Richarlison's redemption can save Tottenham on and off the pitch

After one season on the books at Tottenham Hotspur, Richarlison was written off as a flop.

In 35 games across all competitions, he scored only three goals for Spurs. Just one of those came in the Premier League - an ultimately futile equaliser in a late and comical 4-3 defeat at Liverpool during their run of never-ending nadirs.

Right, that is an admittedly poor stretch for a forward. The optics are even worse considering he was handed the number nine shirt and signed for a fee that could rise to a club-record £60m. He was, crucially, largely used out on the touchline with little support.

That spell seems like generations ago. In a way, it is. Ange Postecoglou has breathed fresh life into Tottenham on and off the pitch. The club took a long at itself in the ruins of the Antonio Conte era, and the Greek-Australian's appointment as head coach was the catalyst for change.

Under Postecoglou, nearly every first-team member has had at least one moment in the sun this season, one period where they looked like a top-three player in the Premier League in their own position. Entering February, it's still not entirely clear who would win the club's Player of the Year award if voting ended today given the number of legitimate candidates.

Richarlison has been a late bloomer in the context of the 2023/24 campaign. He was relegated from his new role as starting striker post-Harry Kane early in the season, with Son Heung-min moved centrally instead.

In September, Richarlison admitted he was seeking help regarding his mental health and was publicly defended by Postecoglou for expressing this vulnerability. Days later, he was involved in both goals as Spurs staged the latest comeback in Premier League history, beating Sheffield United 2-1.

With the equaliser that day, Richarlison had matched his entire Premier League goal record from the season before. This should have been the point where context to his disappointing debut campaign was made more available.

Another barren run followed that goal and he underwent surgery on a long-standing pelvic issue in November. An operation on his groin has rejuvenated Richarlison back into the spritely striker he more often looked in his Everton days.

Richarlison is currently on a streak of nine goals in his last eight Premier League games, vaulting himself to double figures for the season with plenty of time to spare.

This isn't just a player who's rediscovered his confidence, but one who has reworked his mechanics to provide a more tangible menace.

In his first few weeks under Conte last season, Richarlison was used as more of a tempo-setter and back-post aerial threat. He hadn't quite figured out how to compliment Spurs' attack on a technical level but the assumption was that would soon follow, though it never really did until finally going under the knife.

The explosive yard of pace from his Everton days has not returned, but Richarlison's ball-striking and the conviction with which he traps, controls, passes and shoots is night-and-day compared to the first portion of his Tottenham career.

But what will be most pleasing for Spurs is the newest string he's added to his bow. Midway through the first half of last Wednesday's 3-2 win against Brentford, Richarlison set himself and lined up a strike from 25 yards, curling it towards the top corner. The majority of the stadium thought it had found the net, only to be dumbfounded that it trickled behind it off the stantion.

Three days later, Richarlison tried the exact same strike from a similar spot away at Goodison Park, this time scoring on a fitting return to Everton.

Long has Richarlison been limited to simple headers and tap-ins, and scoring more of those has allowed him to cement his place in Tottenham's lineup again. But if he's now also more capable of more outrageous attempts and has the freedom to do so, then some of Spurs' attacking problems will be solved in more ways than one.

When Son Heung-min departed for the Asian Cup last month, Postecoglou tasked Richarlison with taking on the mantle of primary goal-scorer. He probably didn't expect him to start replicating his exact style of goal, putting Tottenham ahead against Everton in a game they desperately needed some magic in.

During their heyday under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs were able to start three attackers who could score from distance with either foot - Son, Kane and Christian Eriksen. Among their various other qualities, this proficiency from range changed how teams tried to defend, panicking themselves more knowing even a low block could prove futile. A triumvirate of Richarlison, James Maddison and an experienced Son could spring forth a similar headache for modern defences.

That's not to say Richarlison is a one-to-one of Kane. He obviously isn't and never will be. But he's at least ensured Tottenham may not need to look elsewhere for a striker in the long-term.

The market for number nines is in a fairly sorry state - there is a significant drop-off from Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney to everyone else who may be available - and anyone Spurs would realistically bring in would come with a dangerous combination risk and pressure.

Spurs need more contributions from their wide attackers and this is believed to be a focus of their recruitment for the summer transfer window. Football today is less about 20-goal strikers but 15-goal forwards all across the frontline.

Richarlison's scoring has filled a hole in the short-term, but his evolution could ease Tottenham's minds in the beyond this season and focus their attentions on strengthening in other departments.

READ THE LATEST TOTTENHAM NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP