There has been a long tradition of great strikers over the years at Tottenham Hotspur. From Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith in the 60s to Garth Crooks and Steve Archibald in the 80s. Others of note over the decades include Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Martin Chivers, Alan Gilzean, Gary Lineker and, right now, Robbie Keane and Dmitar Berbatov.

Whether Spurs keep hold of the current pairing remains to be seen but it would be a huge loss for the club, who are looking, along with many others, to break the stranglehold of the top four.

It’s not that Tottenham are incapable of keeping these players happy, more so that Keane and Berbatov find themselves at a very important crossroads in their respective careers. Tottenham have much to offer but they currently do not have a Champions League place or a genuine opportunity to lift the Premier League title. That’s the truth. A top-four place is not beyond them but the facts are that they need these two players to achieve such a success.

Berbatov and Keane are of the same age and desperate to show what they can do at the highest level - and that means playing Champions League football at least until Christmas every year. The top four hold all of the winning cards in the deck.

Money is not an object to Tottenham, they can afford the same wages, more or less, as those sitting comfortably above them. It’s all about trophies and playing and testing yourself against the cream of the crop in European competition. That is what Spurs have to contend with. That is what every team with aspirations of breaking into the top four have to contend with.

The gap is always going to be there and it's going to take a gargantuan effort from one of those chasing clubs to change it. Everton managed it a few years back but did not seem to build on it and, coupled with the fact that neighbours Liverpool won the Champions League, it meant that none of the big four really suffered.

I do not envy the job of these clubs climbing this ladder, or to put it bluntly, climbing it yet being kicked back down just when they think they might just make it. Look what happens when one of the clubs is making serious and threatening attempts to break up this happy and dominant quartet.

Tottenham – no, Keane and Berbatov - are being courted by Liverpool and Manchester United. This is the problem. Yes, United and Liverpool want the best but they are also cherry picking from the pretenders to their rather large throne. Tottenham must feel like they are hitting their heads against a brick wall.

Aston Villa are in the same boat. Gareth Barry is at the centre of a tug-of-war seemingly now between Liverpool and Arsenal. It must be utterly frustrating for the so-called pretenders, as it’s not about keeping them happy. It’s about relevant and available success, not money. These are the top players in the Premier League, which basically translates as some of the most noted and talented players in the world who simply are not quite playing at the top.

It’s a situation that only Juande Ramos can remedy. Only he can persuade Berbatov and Keane to stay, or he can bring in players whom he thinks can do what Keane and Berbatov have failed to do. Except that is also not the case. A whole new debate begins with this statement because Berbatov and Keane obviously know that their team-mates are not as good as their prospective new pals at the other bidding clubs.

It’s not a pretty merry-go-round for the likes of Tottenham and Villa and the truth of the matter is that I don’t know how they can possibly stop the funfair ride from going around and around.