama and Janssen, Spurs have not been heavily linked with many players, as compared to title rivals like Chelsea and Manchester United. Does Mauricio Pochettino still need to strengthen further?
I'm sure the manager is always looking to see who's available, but I think we have a very good squad, so there's not too much that needs changing from last season.
Do you have any player in mind for Spurs?
You only want to bring in real quality that's going to add to the squad, so if the manager sees someone like that who's available, then he will strengthen.
But I don't think he'll bring in any players just for the sake of it because most people realise that Tottenham are in a good position at the moment and not much needs to change.
How crucial will it be for Tottenham to keep hold of Pochettino, as well as key players like Harry Kane? Is having a settled team and structure going to be key for the title bid?
It is, because it's something we've not had in years gone by.
There was always a lot of change and it's nice to be in a position now where we're going into a new season and we don't need to do too much.
We're all hoping the team can hit the ground running and the players will know what the manager demands of them. With all that, and none of your best players leaving, it already gives us a good start.
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