Spurs have been operating with a gluttonous policy of spending huge amounts of money on young, talented players for quite a while now, scooping up kids and removing them from other clubs like a Premier League version of the Child Catcher.

Somehow, though, 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.

'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'


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.