Despite the massive splurging on new talent, Tottenham
never quite broke the glass ceiling. Two fifth-placed finishes
raised expectations, but Martin Jol’s final season was a huge
letdown. They had come within touching distance of the promised
land of the Champions League but excruciatingly missed out both
times.
Jol’s signings, added to Juande Ramos’s new recruits
and his hard work ethic, have transformed Tottenham’s squad and
they now boast a formidable defence. In Gareth Bale and Alan Hutton
they have two of the best young full-backs in Britain, while in the
middle Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate have only fitness standing
in the way of success.
Uber-Gooner Nick Hornby’s oft-quoted rant is that
Arsenal play a space-age version of the type of football Tottenham
aspire to, but in recent years a few moans have slipped in with the
floods of praise for Arsene Wenger. Things are beginning to shift
in North London.
Whilst Wenger - either because of shrinking finances or
because of a rigid devotion to his principles - continues to scour
the earth for cheap and brilliant youth, Tottenham opt for a much
more pragmatic approach. They, too, are interested in youth, but
for them money is no object and in this battle of wills I have a
feeling Tottenham will succeed by throwing more dosh at the
situation than Arsenal.
Admittedly, it is ridiculous for Spurs fans to take aim
at Arsenal for not winning a trophy - the mere fact that Arsenal
qualified for the Champions League is worth millions more than
Spurs’ League Cup win - but next season may well be very
different.
Teams like Tottenham, packed to the rafters with fans
who are eternal optimists, seem to live in a footballing Groundhog
Day, every year claiming that the next one will bring success. They
are constantly chasing their tomorrows because their todays are so
dire. But - really and truly - next season COULD actually be
different for Spurs. Money talks in football and even if 50 per
cent of Tottenham’s signings fail, that still leaves a huge number
of players who will be a success.
The chase for fourth place has taken on even more epic
proportions because it always seems to include two big city rivals.
This year Liverpool and Everton fought for it and next year I think
it could be the north Londoners fighting for success.
The current Spurs squad is far too good for another
ignominious league finish. It seems the table DOES lie, and last
season it was doing its very best Jeffery Archer impersonation,
spitting out porkies every week. Tottenham’s lowly position was due
to the seismic effects of friendly ogre Jol’s protracted and
painful exit.
But with Mexican starlet Giovanni straight from the Nou
Camp, Croatian Luka Modric - who has been described as second only
to Kaka by his national manager - and young John Bostock - trailed
by many a big club - now added to an already ridiculously-muscular
squad, Tottenham finally look to be a healthy bet for fourth.
Can Spurs finally break the stranglehold of
the Big Four - or will next season only bring more
under-achievement?