JERMAINE JENAS reckons Tottenham are about to
overtake Arsenal as North London's No 1 team.
The Spurs star believes his side can mount a serious
challenge for a Champions League spot next season.
And even though Tottenham are struggling for a top-10
finish this term, Jenas is convinced they can get the better of
Arsene Wenger's men.
The England midfielder, 25, said: "We can definitely
overtake Arsenal next year. We always want to climb and get as high
as we can in the table, so hopefully if we can keep progressing we
can top them.
“The Champions League is definitely the creme de la
creme and although winning the Carling Cup was fantastic, I think a
lot of people would sooner see us fighting for a Champions League
place.
“If you look at the players that we’ve got we know full
well that we’ve under-achieved in the league this season.
“Last year, all people were talking about was us
finishing fourth and getting a Champions League place and look what
happened.
“It’s a tough league - only Newcastle and Everton have
shifted Liverpool from that fourth spot in recent years.
“Apart from those two, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester
United and Arsenal have had those top four places for a long
time.
“You look at the Champions League final this year and
it proves how strong the Premier League is and how difficult it is
to break into that top four.
“Don’t get me wrong, we want to be successful and every
player wants to be playing Champions League football but it’s going
to be tough and we’re going to have to work hard for it if we want
it.
“Everyone’s looking at us as a positive club and one
that’s moving forward but I can’t help but stress, especially after
this season, we’ve GOT to do it.”
Jenas revealed much of the credit for Tottenham’s
turnaround in fortunes has been down to the arrival of Juande Ramos
as manager.
The Spaniard replaced the axed Martin Jol in October,
with the club languishing in the relegation zone .
Since then, Spurs have climbed the table and won
silverware for the first time since 1999 by beating Chelsea in the
Carling Cup Final in February.
Jenas lines up against Liverpool at home tomorrow
knowing victory against the Reds, coupled with West Ham dropping
points against Aston Villa, will ensure a top-10 finish for the
North Londoners.
Jenas said: “Juande has been fantastic for us. He’s
come in and made us a good team and in making us a good team he’s
allowed the likes of myself to have a lot more freedom.
“Whereas before I was covering too much ground or doing
things that I shouldn’t have been doing, things not in my area for
example, I was able to conserve that energy and put it into
something more useful, getting forward and scoring more goals and
creating more chances.
“He’s a manager who’s been there, done it and won
things and he’s produced. He got us a trophy and started churning
out some good performances from us.
“So in making us more solid as a unit he’s allowed us
as individuals to express ourselves to the best of our
ability.”
But Jenas insists Spurs need to learn how to kill teams
off if they are to progress and challenge for further silverware
next season.
The club have won just 11 league games all season but
would have earned a higher-placed finish had they not squandered
leads in some of the 13 games they have drawn this term.
Speaking at the launch of the PSP Go! Messenger
service, Jenas added: “We need to be more clinical and get a killer
instinct. There have been a number of games, especially towards the
end of the season, where we went 1-0 up and were dominating the
game.
“But then we took our foot of the pedal instead of
going on and getting a second and third goal to kill the game off
completely, so that’s where we definitely need to improve.”
Spurs have already made moves in the transfer market to
bolster their striking options, with £16.5million Croatian star
Luka Modric the latest signing in Ramos’ White Hart Lane
revolution.
Jenas said: I’ve not met him yet but most of what I
know of him is from the Croatia game against England.
“He was superb in that game, as were the whole Croatian
side. He looks very technically gifted and very creative, like an
old-fashioned No 10 , so it’s great to have him at the club.
“I think the club is going in the right direction - and
showing the purpose to go in the right direction - which is all you
ask for as a player and a fan.
“You want your team to be up there competing with the
best and I think signing the likes of Luka is a statement of intent
about where the club is going.”
One man crucial to Tottenham’s chances of tasting
further success is Dimitar Berbatov, but rumours of a move away
from White Hart Lane refuse to go away.
Jenas added: “Dimi’s a top player and he’s proved that
for us over the last couple of years. If he’s got ambitions to be
at the club or not be at the club then I’m sure we’ll see what
happens come this summer, but I’m hopeful that he stays.
“He’s up there with the best I’ve played with. I’ve
been fortunate to play with a number of top strikers and Dimi’s
ability is second to none. He came here as a bit of an unknown to
some but he’s proved what he’s worth.”
But despite improvements on the domestic front for
Jenas, the former Newcastle ace is gutted by England’s failure to
qualify for this summer’s European Championship.
He added: "It was devastating not to qualify. It’s
weird that we’re not going to be there this summer and as a team
and as a player it was a really, really tough thing to get
over.”
But after scoring for England in Fabio Capello’s first
game in charge of the national side in the 2-1 friendly win over
Switzerland in March, he is now targeting a regular place in the
Three Lions’ starting eleven.
Jenas added: “I want to stake my claim for a starting
place for the World Cup 2010 qualifiers. I want to be in there,
it’s as simple as that.
“There are England shirts to be fought for and I want
to be part of it. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are top players
and they’ve had those positions for a long time now, and rightly
so.
“But I think it’s only right that the likes of myself,
Gareth Barry and Owen Hargreaves are knocking on the door because
I’m sure that’s what the England manager wants.”
