Spurs have went through a complete rebuilding process of the team, and have spent £150 million in transfers over the last 16 months meaning that they have out spent the whole of the Premiership, including the top 4, apart from big spending Manchester City.

Even with this huge financial outlay Spurs were still able to announce a pre-tax profit for the year ending in June 2009, largely due to the sale of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.

It is clear that this is a huge amount of money but Spurs have signed a lot of players for the money and strengthened key positions for the team including the strike force with Crouch and Defoe being two of the top strikers in the Premiership just now. Robbie Keane was also resigned for the club and although we have yet to see him at his best he is still a top player and one of the key players in a Spurs football shirt.

Spurs at the moment are reaping the rewards of their financial expenditure as they are currently sitting 4th in the Premiership and in line to get a Champions League spot but there is along way to go in the season yet.

After the announcement of pre-tax profits Daniel Levy not only showed his delight at the quality of players that Spurs have at the club but also on the future plans for the team.

“We have made significant progress in delivering on our long-term vision for the club.

“We have always had three key priorities and you will have heard them oft repeated – investment in the first team, a new training centre and an increased capacity, state-of-the-art new stadium.

“We have assembled what we believe to be one of the most talented squads we have had during our time in the Premier League, the ground is being turned and pitches laid for the new training centre at Bulls Cross in Enfield and we have submitted a planning application for a stunning new stadium on a site next to our existing stadium.”

Everything is looking bright at the moment and if we can maintain the form we have shown in the early part of the season then we will have Champions League football to look forward to next season.

Written by Kampanart Wong, a sports editor who blogs about cheap football jerseys

The Portsmouth fans could really carry their players through 90mins and with their win at Wolves, the return of Avram Grant and the arrival of Ali Al Faraj, the players and the club as a whole are bound to be in a much more positive frame of mind than they were a few weeks ago.

Jamie O’Hara isn’t allowed to play which is probably a positive as far as we are concerned but David James is back after injury. Defoe is likely to play against his old side after recovering from injury and Ledley could also be back.

We have a good record against Portsmouth in recent times, having only lost once in nine games. On form, you’d be hard pressed to bet against a Tottenham victory but with all the history and the fact Pompey have some stability for the first time this season, it’s unlikely to be straightforward.

I’ll still go for Spurs to nick it but I can envisage a right old game tomorrow afternoon.

I’ve always expected Crouch to be in Capello’s World Cup squad because he gives the Italian options. When Crouch has started for Spurs this season he’s always delivered and I’d certainly fancy him to be on the score sheet tonight against an unspectacular Belarus side.

I’m not sure how this will effect Harry’s plans against Portsmouth at the weekend. I fancied him to start Defoe and Crouch against their old side but he may not be inclined to start Crouch again Saturday if he has a tough game tonight. That being said, Robbie Keane will also be in action for one half of the Republic of Ireland’s game against the Czech Republic.

A good bit of news on Jonathan Woodgate. He managed to come through a behind closed doors friendly unscathed yesterday so there is an outside chance he could be on the bench for Saturday’s game. I thought he’d be out for a lot longer to be honest so fingers crossed he can get back to full fitness as soon as possible, it will give the side a massive boost.

It’s easy for me to make comment after the game and I’m not criticising Harry’s tactics but I was a little puzzled by his decision to shuffle the side and start Keane out of position rather than bring Kranjcar in as a like for like swap for Modric. I just felt we weren’t as balanced as we might have been but I doubt it would have changed the result in any case.

Man Utd seemed to thrive with ten men. I know some people dislike Rooney but you cannot argue with his ability and determination. Having a player of that quality in your side is priceless. Not only is he world class, he doesn’t stop working for 90 minutes. Utd had four maybe five world class players on that pitch, Tottenham probably had one and he can’t train. Lennon and Palacios have the potential to be world class but aren’t yet. Keane, Crouch and even Defoe arguably fall just slightly short.

The positive thing about the game was that we weren’t totally played off the park. We had plenty of chances and on another day, the result might have been different. Utd played at their best and we weren’t that far behind. We are still moving in the right direction. If you’d have told me at the start of the season after five games Spurs would have won them all except for a loss to Utd, I would certainly have taken that. We still have more points than Liverpool and Arsenal and sit in the top four.

I try not to get too carried away any time Spurs put a decent run of results together but it’s hard not to get excited. Equally, it’s hard not to get a bit down after a home defeat even when it is to a side of Manchester United’s brilliance. It’s important to take a long term view. We have had a great start to the season and this is just a set back. There is no reason we can’t go to Chelsea and get something out the game. The likely scenario is we will hold them until the 93rd minute and they will get a late winner but there is always a chance we can do the same.

Lennon’s first half performance was superb. He created two of the goals, secured himself the man of the match accolade and very likely a place in Capello’s squad for the 2010 World Cup.

As expected, Emile Heskey kept his place in front of Defoe and you can’t really knock Fabio Capello for his decision. Heskey gives the side better balance than a Rooney Defoe partnership would do. Although Defoe deserves to start a game for England on current form, it doesn’t look like it will happen while Rooney and Heskey are both fit. That being said, Capello may experiment a bit more now England have qualified.

While Lennon and Defoe may be a little fatigued going into Saturday’s game against Man Utd, we couldn’t have hoped for a much more positive and confidence boosting outcome to their England duty. The 5-1 drubbing might not have done Kranjcar the world of good though!

Although it’s hard to see Roman Pavlyuchenko starting at the weekend, he also put in a productive shift at the Millennium Stadium against Wales. He started the game on the bench but was introduced after 70 minutes and scored in injury time. I’ll be more than happy if our unlucky Russian can play a similar role on Saturday!

“I have no idea in my head of what team I will be able to play against United because of these internationals and because many of them won’t be back at the club until next Friday. They are returning from all over the world.”

Obviously, Utd are in the same boat but their squad is arguably better equipped to deal with any injuries or fatigue that the players pick up during the International break. With Modric already out, we can’t afford to have any more players get injured or not be at their peak for that matter against a Utd side sure to be buoyed by victory over Arsenal.

Redknapp is suggesting teams shouldn’t play until the following Saturday when players return from International duty to give them a week to recover. I can understand his point but I very much doubt the powers that be would consider his proposal and I also can’t see any way it would be possible, especially in a World Cup year. They struggle to fit all the fixtures in now as things stand now.

As much as I miss the Premiership action during the summer break, I don’t think the players get enough time off. If there were two weeks between League games after each International get-together, it would have to impact negatively on the length of time off for both players and coaching staff in the summer.

With Keane and Defoe being in the thick of things both on and off the pitch for their respective countries this week, they are likely to be slightly drained both physically and mentally. On a positive note however, their confidence will be high after both scoring at the weekend. If they can carry this into Saturday’s game, hopefully adrenaline can do the rest.

I really have very little interest where International football is concerned. Don’t get me wrong, I support England in their matches but I just don’t have the same passion for them as I did when I was younger. The period under McLaren where most of the players looked like they couldn’t give a feck was the final nail in the coffin for me.

While it’s nice to see the Spurs players doing well for their countries, I just don’t have any enthusiasm for it unless there is a major tournament going on and I’m generally just worried about one of our players returning from duty with a nasty injury.

Probably the only thing I am interested to see is whether or not Aaron Lennon can take his improved form for Tottenham onto the International stage. He’s certainly good enough to be a permanent fixture in the England side and his distribution should only get better from here on in. I’d imagine Capello will give him at least a half so lets hope he takes his chance.

Defoe seems to be the player everyone is talking about in the build up to the game after his brace against the Dutch and his superb form for Tottenham at the start of the season. I’m not having a pop at him but I think he’s that type of player that thrives on the attention and I’ll be surprised if Jermain doesn’t get himself on the score sheet again.

Not the easiest draw for our opening Carling Cup fixture with an away trip to Doncaster but it could have been worse. Sean O’Driscoll’s side play some nice football and it should be a very entertaining game. They have started the season with a point at Watford and a win away at Notts County in the first round of the Carling Cup. We should have too much for them even at the Keepmoat Stadium and I’m sure Harry must have this trophy in mind as a realistic target again.

With Liverpool only a few of days away now, my nerves and excitement are increasing in equal measures. The pessimist in me says I’d be happy with a draw but I can honestly see the game going either way. If we play to our potential, there is no reason why we can’t take all 3 points. Tottenham’s front line is certainly stronger than Liverpool’s now and the fact we have a number of options will make it difficult for their defenders. The negative for us is the fact it’s a new partnership at the back with Bassong and King. They will have their work cut out keeping Fernando Torres at bay but knowing we have goals in us should give them the confidence to play a composed and solid game.

Our Fantasy League for this season in association with Expert Betting Advice is open for business. It always gets a lot of participants and it would be nice to get a few more Spurs fans on board. Should be a good crack.

Go here to register:

http://fantasy.premierleague.com/

Once you have chosen your team, click on leagues then enter the following code to join the EBA League:

534369-119079

The likely pairing for the start of the season will be Defoe and Crouch as far as I’m concerned. If they can hit the ground running, it’s hard to see Pavlyuchenko starting many games. Robbie Keane will force his way in as he’s done in the past I’m sure, but Pavlyuchenko will be the one who is the bit part player. His return last term wasn’t bad overall with 14 goals in 32 appearances but his actual play was very inconsistent. With a sustained run in the team that could change but I just can’t see him being given the chance. I’m more than happy with a player of his ability as back up but I’m just surprised he would be willing to settle for that role.

Robbie Keane strikes me as a man that is too confident in his own ability to worry much about the arrival of Crouch. Having said that, after his patchy performances since his return from the failed spell at Liverpool, coupled with the fact he’s never managed to play well with Defoe, some negatives thoughts must be in his mind.

We aren’t in Europe this season and the length of time you spend in domestic cup competitions is somewhat of a lottery, therefore we only have a guaranteed 40 games. While competition for places is a good thing I don’t think a side that isn’t playing European football can a squad of players like ours content. That being said, it may bode well for our league position and I’m hopeful of a decent run in the League Cup and with some luck where the draw is concerned, the FA Cup also.

Maybe Harry’s man management and tactical skills can prove me wrong and he will get all four of our forwards playing and scoring. What do you think?

Klaas Jan Huntelaar – Spurs were strongly linked with Huntelaar prior to his move to Madrid but how true these stories were I’m not so sure. The fact things haven’t really worked out for him at Real make him a more realistic target now and with his current side splashing the cash like there is no tomorrow, he may be willing to take a step down to guarantee first team football. He won’t be cheap and neither will his wages but I’d prefer we took a punt on a player of his calibre rather than another average English player that will cost just as much such as Bent or Bentley. I don’t include Crouch in this because he has a much better track record.

Ashley Young – I was initially very surprised when we were linked with Ashley Young. I thought Villa were more than ok financially and after having to sell Gareth Barry I would have thought they would have been desperate to hold on to the rest of their star players. Martin O’Neill is supposedly interested in both David Bentley and Tom Huddlestone and either of both of those players could go in the other direction. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over the pair of them leaving to be honest. My main concern with Young would be his fee. The fact he’s under 25 and English means he’ll probably valued at close to £20m but if we can get away with £8m and Bentley it wouldn’t be a disaster.