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Figure caption,Spurs head coach Ho on improvement
ByEmma SandersBBC Sport women’s football news reporter- Published38 minutes ago
Tottenham have had their most successful season in the Women's Super League and will finish as the 'best of the rest' - but how do they ensure it's not a one-off?
Martin Ho's side sit fifth in the table with one game left to play, having already notched a club record points tally (33).
The team who finishes fifth in the WSL, outside the traditional top-four clubs, tend to drop off the following campaign.
But Ho does not want his side to follow suit, insisting Spurs have huge ambitions for the future and are already building for next season.
"We want this club to be recognised as not just one of the best in the UK, but in Europe," said Ho.
What has led to successful season?
Tottenham were a bruised team last summer having finished second bottom in the WSL, with only relegated Crystal Palace conceding more goals in a poor campaign that led to the sacking of manager Robert Vilahamn.
Ho was appointed as Vilahamn's successor, joining from Norwegian side SK Brann, who he led to the quarter-finals of the 2023-24 Women's Champions League.
His impact was instant as Spurs won four of their opening five matches - the only defeat coming against champions Manchester City.
Impressive draws with Arsenal and Manchester United followed, meaning Spurs sat level on points with the Gunners in third at the start of 2026.
An aggressive pressing style, more creativity in possession and a structured defence were signs of improvement under Ho, as well as smart recruitment.
He was rewarded with a new long-term contract in March and - despite falling away from the top four in recent months - Spurs will go into the summer feeling positive.
Reflecting on the campaign, Ho said: "It's been positive in numerous aspects, on and off the pitch. There has been a lot of learnings and development.
"It's given us really strong foundations to build on in the future. I'm really pleased with how it's gone.
"However, finishing fifth doesn't win you anything. We want to win, compete and lift trophies.
"There is a lot of pride for the players and the staff for what they have done but there's still a lot of work to do."
Tottenham could finish within four points of Manchester United - where Ho worked as an assistant for three years - if they beat Brighton on Saturday (13:00 BST).
It would be a boost having suffered three successive WSL defeats in March and an FA Cup quarter-final exit to Chelsea last month.
"We had a really good start then a bit of a bumpy road in the second half of the season," added Ho.
"How we faced the adversity and the reaction to that, means we have still performed well.
"Away from the pitch, [what has pleased me is] probably the infrastructure and processes we have put in place to allow this team to be successful in the long-term and to build momentum going into the summer."
What does the future look like?
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Martin Ho joined Tottenham as manager in the summer
Tottenham finished fifth in the WSL in 2022 but ended up in ninth the season after.
They reached the FA Cup final for the first time under Vilahamn in 2024 - alongside a sixth-placed finish in the WSL - but were second bottom the following campaign.
It has been similar for other clubs. Liverpool went from fourth to seventh last year and Aston Villa dropped from fifth to seventh in 2024.
So how can Tottenham avoid it?
"That's a key part. I don't think there is anyone who has gone back-to-back in fifth place or gone higher the following season," said Ho.
"We don't want to be satisfied with fifth. It's progress and we have taken steps, but we have also had luck.
"There are lots of parts we can take forward and other parts we can be better at. When you invest in a team, that brings more pressure.
"We're in this position for a reason and we need to embrace that pressure. I just hope players understand that if we want to be a top team that is sustainable in domestic and European competitions, we have to go seven levels up from now."
Improving squad depth is the first thing on Tottenham's list and Ho says they have already completely most of their business for the summer transfer window.
"Numerous signings have been made and it will give us more depth and drop the average age of the group. It will also add experience," said Ho.
"I'm excited for the summer, the future and what we can do with the players next season. We need to have a spread of goals throughout the team and the defensive part is definitely something we will look at and address.
"It's also evolving and growing our mentality and knowing that if we want to compete at the highest level, we need to be strong.
"It's then finding ways we can internally grow the organisation and the structure around us to make sure we can provide the players with everything they need."
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed
