James Maddison recalls a point where Tottenham’s medical department was more populated than the dressing room.
But now Ange Postecoglou’s long list of injuries is beginning to shorten, Maddison reckons they can put together a late run to earn an eighth-place finish that might be good enough for Europe.
Saturday’s win at Ipswich was a third on the trot in the league – their best run since four consecutive victories in December 2023. And for the first time in months Spurs have also got options off the bench – Maddison included.
He was sprung on after little more than an hour, to plenty of jibes from Ipswich fans unable to forget his time at Norwich, and set up Djed Spence for the third goal.
“It's the difference, isn't it? It was 2-1, it was a tight game, everyone could see that. And me and Wilson (Odobert) came on and changed the dynamic of the game a little bit.
“Whereas rewind six weeks, we didn't have those options. We would have been starting and there would have been kids on the bench and there wouldn't have been any changes at 60. It's not rocket science, it doesn't have to be someone extremely intelligent to realise that that can really help.”
Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson, who scored the first two goals, both returned at Portman Road from reasonably long spells out.
Add in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Odobert and recent arrivals Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso becoming available in the past fortnight and it is easy to see why Spurs feel the dark clouds are lifting.
Through their lowest moments, when the defeats were racking up, Postecoglou grew tired of pointing to the context. But what was it like for the players unable to contribute as the season threatened to derail?
“The physio room was busier than the changing room, it was tough,” Maddison adds. “You look at the names who were out as well, it wasn't bit-part players, it was strong players from the XI, senior players. So it was difficult. We've got a lot of young players having to take on great responsibility.
“When you're a senior player who's out – and I only had a small injury but I'm talking for the likes of Cuti Romero, Micky van de Ven, even Vicario out for three months – it's tough seeing the young lads having to deal with it, without being able to help.
“That's the worst thing about football when you're injured. You're helpless, you can't help the team out there, you have to watch, It drives you insane.”
Spurs’ gap to eighth is down to single digits and, with fifth expected to be good enough for a Champions League spot, a Conference League qualifier appears doable.
“I think we're one of the teams in the league that can go on a winning streak, we showed it at the start of last season,” Maddison says.
“We have the squad and the players to be able to do that, I think there'll be teams that are in and around the same position as us, mid-table-ish, that probably don't feel like they can.
“But our ceiling is quite high, especially when we have our senior players back, so we're capable of going on that run and bridging that gap, and that's what we're hoping to do.”