Tottenham Hotspur - The Premier League presidential years

Tottenham Hotspur supporters could relate to worried American voters waking up the morning after election day. They spent a mostly disappointing on-pitch decade under the leadership of an egocentric, rich, reality TV host.

In fairness to Alan Sugar—host of the British version of the show The Apprentice—the north London club's former chairman at least helped salvage Tottenham’s future upon his takeover in 1991, keeping them financially stable thereafter. Nearly half of the United States and most of the world are dreading the ramifications of Donald Trump being voted President, his election confirmed on Wednesday here via Bleacher Report's sister site CNN.

Sugar was instrumental in the formation of the Premier League (or Premiership as it was then known), its first campaign happening just as Americans were deciding their latest President. Starting with Bill Clinton's triumph in 1992, we look back at what the state of things were at Tottenham upon and after every U.S. election since.

There were some policy successes, but plenty more failures. The latter usually related to the leadership itself with the number of "impeachments" at Spurs since then more in line with a violent and clueless democracy than one as stable as the U.S...OK, we may need a new example now.

Was former Tottenham chairman Alan Sugar the north London club's Donald Trump?

Recent American political history does not make for a perfect metaphor, but it does serve as a good framework to look back at the club during the Premier League era and anticipate what may be in store under current head of state Mauricio Pochettino.

So we begin back in '92, a new age for English football and an eventful period for Tottenham.

1992: Bill Clinton—The Premier League Era Begins

Sugar's time as Tottenham chairman got off to a tumultuous start during the first four years of Clinton's presidency, encompassing three major managerial changes and a battle with the Football Association. Inconsistency on the pitch was livened by a few of England's brightest players and some notable foreign acquisitions.

Policy successes: Sugar fought off FA charges of a points deduction and an FA Cup ban for the 1994-95 season for self-reported financial irregularities under the previous regime.

That campaign proved an enjoyable one for Tottenham. Mainstays of an up-and-down first couple of years in the Premiership such as Darren Anderton, Nick Barmby, Gary Mabbutt and Teddy Sheringham were joined by the glamorous post-World Cup signings of Ilie Dumitrescu, Gheorghe Popescu and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Dumitrescu struggled, but Popescu and especially Klinsmann shone as Spurs finished above Arsenal and made the most of their FA Cup reprieve, reaching the semi-final stage.

Policy failures: Tottenham failed to reach Wembley, and Barmby, Popescu and Klinsmann all left that summer for Middlesbrough, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively.

By that point Gerry Francis was already presiding over the third regime of this first Premiership term.

The strike-partnership of Jurgen Klinsmann and Teddy Sheringham provided some happy days for Tottenham, albeit for a brief time.

It had begun with a team of Terry Venables, Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence in charge. Discord between Venables and Sugar led to their replacement with another former Spur in Ossie Ardiles.

Despite assembling that side featuring Klinsmann and Sheringham after the relegation near-miss of 1993-94, Ardiles' attack-minded tactics did not work. Francis took over and steadied the ship but by the end of 1996 was struggling for inspiration.

1996: Bill Clinton—Mediocrity and a Taste of Success

It was four more years for Clinton in America, and Sugar was still the man in charge at Tottenham. The latter struggled to break beyond mediocrity and almost suffered disaster but at least enjoyed some prosperity.

Policy successes: Versatile defender Sol Campbell and full-back Stephen Carr came through the youth ranks to establish themselves as two of the brightest talents in the Premier League. Holdovers Anderton, Mabbutt and Sheringham had injury issues but, before the latter two retired and left respectively, were still significant players when available.

The Premier League welcomed unprecedented immigration and Spurs had some further exotic dalliances with foreign names well-known or otherwise. Players such as Nicola Berti, Steffen Freund and Steffen Iversen joined while even Klinsmann returned for a spell in 1998, helping Tottenham avoid relegation.

The most successful Spurs signing of the period was, without a doubt, David Ginola.

The exciting French winger lifted the gloom in dark periods and went on to inspire the team's 1999 Cup success, winning individual honours too.

Le magnifique: David Ginola.

Policy failures: The Tottenham public grew impatient with its leadership, and more impeachments were to follow heading into the 21st century.

Francis could not lead the team above mid-table during an injury-plagued stretch for the club and made way after a slow start to 1997-98. With talisman Sheringham having left for Manchester United, Spurs veered dangerously close to relegation under Francis’ replacement Christian Gross.

The Swiss kept them up but made way at the start of the next season for the next permanent boss in George Graham.

The former Arsenal manager and Chelsea player commendably won Spurs' first trophy in eight years but never won over the fans. Even accounting for his past allegiances, his distrust and eventual removal of the beloved Ginola was not a smart public-relations move.

2000: George W. Bush—Lean Years

America swaps a Democrat for a Republican, and at Tottenham changes at managerial and boardroom level occur. One favourite son controversially leaves as another returns, providing brief but ultimately unfulfilled hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Policy successes: The hiring of Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle initially lifted spirits after a drab last couple of years under Graham.

A future legend in Ledley King was emerging while Hoddle also brought back Sheringham and attracted other big names such as Gus Poyet and Christian Ziege. A memorable first win over Chelsea in 12 years, thrashing the Blues 5-1, was the highlight of an ultimately unsuccessful run to the 2002 League Cup final.

Republic of Ireland star Robbie Keane joined after starring at the 2002 World Cup. Another of football's best young strikers, Jermain Defoe, signed in early 2004.

Policy failures: Tottenham tried to keep captain Campbell, deciding not to sell him despite his contract running down; in the summer of 2001 he left on a free to join north London foes Arsenal.

New ownership at Tottenham in ENIC and a new manager in Glenn Hoddle. Unfortunately the relationship was not to last.

Hoddle failed to lift the team beyond a familiar mid-table berth as the blend of veterans and varying young talents did not work.

The League Cup final loss and Spurs' inability to contend at the higher end of the Premier League was made to look all the worse by Arsenal enjoying their greatest years under Arsene Wenger.

As the Gunners were racing to an unbeaten title-winning season, Spurs were stumbling under the temporary stewardship of ex-boss and director of football David Pleat. Relegation was avoided but there was little reason to be cheerful.

2004: George W. Bush—Resurgence

America voted for more of the same, but uncertainty surrounded Tottenham as they bid farewell to one of the club's Mount Rushmore figures in legendary player and manager Bill Nicholson. A new leader successfully trusted in youth and boom years ensued. Sadly, it was not to last.

Policy successes: Martin Jol joined Tottenham as an assistant manager to Jacques Santini as new sporting director Frank Arnesen undertook sweeping personnel changes.

The Dutchman outlasted them both after replacing Santini in late 2004, guiding Spurs to successive fifth-place finishes—their best of the Premier League era—and a return for European football for the first time since an all-too-brief run in 1999.

Joining Defoe, Keane and King in establishing this promise-filled era were a core of English talent including Michael Dawson, Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon and Paul Robinson. They were boosted by smart overseas signings such as Dutch legend Edgar Davids and Bulgaria's star striker Dimitar Berbatov.

In early the 2008 the core of this group won the first League Cup at the new Wembley, beating capital foes Chelsea.

Martin Jol getting the Tottenham job full-time re-energised the north Londoners to great effect.

Policy failures: The hasty decision by chairman Daniel Levy and the hierarchy to remove the popular Jol after missing out on Champions League qualification in 2006-07 and a slow start to the next season was a mistake.

His replacement Juande Ramos took Jol's team to the aforementioned trophy success but never got a proper handle on Premier League football. He was not helped, however, by scattered and unaligned recruitment from Arnesen’s successor Damien Comolli.

2008: Barack Obama—Change to Believe In

At a time America's newest President was offering hope and change from old ways, Tottenham went the opposite direction and installed a veteran operator.

Policy successes: Harry Redknapp rescued bottom-placed Tottenham and turned the mess inherited from Ramos into a commendable top-half finish in 2008-09.

From there he went one better than Jol and took Spurs into the Champions League via some glorious victories over rivals. The good memories kept on coming in a quarter-final run to the competition itself and, while they could not follow it up, the Lilywhites continued to play some of the best football in England.

The likes of King and Lennon continued to produce. They were joined by the influential midfielder Luka Modric, big-game performers Peter Crouch and Rafael van der Vaart, while the ascendant star of Gareth Bale arguably shone most of all.

Debuts were also handed to youngsters including Tom Carroll and Harry Kane.

Tottenham's talent improved and so, unsurprisingly, did their fortunes.

Policy failures: Redknapp's over-reliance on his big names and a lack of tactical nuance hurt Tottenham late on in 2010-11 and 2011-12 as they attempted to get back to the Champions League.

Although it did give first-team experiences to some promising young talent, his disregard for the Europa League in the latter season left a bad taste. Domestic cups were better treated but Spurs lost one League Cup final and two FA Cup semi-finals.

2012: Barack Obama—Plateau Before an Uptick

For the third time in a row, the U.S. elected a two-term President. Tottenham did not wait for the synchronicity of an international election to make their own change, though. Another couple would follow too before the next American election cycle.

Policy successes: Bale had one of the most memorable individual campaigns of recent memory as Tottenham achieved their Premier League-best points tally under Andre Villas-Boas in 2012-13. The Portuguese's arrival also saw the captures of exciting European performers Mousa Dembele, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen.

Villas-Boas' temporary replacement Tim Sherwood helped further the careers of the brightest crop of youth-team talents at the club in decades. His successor Pochettino harnessed the likes of Kane further, brought in smart young signings of his own such as Dele Alli, while also getting more out of underachieving expensive buys such as Dembele and Erik Lamela.

This all came together in aggressive and determined brand of football in Tottenham's title-challenge of 2015-16. While they ultimately fell short, the potential of the squad is such even-better days could still be ahead.

The man with the plan: Mauricio Pochettino.

Policy failures: Villas-Boas was too mechanical in his football and relationships for the fans to ever really warm to. Losing Bale was unavoidable, but he may regret not standing his ground more in influencing how the proceeds of the sale were spent, technical director Franco Baldini's vision seemingly not coinciding with his own.

Sherwood was too much the opposite of the Portuguese in his tactics and persona and could not integrate the expensive foreign signings well enough either. Still, as a decent-enough quick-fix that led to Spurs eventually getting Pochettino, he should not be chided too much.

2016: Donald Trump—Making Tottenham Great Again?

The true successes and failures of Pochettino's time at Tottenham will only become apparent with time. Heading into a second-term proper now, the indicators he will produce more of the former than the latter are at least promising.

Tottenham and its fans will now be hoping there is something recognisable as a planet left for them to enjoy this. It would be typical of their luck for civilisation to collapse just as they are on the verge of something.