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Awesome Ramos will take Tottenham into Liverpool's fourth spot

Under their new manager, there's been a transformation in N17 which could result in Spurs landing the Carling Cup this season and then grabbing a Champions League place next time round.

by Carl Hoddle on 11 February 2008

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Juande Ramos: Managing with style (gettyimages.com)

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The signs are there, the time is right, but it won’t happen this season. But next year we will take Liverpool’s Champions League spot, of that I am confident.

In recent months Spurs have looked awesome. Juande Ramos has breathed life into the side that had begun to stagnate under Martin Jol, a manager, by the way, I still hold in high regard. The Spaniard has not been afraid to bruise egos and drop stars, and 13 wins and five defeats from his first 25 games is a very good return and one that shows we are moving upwards.

There is a danger of getting carried away, but I am predicting that next season we will make it into the top four in Liverpool’s place. Yes, I know we went through all of this last summer. We all thought we would make it, we spent big and started badly, the bump back down to earth was painful and Jol paid for it with his job. But like it or not, the former Sevilla boss is a better manager than the Dutchman in just about every aspect.

'I am making the prediction that next season we will make it into the top four in Liverpool’s place'

Recent additions to the squad look good. The quartet of Chris Gunter, Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Hutton and Gilberto look like a combination of good players for the right price. Ramos has identified weaknesses and with the help of Damien Comolli he has gone about picking up intelligent purchases.

Sure, there are many other teams competing for the fourth spot this season, a place we can’t realistically attain. Everton have impressed me greatly, and whilst many people deride their tactics there is no faulting their determination and they are a hard side to beat. David Moyes deserves credit for leading the Toffees ahead of Liverpool, especially when you compare the spending of the two sides. Over the past five years Everton’s purchases have totalled a modest £70m whilst over the same period of time Liverpool have spent in excess of £150m.

Aston Villa and Manchester City are two of our other competitors for the coveted Champions League place, and their rise up the table has been even more pronounced than Everton’s. Both are experiencing their best form in a decade, and that is down chiefly to their terrific managers and also intelligent transfer outlays.

I am hopeful of some silverware this season. Also, we are just 90 minutes away from a Carling Cup victory. Chelsea will be difficult to overcome, but I think that we are capable of beating any team on our day. Arsenal found that out, and Manchester United came within 30 seconds of doing likewise. Consistency is obviously the key and I think that Ramos is the kind of manager to instil this.

I know it has been said before, but I really think that next year we will be sitting at the top table rather than scrambling for the crumbs that fall from it.

Can Spurs actually make it into the Champions League next season? Post a comment below or submit an article to Sportingo.

Comments (49)

by Freddie on February 11, 2008

as usual

by Davs on February 11, 2008

Write Liverpool off. If we were to continue this form and improve in the summer there is every reason we could make 4th. Liverpool seem to be in transformation off but they are still a big club, and things will get better for them.

by Joe on February 11, 2008

I admire the confidence but it's a little too early to start saying things like that, and it leaves us wide open to the usual, lazy, mythical taunts of being deluded(yes, that is a complete myth, created by the media and opposite fans) It's too early for a club languishing in 11th place to be banging on about taking a top 4 spot next season! By the time next season comes around, Liverpool could have strengthened and be one of the title favourites again. Small steps.We are on the right track, and with the right buys in the Summer we could easily challenge 4th spot, but lets do our talking on the pitch first.

by Ryan Williams on February 11, 2008

Good article, however we need to improve greatly. We need, in my opinion, a new striker. A new central midfielder and a left winger (heard that before?). In regards to Gilberto, does anybody know whats happening to him? I never seen him

by Moddy on February 11, 2008

Spurs are playing good footie and we are surely on the way up. But I wont be jumping the gun saying we'll be 4th, this season or next. This season should have taught us not to get ahead of ourselves. We were not convincing against Derby either. Let the results do the talking..

by Russ on February 11, 2008

I totally agree. We have seen that glimmer of hope so many times before and been let down, but in Ramos I honestly think are time will come. We still have a core of great British talent and a manager with a proven track record. The only thing that will stop us now is ourselves. So I beg Commoli and Levi to keep there interfering noses out and let the Spaniard bring back the glory days to the Lane

by jona on February 11, 2008

spurs are playing good it will happen jaunde

by diego77 on February 11, 2008

Some good points but let's not get ahead of ourselves. We are still recovering and have some way to go. That said, Alan Hutton and Jonathan Woodgate are two excellent acquisitions. If we had brought in defenders of that calibre back in the summer, we would not have had such a sorry season.

by rooster2006 on February 11, 2008

I do not like to make forecasts because life can play strange (and cruel) tricks. If we KEEP Berbatov and add two more players - a strong striker to fill in the void made by selling Defoe and a world-class goalie and no injuries, we will be up there somewhere. Deefinitely no repeat of the atrocious start we experienced this season. If all goes well, we can creep up the table to the sixth spot. Anything is possible with a very strong defence we now have backed by above-average midfielders and two world class strikers.

by JimB on February 11, 2008

Correction - we didn't ALL think that Spurs would make the top four this season. In fact, I would wager that only a small minority of Tottenham fans thought that we would. It was mostly the pundits and the media who made all the noise about Tottenham, just so that they could indulge in their favourite pastime - shooting down teams (and people) that they have overhyped. Most Tottenham fans knew that the team was too weak in two or three key areas. As to next season, it's far to early to say. For starters, it might not, by then, be Liverpool's fourth spot at all. It might well be Everton's. Secondly, I can't believe that Liverpool will be quite so poor next season or that the likes of Everton, City and Villa won't continue to improve.

by Woobat on February 11, 2008

Spot on Carl, the changes are there for all to see and that's with mostly the squad he was left with!!

by DannyMackay on February 11, 2008

I agree with the article about spurs. We are on the up, and are well set to win some pots at last. We will also have a better league campaign next year after taking 7 points from our first 11 games this season. But Don't expect Liverpool to crumble. With their disruption and fixture congestion this season they are still well set for fourth place and Benitez is a top class manager who will get it right if given time.

by dan on February 11, 2008

Ramos is very good at his job but it will take time

by JimB on February 11, 2008

[quote]We still have a core of great British talent and a manager with a proven track record. The only thing that will stop us now is ourselves. So I beg Commoli and Levi to keep there interfering noses out[/quote] Err, Russ......it was Levy's and Comolli's "interfering noses" that got us this "core of great British talent and a manager with a proven track record".

by Alan Rubhardishly on February 11, 2008

As a gooner it is very worrying and I am pooing my knickers as I realise the yids are coming to take back their crown.... oh and we have no one on the FA board now to help fook it up for them, looks like we will have to take it and let our corporate massive down

by jjoa on February 11, 2008

Pity we started so badly this year. The 4th spot is wide open, Liverpool have a terrible manager and are hugely overrated we would have walked it with Ramos starting the season. it will be Liverpool of the so called Top4 who will be struggling to make the grade again next year. Game on.

by Darren on February 11, 2008

You are assuming all the other clubs stand still, Spurs have spent a big portion of their 08 budget already the clubs ahead of Spurs in the league will strengthen more in the summer. Woodgate and King will be on the treatment table most of next season, they need a new goalkeeper and right back, their midfield is very average and they stand to lose Berbatov. Villa and Everton have overtaken Spurs, they are no longer fighting to compete for a top four spot they have slipped down to a battle for sixth spot. Your article was made up of a lot of fantasy and wishful thinking. Dream on!

by Les on February 11, 2008

I was expecting the usual anti-Spurs ball on here attached to the 4th place crap again. One, let us get 4th first and not come out with the sort of crap statements that preceeded like this year, two Freddie the Scouser, the blue noses are going to beat you this season and you call us delusional..brilliant.

by RedRob on February 11, 2008

If a team as poor as Everton can finish 4th then im sure Spurs can or Villa or City or Pompy.... get my drift...

by DazzaTHFC on February 11, 2008

I think next season will be the end of the top 4! I feel that Everton, City, Portsmouth, us, Villa will all make giant steps and it will be very intresting.

by Superbill on February 11, 2008

2 years ago....I already STRESS that BMJ cannot lead SPURS to challange the top 4. He is a decent manager but just not good enough. A good manager MUST be good tactically....look at how Wenger change the games in the second half when his team not playing in the 1st half.....2 seasons ago, I already mentioned our team is good enough to take the 4th spot but BMJ cannot bring the best out of the players that we had.....and I team improve every years but he still unable to break into the top 4 and look what Everton has done? Thats is a difference between a good manager and a decent manager. When Ramos was first appointed, I was not sure whether his style can fit into EPL and so I reserve my comments. After seeing what he is capable of....I am confident that we finally got a world class manager that can match Wenger, Murinhno and Fergurson. after 20 over years of dissapointment....the dawn has finally arrived!!!

by JimB on February 11, 2008

Darren - why do you believe that Spurs have spent a "big portion of their 08 budget already"? There is no such thing as a set budget for each year. Transfer activity (in and out) is assessed on a continual basis. Besides, Tottenham are loaded. Last year, they reported profits of some £30 million on turnover of £103 million. The wage to turnover ratio is incredibly healthy. There is very little debt. And turnover this year will increase to a figure in excess of £120 million because of the new TV deal. My guess is that Spurs' profits will be even higher than those last year. And if, as you suggest Berbatov leaves, then Spurs will have a further £30 million to spend.