Tottenham Hotspur's women's team is being tipped as a genuine contender in the Women's Super League this season, following a summer of significant transfer activity that has raised expectations at Hotspur Way.
Head coach Martin Ho addressed the growing buzz around his side in a wide-ranging conversation as part of the BBC's media day tour of WSL clubs. Ho discussed the club being spoken about as potential title challengers, a marked shift in status for a team looking to build on previous campaigns. Away from tactics and squad building, Ho also opened up about his own methods for managing the pressures of top-flight management, revealing that meditation and golf play a key role in helping him switch off from the demands of the job.
Among the new arrivals fuelling optimism at the club is Vic Pelova, who made the notable decision to cross North London in one of the more eye-catching moves of the transfer window. Pelova spoke about the adjustment to life at Spurs, touching on the team's pre-season training camp in Spain as a key period for the squad to gel before the season got underway. The Dutch midfielder also reflected on feeling as though she is rediscovering her top form after the switch.
Striker Kirsty Hanson, another marquee summer signing, was the WSL's third-highest goalscorer last season and arrives at Tottenham with plenty to prove. Hanson discussed her ambitions to kick on from that impressive scoring record and explained what specifically attracted her to Spurs, pointing to the club's style of play as a major factor in her decision to join.
The Norwegian pairing of Tinka Tandberg and Signe Gaupset also featured, with the two heaping praise on one another as they discussed settling into life at the club. Both players spoke about embracing the increased attention surrounding Tottenham this season and highlighted the strong bond they feel with the club's supporters, suggesting a growing sense of connection between the squad and the fanbase as expectations rise.
The wave of investment and new talent brought in over the summer represents a clear statement of intent from Tottenham, who appear determined to close the gap on the WSL's traditional powerhouses. With Ho at the helm and a squad bolstered by proven performers like Hanson and Pelova, alongside emerging talents such as Tandberg and Gaupset, there is a sense of momentum building around the club heading into the new campaign.
The series of interviews, conducted at Tottenham's Hotspur Way training base, offered a glimpse into both the on-field ambitions and off-field culture being cultivated under Ho's leadership. The combination of experienced signings and a settled, supportive dressing room dynamic appears central to the club's strategy as it seeks to establish itself among the WSL's elite.
With pre-season work now behind them and a squad that has been carefully assembled to compete at the highest level, Tottenham's players and staff alike seem united in their belief that this campaign could mark a turning point for the club's trajectory in English women's football.
Based on reporting from BBC Radio 5 Live (BBC Women's Football Weekly).