by Sam Todd

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

As Lloyd Grossman once said on a daytime television quiz show, "Let's look at the evidence".

And, when it comes to Tottenham Hotspur's aspirations of making the top four this year, the bad news for their fans is that the evidence is damning.

In the F.A. Cup quarter finals last year, they dominated a Chelsea who were lacking the resiliance and sheer bloody mindliness that characterised their successive championship victories under Jose Mourinho.

But quite frankly, after being 3-1 up at half time, they let the then champions of England off the hook, the defence sat back deeper and deeper, and ended up drawing the game 3-3.

That proved to be as close as they got; Tottenham lost the replay at home 2-1.

There was a similar tale of woe in the League Cup competition when they played Arsenal in the semi finals.

The Gunners, fielding a strong but, by all accounts, reserve side, were in turmoil in the first half, and were lucky to be just 2-0 behind at half time.

But yet again Tottenham, fielding as many first team players available to them as possible, threw way the initiative, and two Julio Baptista goals in the second half gave Arsenal vital away goals which were the platform for them to make the final.

This demonstrates the problems we have with Spurs when compared to the top teams in England.

Every season, each of the so-called "big four" - Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal - aren't so much thinking about securing a top four finish in the league, but ultimately think only about winning the league championship, with a top four finish taking care of itself. They are winning machines, who are professional ruthless in their approach towards their goals.

Contrast that with the attitude of Tottenham Hotspur.

A club who call themselves "big", but haven't won the league championship since the 1960s, whose last F.A. Cup triumph came in 1991 - before the Premiership era - and who, up until 2006, hadn't qualified for Europe via the league for twenty years (their one round, 1999 foray into UEFA Cup coming through winning the league cup).

Twice last season they were in winning positions in major cup competitions, which represented their best chance of silverware, against top four clubs, and twice they blew their opportunities.

Players don't deliberately avoid winning, but as a team, Tottenham were scared of winning. Teams that succeed in any major league in the World relish the opportunity of winning; Spurs didn't. Had any of the "Big Four" been in their shoes, they would've

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