It's hard to think of an instance in Premier League history of a team's season being composed of two such contrasting halves, but Tottenham Hotspur have a knack of being unpredictable. After an all-conquering first half of the year the wheels didn't so much fall off Tottenham's season but were smashed and burnt. With only a few games left to play the time has come for Spurs to decide if they want this season to be branded a success or a failure.
Tottenham's dream finish at the start of this season was a Champions League ticket, and as things stand that's exactly where they're headed. If you'd told a realistic Spurs fan at the start of the season, that with three games to go they'd be sitting in fourth place with only Bolton, Villa and Fulham to play they should have bitten your hand off. The problem is Tottenham went and made their fans, for the first time in many years, genuinely optimistic.
Having been third in the league back in February and tipped for an outside title challenge, the future was bright. They had a manager winning plaudits from every pundit in the land, players who were simply running riot and a chairman who laughed in the face of Russian oligarchs.
Then Capello left the England post.
Since that event Spurs have enjoyed a run as disastrous as their previous was outstanding. After effectively being 13 points clear of fourth placed bitter rivals Arsenal they now find themselves locked in a desperate battle to attain that position for themselves.
Harry Redknapp may argue that his link to the vacant England post hasn't affected the team, but it has. At the very least he's to blame for astonishingly abandoning the tactics which saw his team playing so fluently earlier in the season and also cutting the squad down to it's bare bones in January.
Since February the team has been playing without any sense of direction, passing the ball from side to side with no cutting edge at all. The midfield has been congested with uncharacteristic dithering and Bale, the team's outlet has been forced to come inside looking for the ball far too often instead of burning up the left touch line which is undoubtedly where he plays best.
The good old times of fans pessimistically predicting a 1-1 draw with the likes of Wolves have returned.
There are signs of the tide turning however, with a dominant display against Blackburn this weekend. The same weekend that we learn that Hodgson not Redknapp has been given the opportunity to lead the nation. Coincidence? Maybe.
Sandro once again showed that Scott Parker shouldn't be getting too comfortable as the club's enforcer with a refreshingly powerful yet skilful display. Similarly, recently crowned PFA Young Player of the Year, Kyle Walker continued to show his class and desire, as he has throughout the season, capping his performance with an unstoppable free-kick. If Spurs' Champions League dream is going to be realised then Harry has to make this spirit and work ethic contagious throughout the squad.
Missing out on Europe's best football and just as importantly the money that comes with it, could be catastrophic for Tottenham. Only last week Gareth Bale announced that without the prospect of Champions League football next year he'd have to have a long, hard think about his future. Redknapp also let slip that he wouldn't be surprised if Modric, arguably the best player at the club, would leave under the same circumstances.
With Redknapp now looking likely to stay on the fear of a mass exodus has been lessened. Whether or not he'd still be able to hold onto Bale and Modric would however still be a massive struggle.
As European outcasts it would also be difficult, as seen in previous seasons for Tottenham to attract quality players. If Spurs are going to consistently finish in the top four they need to be bringing in a few top players over the summer. Without the financial backing that Chelsea (a team in a similar position) enjoy it's imperative that they can use the lure of the glamorous Champions League as bait.
Tottenham's season may be all but over, but their future is very definitely all still to play for.