City’s spending power is incredible and eventually, I’m sure they will manage to buy the Premier League title and possible even the Champions League, but I believe we still have another season or two before the Abu Dhabi United Group complete their mission! Although it must be exciting times for City fans, I’d imagine it must also be a little tedious being able to basically go out and get anyone. As a fan you want success, but just buying it in that way makes very little appeal to me personally. If Spurs paid the type of transfer fee and wages that are being quoted for James Milner, I’d feel more than a little sick!

‘There’s still value in the transfer market, but you’ve got to be a genius. You’ve got to go and find somebody, but top players, they want top wages. That’s your problem.’

While Redknapp does have a point with regard to the transfer market being a tougher place to unearth bargains than it has been in years gone by, it’s not impossible. If anyone can come up with a couple of gems for fair money, it’s Harry. I think wages are an issue but there is a balance you have to find where that issue is concerned. The club have that balance about right at
the moment.

It just doesn’t feel normal being a Spurs fan this Summer. Champions League football and not being linked with every player under the sun while buying and selling lots of others. Maybe this is the new Tottenham, a more settled and stable one hopefully. That being said, two or three new faces before we kick off our campaign proper would be very welcome.

Man City’s spending power is phenomenal and they have added some serious talent to their squad this summer with the likes of Boateng, Toure and Silva joining an already excellent group of players. The problem for them is I don’t see Mancini as the man to get these players to gel or control their egos and settle the unrest when their start to the campaign isn’t as phenomenal as everyone is expecting. I think they could well end up in a similar position to last season.

Are Liverpool suddenly going to be a successful side under Roy Hodgson? They looked awful at times last season and it’s going to take them time to rebuild. Torres appears to be in a very bad way if the world cup is anything to go by. Carragher isn’t half the player he was a few years ago and Gerrard turns it on when he’s in the mood. This is assuming Torres and Gerrard are staying.

Now onto the 40/1 outsiders! Admittedly, one good season does not a great club make, but there is just as much reason to believe we can continue our progression under Harry Redknapp as there is we will resume the battle for 7th and 8th place. I don’t feel like last season was a fluke. Our home form has been solid for a number of years now and we have finally mastered the art of picking up points on the road. The possibility of a Champions League campaign will test the squad, but we have the strength in depth now to be able to change the personnel from game to game and still be a force in the Premiership.

The betting for the top 4 sees us 6th best behind Chelsea, Utd, City, Arsenal and Liverpool. I seem to remember us being given a similar chance at the start of last season. History has a habit of repeating itself…

Being the pessimist that I am, I’m still expecting something to go wrong somewhere! Obviously the big one looks to be on May 5th at the City of Manchester Stadium but I think Bolton at home in two Saturday’s time could be key. The best I can see us getting at Old Trafford this weekend is a draw, and even that is unlikely. Man City go to Arsenal for Saturday’s late kick off in a match where we need a favour from the Gunners. I know a number of their supporters would rather lose than help Spurs out, but Wenger will be seething after losing to both Tottenham and especially Wigan, and will expect a serious reaction from his players.

All credit to Harry Redknapp. While opposition supporters continue to knock our gaffer, their can be no denying his ability as a manager. We are now just a point away from our best ever Premier League total and it is no small coincidence that Redknapp achieved the same feat with both West Ham and Portsmouth. Maybe he owed Pompey one and maybe we were never destined to reach this year’s FA Cup Final. However, maybe we are destined to upset the Liverpool’s and Man City’s of the world instead.

If we are going to finally achieve reach the Holy Grail of Europe’s elite competition, I don’t think we will ever get a better opportunity than we have now. Man City are likely to be even better next season, improve year on year and keep spending year on year until they find success. I also can’t see Liverpool’s decline continuing beyond next season. This is our chance, the majority of our squad are ready for the next step and they way they have performed this week tell me they could cope with the top teams from around the globe.

The way we knocked the ball around and completely dominated Chelsea was a pleasure to watch. If we can take that new found confidence into the game against Manchester Utd, who knows what might happen.

The defeat to Stoke was one of those days, getting turned over by a second string Utd in the Cup was a shame, dropping two points at Everton from a strong position was very disappointing but losing at home to Wolves is unacceptable. It’s no going putting nine past Wigan if we can’t break down teams like Wolves and Stoke. On a more positive note, it was nice to see Modric back and hopefully he’ll be back in the starting line up before too long.

Wednesday’s match against City now takes on extra significance. I think a draw is the most likely outcome but we really can’t afford to lose another home game. Slightly worrying is the fact I’m sure it was a Wednesday night I was sitting with my Granddad watching a Tottenham v Man City game where Tottenham were 3-0 up at half time but still lost. Anybody remember that one?!

For me, the top four dream is looking less and less likely as the season goes on. I know we are still in touch but can you imagine us going to Old Trafford and winning 1-0 like Villa did? I can’t see it happening anytime soon personally. I don’t want to sound too downbeat because I’m quite happy with a top 6 finish which I think is our realistic target this season. We don’t yet have the mental toughness to match the big sides in the Premiership and until we do, a Champions League place will have to wait.

As difficult as it must have been for Wigan fans to swallow, I hope they give Martinez time to finish the good job he’s started. I know they have been on the end of a few hidings but they play attractive football. The Premier League would be very boring if all the lesser sides played like Stoke. He’s a good young manager and comes across very well.

As for Tottenham, maybe we still have a mental block when it comes to the big teams. We cannot continue to put on scintillating performances against the majority of opponents at the Lane and then give limp displays like we did against Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea. I know two of those games were away from home and injuries played a part but the contrast is too great.

Harry has done wonders since his arrival but his previous sides have always been able to turn over the likes of Utd and Arsenal, sides that had no where near the strength in depth the current Spurs squad has. Maybe things will look different come the end of the season.

With Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Villa all dropping points this past weekend, our top 4 push is still going along nicely and the 9-1 win will have done wonders for both confidence and morale. It couldn’t have come at a better time with 3 away games on the trot coming up, all against tough sides. I’d take 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat if I’m honest, as long as the win is against Utd!

It’s another one of those games that on paper, you’d fully expect Tottenham to win. Wigan are a good side who try and play the right way, but I’d imagine that will play into our hands. The home games where Spurs have struggled have generally been against teams that keep it tight. Allow our players space and time at the Lane and they will deliver.

The League table makes for interesting reading at the moment. I feel like we have been on a bad run of results of late but we still sit in 4th. If you’d have told me that after 12 games we would be just 3pts behind Man Utd, I would have been more than happy. Just as long as you hadn’t told me how well Arsenal would be playing!

Admittedly, Villa, Man City and Liverpool are all snapping at our heels but there is 5pts between us and the side that lie in 8th place, Sunderland. With Liverpool and Man City facing each other and Villa having to go to the fortress at Burnley, a win against Wigan will likely give us a bit of breathing space.

I’m going for an exciting encounter with lots of goals. I’ll plump for 4-2 Spurs with a Titus Bramble brace, one goal for each side.

It isn’t a term I like to use because it annoys me when pundits keeping banging on about it, but the fact is I don’t think we can break into the top four this season or any season in the foreseeable future for that matter. It’s probably too early to be making judgements like that especially when we are playing so well but if you look at the teams that are likely to fill the places this season, they just have too much about them.

Man City are nowhere near the finished article, but are already playing as well as anyone in the Premiership. They are only going to get better and I’ll be shocked if they don’t break into the top five this season, third or forth place would not surprise me either. Obviously, Man Utd and Chelsea aren’t going to finish outside the first three positions so our only chance is to displace two of Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City.

While Spurs don’t have the distraction of European football and can concentration on the Premier League, we will still fall just short. The defeats against Chelsea and Man Utd have shown our players don’t quite yet have the mental toughness I thought they did. To concede three goals in both games is a sign of a slight lack of belief rather than ability. I know we have been brushing lesser teams aside with ease but I worry we won’t pick up enough points against teams like Everton, Villa and even Sunderland.

Sixth spot and a cup semi final would be a good season as far as I’m concerned and that is more or less what I think we will end up with. Whether Harry can unearth enough in the transfer market to improve Tottenham past these achievements in future seasons is unlikely. Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea are untouchable and while I’d like to think Arsenal and Liverpool are on the downgrade, form so far this season suggests they aren’t.

The players Man City have signed thus far look mightily impressive and by all accounts, they are just getting warmed up. Robinho, Tevez and Adebayor have the potential to be as good as Henry, Etoo and Messi in terms of what they could do for Man City. They are certainly far better than Van Persie and get my ankle from row Z Eduardo, who while both very talented both are very temperamental and it will be interesting to see how they will get on for a whole season without the big man. A make or break season for pink boots Niklas “you’re shit” Bendtner one suspects.

Although Adebayor has been a bit hit and miss in recent times when he is good he’s a real handful often unplayable – we (spurs) know this add to that he weighs in with crucial goals in big games as Man U will testify. Can Sparky get the best out of him? I think so, Wenger is a genius with most things he touches, but I think Hughes could have just a big an impact on Adebayor. And not only the Welshman, the players and ambition he sees around him, yeah the 170 large a week is a right touch and without a doubt probably sealed the deal but trophy opportunities at City look more of a possibility than at the Emirates at the moment. Hughes is an underrated boss as well, he showed his managerial skills when he gave Arsene Wenger a tactical master class last season up at The City of Manchester Stadium, City giving Arsenal a 3-0 drubbing. Before this he turned Blackburn from a team playing the ‘kick anything that moves’ style of football into a team that actually weren’t too bad on the eye. OK last season the away form was a joke, but the home form was immense, players like Barry and Tevez will relish the away days so it surely wont be long before they are picking up points all over.

You know I wouldn’t be surprised if Cesc Febregas is a little bit jealous of his former team mate. He must be seriously considering his options after five dry years as well as being witness to the amount of top talent that has been sold during that period. Yes Spurs have been guilty of the same in selling Berbatov and Carrick but these are players that have left because we could not offer Champions League football, that is not the case at Arsenal. Adebayor has left for a side not even in Europe, who admittedly have offered him good money, but surely this just emphasises the lack of ambition down at Arsenal? Are Man City contenders for the top 4 next season? Why not, they have made some astute signings and have a good manager, who are the weakest in the top four, Arsenal? Definitely. Will Adebayor’s decision look so materialistic next season, well it wont if he’s on an open top bus with the top of the FA cup on his head singing blue moon, and if they double that up with 4th place a few people might being eating humble pie.

Samuel Eto’o, Roque Santa Cruz and Arjen Robben are just some of the high profile names that we have been connected with, but in reality, none of them have had Tottenham on their radar. Man City aside, no top quality player in their prime is going to come to a team with no European football on offer, especially those already at a club who are in the Champions League.

The only players we can attract are those who either aren’t quite up to scratch for Utd, Liverpool etc, or they are English and not the finished article, and no other club is stupid enough to pay the kind of money for their services that we are. The thing we have going for us now however is Harry Redknapp’s ability to find decent players for little money. I hope he continues to work this way even though he knows there is plenty of cash at his disposal.

With Manchester City looking more and more likely to crash the top 4 this season, and probably staying there for some time, Spurs chances of ever being able to attract the Samuel Eto’o’s of this world are slim to none.

Personally, I’m quite happy with the position we are in. I’m very keen to see what Harry can do given a complete season and being able to bring in a full compliment of his own players. I realise long term Spurs will likely need a billionaire investor to compete in the Premier League but it’s not something I’m looking forward to.

Having an unlimited budget isn’t healthy and I think football clubs need to be run as viable businesses. It will take a side like Man City or Chelsea going under before something is done but I definitely think there needs to be some kind of transfer and salary cap enforced.

West Ham are one nil down at home to Liverpool as I write, still have to go to Everton and their last game is at Upton Park against Middlesbrough. If Boro can still stay up at that point, it’s going to be a real tough match for the Hammers.

It might be a slim chance, but there is still a chance for Spurs to steal 7th spot. I’m confident of a win against Man City then anything can happen at Liverpool with their title challenge over.

Fulham may be in the driving seat this afternoon, but it’s not over yet…