by Malcolm Toogood

Created on: August 06, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I am not a Spurs fan, but I have not been surprised by their rise towards the Champion's League places during the last couple of seasons. This year, it's do or die for Martin Jol, and he isn't the type to die easily. The spending has been strong, as are the players signed, so he is clearly fed-up with fifth place. The question is, if Spurs are to make it into that elusive fourth place, at whose expense will it be?

Well although every Spurs fan reading this would want it to be their near-neighbours at the Emirates, it is doubtful that this will happen. Most everybody is citing the loss of Thierry Henry as the reason that Arsenal cannot succeed this year, but he barely figured last season, and now that the facts have emerged about his private life, it is easier to understand why he had such a mysterious injury-hit campaign. Now he has moved on, and so will the club, but not by spending huge amounts of money on equivalent stars. The vast majority of their fans accept that, and the reason is, quite simply, that there is no equivalent to Henry, so it is pointless to look for one.

A lot of observers also miss the point that Henry was only 21 when he arrived in North London, branded as a so-called failure' at Inter Milan. Those same lazy hacks that are now writing-off Arsenal, also claimed at the time that 10m was way too much money to pay for him. So, with such a poor record of judgement, why should anyone take any more notice of them now? That Henry became what he did was not only due to certain people at the club being able to spot such unrealised talent, but also to the coaching at the club that brought it out. Ditto the likes of Patrick Vieira and Freddie Ljungberg plus, more recently, Cesc Fabregas. So why shouldn't the same happen with Van Persie, Diaby, Walcott, Denilson, et al? A squad with so much prodigious talent will have to evolve far more quickly in the absence of a great player like Henry, than it would with his massive, but ultimately distracted, presence.

So the next target for Spurs after Arsenal must be Liverpool. However, Rafa Benitez has been given serious money to invest this season, and has done so, as well as dispensing with the services of players who, with the possible exception of Luis Garcia, were not among the major contributors last season. Ryan Babel and Fernando Torres are both class signings, and they seem to have blended-in very well in the pre-season games. More importantly, Babel will occupy that wide right slot, releasing Steven

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