I've got that Juande feeling, wooohh that Juande feeling!

To paraphrase a line from the Righteous Brothers, but there has been nothing righteous about our season so far. Three games we have scored not enough, three games we have conceded three late goals. It is early in the proceedings but it isn't looking good so far.

Harry's very often quoted "two points from eight games" is looming.

I don't necessarily think we made any errors in the transfer window. Sigining Mountinho would have been great, but it is not the end of the world. Tottenham for a few years now, have struggled to win these sorts of games. Teams sho come to stifle our style will always have a chance against Spurs. We tend to concede alot of possesion and are too slow in the build up play.

Yes everybody loves the pass and movement retaining possesion, end to end passing, but it is all about the ball in the back of the net. We have two of the best wingers in the game in Bale and Lennon, but we don't get the ball to them quickly enough. Forget the one up the front, lets get bck to 4-4-2. Play two of Livermore, Sandro, Siggurson, Parker, Dembele in the middle and get two of Adebayor, Dempsey and Defoe up front.

This is the acid test for AVB. When things are not going right, how to correct them. Don't be arrogant or proud and stick with a formula that isn't working. Go back to basics. It doesn't mean abandoning your philosophy, just modify.

I have faith in this squad, I hope I can soon have faith in our management team. As always, come on you Spurs!

A new season, new coaching staff, but little change

Every new season brings new hope, but if you are a Spurs fan, ultimate disappointment. In a game which provided very little opportunity, Spurs managed to concede 2 goals against a side more keen on defence than attack. Newcastle did what teams teams do against Spurs. They defend deep, keep a narrow shape and frustrate. Gong forward Newcastle offered no pace or guile for most of the match.

The opening goal from Demba Ba was the only shot on target Newcastle managed up to that point and was really something out of nothing. The penalty in my opinion was weak. This was a game in which Tottenham controlled for long periods but failed to capitalise. This is nothing new.

Some things at Spurs never change. Tottenham always have one thing missing. This is the difference between winning trophies and not. A few years ago we seemed to spend forever signing a left sided player. Etherington, Jackson and Reid were all tried but failed. We never did make that signing but discovered Bale could play on the wing.

The one glaring missing ingredient yesterday was for a forward who is capable of holding up the ball and winning some headers. We have had all summer to secure a new striker bit I expect we will wait until deadline day to make the signing. I am all for pushing on young talent in the likes of Kane and I even look forward to seeing Coubally making the grade, but right now we need to put wins on the board. We can only do this by threatening the opposition with a powerful centre forward. Why are we waiting on Adebayor when we could have signed Carroll?

These delays that the Spurs hierarchy inflict on us fans will only cost us points in the long run.

Come one Levy pull your finger out.

Can Tottenham mount a serious title challenge?

Back in February, the same queston was asked, and unfortunately Spurs responded by throwing away any chance that was offered to challenge for the title, but also thre awau their advantage over Arsenal.

While it is still early in the transfer window, the challengers, being Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea have already added to their squads. Manchester City have yet to make any serious splash in the transfer window although there are reports that Van Persie is in their sights now that he has decided to leave Arsenal.

Tottenham have seen a change of manager and a number of players moved on already. The signings of Vetonghen and Sigursson have added more quality to the squad which have been tempered by the loss of Corluka and Krancjar. The real keysigning at the monent would be Adebayor if Spurs manage to do the deal.

Spurs currently only have one front line striker at the moment in Jermaine Defoe and the most obvious need is for at least two more strikers to come in. Adebayor is proven at this level and should be regarded as a priority.

Luka Modric is the name on everybody's lips at the moment, with a transfer to Real madrid seeming imminent. I dn't feel he will be as big as loss to Spurs as many people think. The money received from his transfer could beused to further strengthen the squad.

Spurs do have a strong squad and if Tottenham are able to return to the from of the first two thirds of last season, then they will have every chance to push the Manchester clubs this season all the way.

Of course as it stands, we don't know where the top 5 contenders stand at the moment, only the end of the transfer window will shed more light.  Spurs are as usual being linked with every player under the sun and I think are only likely to sign two or three more. But there is no compelling reason why Tottenham can't mount a serious challenge this coming season.

Welcome AVB!

As expected, Tottenham have announced Andre Villas Boas as the new Head Coach. This is a return to the previous structure whcih spreads the responsibilites between Coach and Technnical Director. It appears that Tim Sherwood will have a major say in future transfers.

The first thing that will need to be addressed is the future of various players. Luka Modric, Jermaine Defoe, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Giovani Dos Santos.

The future of Modric has long been discussed and there has been very strong speculaton recently over a move to Real Madrid. The suggestion is that Tottenham want a player in exchange. I would take the money from Real Madris as the other interst seem sto be form Manchester United and Chelsea and I would hate for Spurs to strengthen our rivals.

Jermaine Defoe has been very unlucky recently. He invariably scores when he is selcted to play and in my view has been badly treated. I am hoping that there will be room in our squad for Defoe and he maanges more playing time than he has this season.

Rafael Van Der Vaart has scored some very important goals for Spurs but has left the team imbalanced due to his inability to play a wide role suitable for the teams needs. I would consider offloading the Dutchman if the price is right as his value will only likely go down.

I have had plenty to say concerning Giovanni over the years. I hope a new man in charge will give some opportunities, but I suggest the hierachy have already made up their minds and have a deal on the table currently for the young Mexican to return to Spain.

There are plenty of things for AVB to ponder regarding current playing staff and future acquistions but I certainly hope he will be given time to so his job unlike at Chelsea. Fortunately we are a little short on Prima Donas.

It's your own fault Harry!

As it now appears Harry Redknapp is on his way out from Spurs, the media is putting its collective arm around the now former Spurs manager.

So many comments from the press show a complete lack of understanding of the situation at Spurs as the media have so often failed to see what is happening as hey only seem to lookat the table and match of the day.

As a Spurs fan, I have got extremely fed up with Redknapp on the tv everyday giving his usual tripe about everything in football, but what I really don't understand is his very public way of handling contract negotiations, or lack of.

Redknapp treated Spurs fans with contempt and we likewise treat the man with contempt. He has shown a complete lack of respect to the club, by touting himself, by not respecting the competitions we have been participating in and by showing conplete contempt to many of the playing staff.

Had Liverpool and Chelsea not taken the backward steps they have endured over the last few seasons, then we would still be finsihing in sixth postion with this man at the helm. He was extremely lucky that injuries gave Gareth Bale the chance in the first otherwise he would have been sent on loan and near ruined like so many other good young players.

Make no mistake this decision was the right one for the future of Spurs and I applaud Levy for having the courage to do the right thing by the club. Harry Redknapp you have a big mouth and I ma sure you will keep flapping it for a long time to come, fortunately for us you will not darken our doors as Spurs manager again.

Now bring on Martinez please!

It's not an anti Tottenham rule but is anti English Mr Platini

UEFA president today said that the rule only allowing four clubs in any one season to compete in the Champions League is not a punishment for Tottenham. While I agree with that view, this rule is anti English.

The rule change which occurred in 2005 due to Liverpool winning the Champions League and finishing fifth was to prevent more than four teams from one nation playing in the Champions League.

Of course this rule can only apply to three countries at present. England, Spain and Italy. Looking back at the last ten years or so the winners have been: Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter, Manchester United, Milan, Porto and Real Madrid.

It is the result of the Premier League's success that it would be possible to have a winner from any of six teams, whereas other nations such as Italy, Germany and Spain are very limited. Having a strong league therefore penalises sides for their success not reward them.

Platini has shown his anti Premier League hand on a number of occasions and it is no coincidence that the first time this rule has applied, it has effected an English team. He will use the excuse of the Champions League containing 32 teams and there would not be room to accommodate one more team. This is a ridiculous notion as I am sure it must be very important to have national champions of countries like Albania, Andorra, San Marino, Luxembourg etc. to retain their position.

To me the Champions League should contain the best teams in Europe against each other, and love then or hate them, Spurs are one of the best.

Please UEFA put football first and your political posturing second.

Where was the goal that cost Tottenham their place in the Champions League?

Ultimately it was just a single goal that would have made all the difference. Having spent the majority of the season in third place, not only did Spurs have to be content with fourth position but also after Chelsea won the Champions League final, a place in next seasons Europa League.

But it was all about that one goal. At home against Norwich, Wolves and Chelsea, lets not forget Adebayor's ruled out goal which should have been given! Then there was the games away at Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, Stoke and Aston Villa.

Just one goal in any one of these games would have brought Champions League football back to White Hart Lane.

And what of those other moments. One less Fulop blunder or an other Arsenal late winner, perhaps Robben to not miss a penalty, or even lets blame Liverpool in Istanbul 2005, that was the game that caused UEFA to change the rules on the number of teams able to qualify for the Champions League.

So now is the time recriminations. Who cost Spurs their place?

First of all it has to be the referees and officials. Going back to the game away at Stoke in which was the worst refereeing I have seen. That Peter Crouch handled assist, the ruled out (again) Adebayor goal and the very numerous penalty appeals which any one of four should have been given.

Then there was the game against Chelsea at White hart Lane and that goal I have already mentioned that was disallowed. Finally the game away to Manchester City. Had Balotelli been correctly dismissed, then he would not have won the penalty which he ultimately scored. Of course Manchester City would also not be Champions.

The second issue to look at is the performance of Harry Redknapp. Yes at the start of the season we would all have taken fourth. But that is not taking into account the Chelsea decline and the failure of Kenny Dalglish to galvanise the Liverpool team. Redknapp's indecisive management to me was summed up at Aston Villa when he failed to bring on Jermaine Defoe and preferred to bring on Parker instead. When you need the win to ensure Champions League football, why the hell settle for what you have?

Tottenham will now have difficulty in signing the players they have targeted, which may not be such a bad thing if we are able to invest in youth, but knowing our manager's lack of faith in youth.

All I can say is, "a goal, a goal, my kingdom for a goal".

Do my eyes decieve me? Are Tottenham going to finish above Chelsea?

This has been the day I have been waiting a long time for, and its funny but it is somewhat of an anti-climax. To finish above Chelsea I saw as being just as important to finsh above Arsenal, because surely that would mean being close to the top. So for the first time since 1996 we finish the season ahead of Chelsea.

How we found ourselves in this position I don't know as we are here every week it seems coimplaining about how poor our side is and how useless our manger is. I think it is a combinaton of a decline in both Chelsea and Arsenal together with an upturn in our own side.

In the days of Juande Ramos and Martin Jol, Damien Comolli received a lot of criticism. It is worth noting though that he was instrumental in bringing the likes of Bale, Modric and Assou-Ekotto to the club. Much of the clubs success belongs to that period when so many players were brought in to limited success at the time but have later come to fruition.

I hope the boys can finsih the job next Sunday and see off Fulham, although Martin Jol I am sure will do his best to stick it up Levy. Of course Chelsea may still get the last last laugh on Spurs by winning the Champions League, but just like thirty years ago against Aston Villa, I shall be supporting Bayern Munich.

So this Sunday brings the end to a frustrating, heartbreaking, pulsating season and I just can't wait for next August!

Yet another chance blown!

Why oh why, do we keep doing this to ourselves. We should have third place wrapped up by now but yet again we have blown our chance.

I seem to have made this a slag off Redknappp blog of late, but for gods sake, Parker for Van Der Vaart? You are seriously having a laugh.

When our manager shows no imagination when he needs to, how can we expect the players.

Levy, whatever happens, please no new contract for this serial bungler.

It looks like we are stuck with Harry

Interestingly when it became apparent the FA wanted Roy Hodgson as the next England manager and then his subsequant appointment, Spurs win back to back games. Good news for this season maybe that we can finish the campaign with a little more certainty. The bad news is that we will be stuck with Harry Redknapp for a while yet.

This summer we can expect more thirty plus signings and high wages swallowing up our transfer budget. That is not to say that his all of his signings have been poor, but they are uninspiring and for a man with a vast knowledge of English football, the wheeler-dealer is unable to unearth any young talent.

In the past we have gambled on young talent, there were plenty of misses on players such as Andy Reid and Wayne Routledge, but plenty of hits. If Redknapp had been in charge would we have ever signed the likes of Bale, Dawson, Huddlestone, Lennon etc. I think not. Redknapp has taken Spurs back to the days when we paid silly wages for players past their best with no real investment in the future.

It is time for Tottenham to return to buying young talent and promoting young talent through the ranks. Give the likes of Carroll, Smith, Parrett, Townsend etc the chance to show they have a place at this club. What is the point is keeping these players if they will not be developed into first team players.

Redknapp to me reprsents jobs for the boys, play your favourites and forget the rest.

Judas hangs up his boots - good riddance!

Ther man played in more than 600 games, represented his country on over 70 occasions and won FA Cups, Premier League Titles and featured in a Champions League Final. However all of his playinf achievements will be over shadowed by that one decison he made in 2001.

Sol Campbell, Tottenham captain, club hero and lynchpin crossed the divide to Arsenal. He could have gone to Liverpool, Manchester United or AC Milan. But he went to our oldest enemy. Only weeks before he said he would never play for Arsenal. Had he not left, the £9 million Spurs spent on Dean Richards could have been spent on other areas of the team, who knows what would have happened.

I will never think of Sol Campbell in the best of ways, I will only ever think of this man as a swear word. So good riddance to bad rubbish.

Another pearl of wisdom from our leader

Many fan, player and pundit alike have tried to explain the drop in form at Spurs. In the last week our on-loan defender Vederen Corluka stated that the players were tired and it was due to lack of rotation.

Of course the old wheeler-dealer, who has an opinion on everything and usually lets everybody know it, rubbished this saying most players had only played an average of thirty games. He then rambled on about Bobby Moore and playing knee deep in mud. Ah yes, jumpers for goalposts!

The mans intellect is about as deep as my pockets (not very)!

Harry Redknapp needs to understand the game has moved on. In those days players lived on steak, chips and beer. The game is much different now and the stresses on the body are even moreso. This is the reason so many players seem to be suffering from heart problems.

Rotation is the problem, how many games have Defoe, Kranjcar, Bassong, Pavluchenko, Livermore, Sandro, Rose, Townsend etc started. We lost some good players in January all down to his own inneptitude. There is no point blaming a lack of quality on the bench. Redknapp has been at the club for more than three years now, any shortfalls in the playing department are down to him.

Another Tottenham Blog!: The end is nigh - bye bye Harry

Another Tottenham Blog!: The end is nigh - bye bye Harry

The end is nigh - bye bye Harry

This season started off disastrously, exploded into life, then fell away calamitously.

That run of 11 wins in twelve matches, was the best I can remember, but the last three have been the worst. It is no suprise there is now unrest amongst the players, due to tactics and match preperation. This week Corluka has said that the lack of squad rotation is the cause of the current slump, ann opinion echoed by many Spurs fans including myself.

Harry Redknapp seems to always be the darling of the media, however so many fans have not shared this same love fest. He has criticised the fans for voicing an opinion and has blamed everybody else for the failings of the team.

In our last 20 games Spurs have collected 25 points. That is almost relegation form and any other Spurs manager would have been sacked for such a poor run.

We have lost heavily this season to Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, I can excuse a loss to these teams because they are all good sides, however it is the manner, conceding 5 goals once in a game is bad enough, but three times in a season in inexcusable in my opinion.

Harry Redknapps friends in the media will still deny any problem, but to all and sundry it is blindingly obvious. He inherited a good squad, found some luck iwth Modric and Bale and added some experience. There was no masterstroke signing, he would have never gone for Van Der Vaart, by his own admission. Quite simply he has taken this team as far as he can, which is only at best one place higher than anyone else in the last twenty years.

Whether he goes this week or next month, it is clear this side needs a change.

Come on Tottenham, now is the time

After what has been a horrendous last month or two, every game now is a must win. Today Spurs face Swansea in a match that could see Tottenham return to third in the league with a decisive win. I must admit, I am quite surprised to see Swansea in the position they are in, I expected to see the Welsh team rooted to the bottom of the table. Brendan Rodgers has done a fine job with his team but I also think alot of the credit should go to his predecessor and current Wigan manager, Martinez, who i have on various occasions advocated for a future Tottenham manager.

The Champions league places will not be decided on this match, this is one of eight games remaining for Spurs, but a good victory will give the Spurs players the confidence to finish this season off on a good note. To finish above both Arsenal and Chelsea would be a great accomplishment given the start.

It has always been a very frustrating job being a Spurs fan, there are many highs and lows and most of the time we fall just short of what we can achieve, I just hope the lads can give us something to cheer about today.

Come on you Spurs

Spurs are on their way to Wembley!

We should all be shouting from the rafters, Spurs are on their way to Wembley, however having lost our previous four FA Cup semi finals, I am just filled with dread. Any game with Chelsea is always going to be tough no matter where each finds itself in the league. This is the biggest stage for our guys to be playing on. This is the home of football, 90,000 fans will be screaming both teams on.

Tottenham have had a fairly easy route to the Semi-Final this season, which makes a change, but any exhilaration of reaching this stage is tempered somewhat by the circumstances at White Hart Lane last week. Tottenham as a football club has been a credit to the game in its handling of the situation with Muamba and it is good to see such camaraderie between rivals which can be somewhat unusual in this day and age.

So from several thousand miles away i will be keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Any win over Chelsea is always a good win, and to win in the FA Cup would be an added bonus.

Come on you Spurs!

How do you rate this season?

Towards the end of last season, on the way to a game, I was asked if I considered the season a success or not. We finished fifth in the league and made the quarter finals of the Champions League. I said no, we set out at the start of the season to finish in the top 4 and failed to do so.

Ask me that two seasons earlier and I probably would say yes, as supporters expectations shift the more successful their team is. Take Manchester United, they may win the Premier league, but will their fans consider it a successful season, maybe not.

This season there has been a shift in power. Manchester City has risen and Chelsea and Arsenal have fallen. Tottenham only six weeks ago had a great chance to push on to challenge for the title. Unfortunately for Spurs it wasn’t to be.

So I go back to my proposition. How do I rate this season?

It seems events have conspired against Tottenham this season. In the summer we had the Modric saga followed by the riots. The season began with defeat against the two Manchester clubs followed by eleven wins in twelve games.

Things were going well for us until the Fabio Capello resignation and since then the season has fallen apart. The Manchester City defeat I can accept, although Balotelli should not have been on the pitch to win the penalty, but the home defeat to Manchester United and surrendering a two goal lead and conceding five to Arsenal is really unacceptable.

In my opinion we are suffering now because Redknapp has not rotated the squad enough so when players are injured those that come in are not ready.

It is conceivable that we can finish anywhere from third to sixth and need 20 points to guarantee our Champions league position, although if Chelsea were to win the Champions league then that may not happen at all.

Even if Tottenham were to win the FA Cup, then anything less than third to me would be failure from where we were in February.

Any thoughts?

The majestic FA Cup

My first FA Cup Final was back in 1980, West Ham v Arsenal. I lived in Australia anf my dad was a Spurs fan. He said we had to support West Ham, I didn't know why, but I went with it anyway. In those days West Ham were in the second divison and of course they effected a big upset by defeating Arsenal 1-0.

The following season was the turn of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, two mid table teams in the first divion. A goal by Tommy Hutchinson at eather end took the game to a replay, and in my opinion the greatest FA Cup Final in history, the resaon I now support Spurs, of course 1 3-2 victory inspired by that Ricky Villa goal.

The 1982 cup final was contested by 1st Divison Tottenham and 2nd Divison Queens Park Rangers. This was another game taken to a replay and a 1-0 victory to Spurs. The 1983 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United and the unfancied and already relegated Brighton and Hove Albion. Another game which was taken to a replay, that really should never have gone that far had Brighton not fluffed their chance at the end to find the winner.

The 1984 FA Cup final was contested again by an unfancied side in Watford who were defated by Everton who were to win the First Divison title twice in coming seasons.

Since I have been following football these have been the best sequence of FA Cup finals I can remember. Soon the big teams took over and it was down to Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea to take the trophy home year after year. The fairytale had ended.

For a Spurs fan, the FA Cup is part of our history. We were the first and still only non-league side to win the Cup in 1901, we won the double in 1961 by defeating Leceister City in the final. The Ricky Villa moment. Paul Gascoigne's goal in the semi final in 1991. This is our cup.

This season has had some real highs and lows for us, and without going into an analysis of where we have gone wrong, I think we can all agree that if that famous trophy is sitting in our cabinet at the end of the season, then it will be a good season for us.

COYS

What has happened?

For the first time this season Spurs have lost three games in a row in the Premier League. So what is behind this poor form?

Every side experiences a slump in form during the season so this is nothing new or unexpected. But it seems that the Tottenham players have taken their collective eyes off the ball. Not so long we were getting daily comments from players, past and present, about our challenge for the title. But a late goal at Manchester City and the collapse against Arsenal ended all that talk. Now all we can hope for is Spurs can hold off the challenge from Chelsea and Arsenal for third spot.

Injuries have taken their toll this season, but no worse than other teams around us, but I do suspect there is a degree of unsettling effects within the squad. Defoe is not happy to be on the substitute’s bench constantly even though he scores most of the time when he plays. Luka Modric is uncertain to be at Spurs next season as there are a number of clubs eager to sign him and Spurs are believed to be offering him an improvement on his current contract. Gareth Bale is a constant source of transfer speculation with Spanish Giants Barcelona and Real Madrid Keeping tabs on him.

Another factor behind the scenes is the speculation linking Harry Redknapp with the vacant England Manager’s position. This is an obvious distraction and the possible change of manager at Tottenham next season can leave a number of players concerned about their position in the club, particularly as it is rumoured there will be money to spend next summer.

One other factor to be considered could be down to tiredness. There is little rotation as far as the Premier league is concerned with Redknapp preferring to stick with his favoured eleven for as many games as he can get out of them. This I believe is a major blunder by Redknapp and shows a lack of faith in the rest of the squad.

I hope it won’t be long before this slump can be reversed and not let the season get away from us.

Who will should Spurs next season

This summer could be a busy one with managerial changes. The sacking of Andre Villa Boas has thrown a fly into the ointment so to speak. England, Tottenham and Chelsea could all be in the market for the special one, Jose Mourinho.

There are a number of good managers out there both out of work or at lower reputation clubs. Names like Benitez, capello himself, Poyet, Martinez etc are all in positions where they ccan come calling should the challenge arise.

This summer could be an intersting one with transfers of managers looming. Watch this space.

OK so it was never

So yet again Spurs fluff their lines. Only six losses this season and five of those to our top 4 rivals. It's not just fifteen points lost but fifteen points given to our opponents.

I have often said it doesn't matter what you to against the top 4 but the rest that counts, however, one or two draws on the way would have been better than five defeats.

Spurs now have eleven games to make sure this season has not been a wasted opportunity. Ten of those games are against teams outside of the top 7 with our next game at Goodison Park looking the hardest. We really must put things right immediately by beating Everton, not an easy task and one we failed last season.

Arsenal's form is certainly improving but they do have a more tricky run in than ours. Arsenal's home games include Newcastle, Manchester City and Chelsea with their away games featuring Everton and Stoke. Nine wins would not be unlikely for them the way they are playing so we will need around 23 points or so from our last 11 to guarantee third spot.

Redknapp needs to be shrewd about his team selection and make sure we have our best playing fresh and available as much as possible. The FA Cup is a distraction at this stage but this is our competition so we should be looking at trying to win it.

We have failed the test this season as far as I am concerned, now is the time to put a few matters right.

It's now or never Spurs

As Arsenal have now closed the gap to four pints, it really is literally now or never, well as far this season goes, for Spurs to show they have the character to push the top two all the way.

The title is probably beyond Spurs now, but that does't mean Tottenham can't keep Manchester City honest for the rest of the season, particularly given our good run in.

Spurs have not won against United in what now seems like an age, but why not now. The cockerel has been crowing at the Emirates and at Anfield recently, wins at home against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have brought Spurs back from the dead and now a regular in challenging for Champions League football, but we want more, we want to add to our two top flight trophies, and a win today against Manchester United may set the ground for a full title tilt next season.

This is likely to be Harry Redknapp's final match in the Premier league against Manchester United, and won't it be fitting for England's next manager to add Manchester United to the scalps of the so called big 4.

Come on Spurs, don't let us down.

Can Spurs keep challenging at the top and build a new stadium?

If we can learn any lessons from other teams when building new stadiums, is that it has lead to a downturn to their onfield fortunes.

This is not just limited to Arsenal who I think were Champions when they moved into the Emirates, but other clubs have struggled. After Middlesbrough moved into the Riverside Stadium they were relegated, the same too for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and Derby at Pride Park.

The list is actually quite long for the clubs whose league position actually went down after moving into a new stadium.

Spurs are in the process of finding the finance for the new stadium that all Spurs fans say is necessary and in fact Daniel Levy and Harry Redknapp know is necessary if we are to compete at the top of the table for a sustained period of time.

In the period that Arsenal have played at the Emirates they have benefited from a large increase in revenue, which also coincides with a sustained run in the Champions League in that period. But for Arsenal fans, the funds don’t seem to be available for investment in the First Team. Whether there has actually been money to spend there is something only Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board know.

Our side really is at the crossroads. We are on the brink of challenging for the title and having regular Champions League football, however there is a cloud over the club as to the financial implications of building a new stadium and how that will restrict the club, certainly in the short term, in the transfer market.

Spurs set for summer spree

Regardless of Tottenham's finishing position this season, club insiders are predicting a busy summer this year. Spurs are expected to be adding to their options in midfield and finding long term replacements for Pavyluchenko and Ledley King. Tottenham are also expected to make Adebayor's loan deal a permanent one.

The number one target is Marseille's Loic Remy whom Spurs put in a significant offer in for in January. Although the club are very reluctant to leave, it is understand the player is pushing for a move.

Ajax's Jan Vertonghen is Tottenham's number 1 defensive target. Spurs have held talks with Ajax in relation to the player and Vertonghen appears keen to move to Spurs.

The third target is Eden Hazard. The Lille playmaker is highly regarded and Spurs are hopeful a deal could be reached with Lille.

The three deals combined will require a significant outlay, probably in the region of £50 million. Some of this will be financed by player sales including Jenas, Bentley, Giovanni, Kranjcar, Corluka and Bassong all tipped to be leaving in the summer. There will also need to be wages to be taken into account as it is expected that Chelsea and Arsenal will also be looking to boost their squads in the summer and so competition for wages will put Tottenham under a great deal of pressure.

Spurs are however confident they will be able to fund these deals and boost their chances of competing at the top next season.

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2-0 up and we f****ed it up, Time for a reality check

So it's the defeat we were dreading and to be fair these defeats have been few and far between. But seriously how can we give this one away. I am always one who believes that if you show arrogance you will eventually get punished.

All week i have been reading about how the balance of power has shifted and only one play from Arsenal would fit in the Spurs 11. Frankly this is garbage. The only thing that matters is the three points. We didn't get them, simple.

The league title is still not beyond us but it would taker a miracle from here. We can start by beating Manchester United next weekend. There is also still the matter of Champions League qualification to worry about and I believe 70 points will do it, so another 5 wins and the sooner the better.

Fortunately from here we only have Chelsea and United to play who are currently in the top 7. So lets hope we can enjoy the run in with plenty of points there for the taking. Please Spurs, please. Let the others do the talking in the press and let our football do the talking for us. This game may have just been a blip, but we are not as good as we think we are. Time for that reality check.

Our most important month in fifty years

As anyone who reads my blog, I am quite the conservative if not pessimistic fan. In my thirty years of following Tottenham, they have only delivered to satisfy my personality. This season has been the best Spurs season in my time as a Spurs fan. OK 1982 we had a shot at the title, lost the league cup final, won the FA Cup and were semi finalists of the Cup Winners Cup, but this year is something different. I think when i was a kid I had an expectation we were the best team in the county, as ill founded as it was.

Beginning today with our FA Cup tie with Stevenage and only Chelsea and Liverpool as big opposition left in the competition, this is surely our best chance to win the trophy since 1991.

But as good as the FA Cup has been to Spurs over the years, it is the league which I am more interested in. We are probably 15 points from a Champions League place, which would have been our target at the start of the season, but there is probably a chance of greater success than that. I did the BBC's predictor the other day and actually had us winning the league by two points.

Of course to get to around the 88 point mark needed would mean a fantastic run to the end of the season. That is 35 points in 13 games. Eleven wins and two draws! We do have a very good run home, with no other team to face who are currently in the top 7 after we play Chelsea next month.

However our fight starts next week going to Arsenal, who will be smarting after their disastrous last two games, and I imagine they will want to make a point against us. This is followed by games against Manchester United, Everton, Stoke and Chelsea. I feel if we come out of these games and still within six points of the leaders we have a real shout.

On Spurs blogs we have always debated about players we need, being short in this position and that, but for the first time, barring injuries, we are not short, we have all we need, we just need to win now, score goals and don't concede. Its a simple plan.

My heart yearns for another double success, I would accept just one of the two trophies we have a chance of as long as we finish in the top three, but what if we win the league. Wow, that is something I am really dreaming of.

COYS!!!

And the next Tottenham manager is...

Really who knows. It is most likely Harry Redknapp will take up the England post and as it is unlikely that he will be allowed to keep his Spurs role, Daniel levy will have to search for a new manager.

Generally when a manager leaves he takes his backroom staff with him, so I question whether this will mean a restructure. Will we return to the continental system of Sports Direct and first team coach?

I think the way the coaching/management structure works will depend on who is appointed. There have been many names linked with Spurs over the last year or so: Moyes, Ancelotti, Mourinho, Klinsmann. To me there is no one outstanding candidate.

Whoever runs the team will need to demonstrate a number of qualities. Harry Redknapp as good as he has been for Spurs, alo has his faults. He is the sort of manager who will play his favourites and isolate those he has no trust in. Players such as Pavyluchenko, Bentley, Giovanni and Bassong have all experienced this. Gareth Bale only got his chance because of injury to Bennoit Assou-Ekotto.

It is important that whoever comes in uses the whole squad provided they are capable, if not then perhaps they shouldn't be in the squad at all.

The one thing that Harry Redknapp proved that his predecessors failed to grasp, is that good man management, particularly of key players, can be worth more points that any big name signing can win you.

The very often used phrase of "when i came here we only had two points from 8 games" irritated me to know end but what it did show was the importance of good man management.

The one thing I admired about Jose Mourinho is his time at Chelsea was his ability to galvanise his players, when the football world was out to get them for one reason or another, they showed a back against the wall mentality to play there way to success. I am not sure this a quality Manchester City are currently capable of.

But just being able to get your team to play is not enough, the side has to be organised from back to front. Roy Hodgson has shown through most of his coacing assignments to be extremely good at organising his teams. In particular in recent years at Fulham and now West Brom he has turned these sides into being very difficult to break down. His time at Liverpool was unfortunate and had he been given the support that was afforded Kenny Dalglish then perhaps he would have been successful.

Now being Tottenham player motivation and great tactics and not all that is required. There is of course playing the Tottenham way. We like to see attacking football, great passing, deft touches and of course the end product. My criticism of Spurs at them moment is that we don't score enough goals, we don't kill teams off, we always give the other side a sniff.

Arsene Wenger gets Arsenal playing probably the best attacking passing and movement brand of football, they are capable of destroying teams on their day. In recent years i have also admired managers such as Owen Coyle and Roberto Martinez whose sides also play an attractive brand of football. Of course are these managers capable of attracting quality signing to our beloved club.

There have been other names in the mix such as David Moyes, while I admire his achievements at Everton, I don't think he can bring a flowing brand of football to White Hart Lane. Then there is Mark Hughes. I still have reservations about his ability to run a football club, particularly after his difficulties with Manchester City.

The one name that appeals to me at the moment is Gus Hiddink. he has shown teams the right way to play, he demands respect from his players and will always play a good brand of football. So there you go, I think opinion would be very divided on this one and Daniel Levy will have some very tough choices to make.

The FA does it again.

As the England Merry-Go-Round springs into action again, amid speculation of Harry Redknapp taking up the post to lead us to another underachieving campaign, I begin to wonder why.

So many comments I have read seem to be in support of his resignation. Of course most comments have Little to do with his actions at all. Most non-Chelsea supporters don't like John Terry, so to support Capello is supporting John Terry. I for one don't like John Terry nor am I particularly fond of Capello. I do however believe this whole event was completely wrong.

Capello's authority was usurped by the usual men in suits who seem to know how to administer the game but have no idea of how to run a team. The decision to support Terry as captain, as poor as that decision may have been, is for the manager to make and no one else. If his form is poor, then that is the time to stand him down.

Capello had a poor World Cup as manager but is our most successful manager in terms of win ratio(66.7%). So four months from a major championship we are without a manager. Perhaps Redknapp will come in, maybe Hiddink can be persuaded. All of the good English managers are in jobs and unlikely to leave and i wouldn't blame them.

The FA need to wake up and look at themselves. There are far worse things going on in football than worrying about an employee publicly criticising its employers, as many of us do. Maybe they ought to consider their own conduct in the World Cup bid, or that for all the money that flows through the Premier league, we are unable to produce our own Messi, Ronaldo or Bale. Maybe the FA should be taking positive action to improve grass roots coaching, lower league infrastructure and facilities.

But in reality as has happened for decades, they sit in their ivory castle firing the unconventional or those that challenge their authority. English football is worse for this saga and the suits will continue to hold back English football.

Please Harry give Giovanni more game time

I will make no bones about it, we have let far too many talented players waste over the years. When I first saw Giovanni Dos Santos playing for Barcelona I thought this is one player we must bring to Spurs. At the time i thought we would never be able to get him, so I was pleasantly surprised when we did sign the talented Mexican.

For three years we have left him to bide his time, sent him out on loan and constantly held this player back. At the beginning of last season he was brought on as a substitute against Manchester City and created a chance with his first touch, then I thought finally he will be given a run in the side, but low and behold he was sent out on loan.

Now Harry Redknapp says he wants to leave, well it is no wonder. This kid has talent and should be played. yes he needs to work hard in training and needs to be fitter, but surely this would come if he was given more game time. Lennon has been used when fit even when he is not playing well, his game has not developed since he was eighteen years old. Even worse he no longer goes past players and still fails to deliver the ball consistently.

I have always felt that Giovanni would be a more potent weapon out on the right and is capable of switching with bale on the left when needed and is also capable of playing the hole ala Van der Vaart.

Please Harry don't let this talent go to waste.

Stop talking of winning titles, just keep winning

I have very little joyous sporting moments in my life, especially following Spurs. When they do come I am usually away somewhere. I started following Spurs as an eleven year old in Australia. The only trophy Spurs have won when I have been in England was the 1982 FA cup and the 1999 and 2008 League Cup.

I am currently taking a long sabbatical in the Philippines and low and behold, my beloved Spurs are having their best seasons for many a year. Added to this my local team Woking are 14 points clear at the top of the Conference South. Maybe I should stay away for longer.

As I trawl through the articles published on Newsnow, I see so many comments about Spurs winning the title, from Redknapp and current and former players to the pundits and other managers. Headlines reading "Spurs go for the title".

I find this all quite amusing and ridiculous. Doesn't every football side strive to win every game they play? Do we just decide well boys today we will try and win the premier league so we will win today or no we will get relegated this season so make sure you lose?

I am the sort of person who always downplays every result because I expect every good result will be followed by a bad one. I suppose after 30 years of following Spurs I am conditioned for failure.

Yes we are doing well. On corresponding matches from last season we are about ten points better off. It would seem Spurs have all of a sudden become a force and many look at Parker and Adebayor as the reasons behind this. But if we had won half the games we had drawn last season we would have been up there win United and Chelsea.

The difference this season is purely better results, I don't think there is a whole lot of difference about the way we are playing, although not seeing Crouch fall over everywhere has been an improvement.

But please to all past and present Tottenham players and supporters. Can we stop the talk of winning the league and just take every game as it comes, win all the games we can and see where we are come May.