Former Leeds, Newcastle, Real Madrid and Middlesbrough central
defender Jonathan Woodgate reckons Liverpool - who beat Spurs 2-0
at White Hart Lane on Sunday - have shown the North London side
just how much they need to improve.
It has been a stange season for Spurs. They kicked off the season
with great expectations under Martin Jol, but made a woeful start
to their campaign with just one win in nine games, and sacked Jol.
New manager Juande Ramos led them to Carling Cup glory, their first
trophy since 1999, but thereafter they stuttered and stalled,
eventually stumbling to an 11th-place finish.
Their inconsistent and unconvincing post-Cup final form angered
Ramos, who has already entered the transfer market to buy £16
million midfielder Luka Modric, as he looks to build a team that
will sustain a credible challenge for honours next season.
And Woodgate sees Liverpool as ideal role models for
Tottenham.
"We have got a lot of improving to do. Liverpool are a benchmark,
they're a top side and showed they were a better side than us,” he
said after Sunday's game.
"It shows how much we have to compete and how much we have to work
to get the standard they're at.
"They are 20-odd points ahead of us and that is a big difference
but we'll have a big go next season. I'm sure the chairman will
back the manager to buy some more players to build a strong squad
here.
“Ramos is not happy. The players aren’t happy. Since the Carling
Cup win, we haven’t played well at all and it’s not good
enough.
“What’s the point of competing if you go into the season looking to
finish fifth? We want to try and get in the Champions League,
that’s the benchmark.
“We have players of Champions League quality but there’s no point
in saying it every week, we have to prove it. At the moment we are
not.”
