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Camden New Journal - CROW by RICHARD OSLEY and PIP ROWE
Published: 14 August 2008

Finally, it’s game on as Spurs start to pose a genuine challenge

A BIG thank-you to Spurs for finally doing the decent thing.
Tottenham Hotspur have disgracefully abused the north London rivalry with Arsenal for 15 years.
Not since Gary Lineker, Gazza and, erm, Justin Edinburgh have Tottenham assembled a team worthy of taking on Arsenal over an entire league season.
And that has been a shame for everybody from the kids in the playground to the kids in the office who check the date of the derby as soon as the fixtures come out.
There’s been the seasons when Tottenham made a mockery of the competition by fielding the likes of Andy Sinton. And Jason Dozzell. And Joey Dominguez.
The season when they brought in Jurgen Klinsmann and cried when he left. The one when they brought in George Graham as manager and cheered when he left. There was Christian Gross and Glenn Hoddle and half a season of Santini. There was the season when Grimsby knocked them out of the cup. All rate as increasing hopeless attempts to gain superiority over Arsenal.
But – wait – at last they have found a manager who can use the mountains of money Tottenham seem to have with a little bit of sense.
Hands up, Juande Ramos is putting together a decent team at White Hart Lane and the rivalry is at last back on. Welcome back Spurs, what took you so long?

IT feels a long time since the signing of French wonderkid Younes Kaboul prompted

talk of top-four penetration – perhaps a more cautious approach should be adopted this season.
This year’s signings seem more astute, but the necessity to keep Berbatov cannot be overstated, despite Bent’s incredulous pre-season form raising his price tag to a cool £20m.
Luka Modric’s quality has been noted by all in recent internationals and his creativity will be essential in Keane’s absence. David Bentley has made an excellent start to his Spurs career with a brace against Roma on the weekend and his quality deliveries add a final product that Lennon has failed to provide. We all remember Gomes’s outstanding performance against us for PSV last season, and any consistency in goal would be an improvement on last term. Finally, at £4.7 million, the little Mexican dos Santos has to be a snip.
It’s good to see that after last year’s humiliation, Wenger has strengthened his Carling Cup squad with Ramsay and Bischoff.
If failing to win any silverware in the past three years can’t wipe the grin off my counterpart’s face, then perhaps a threadbare midfield, the most petulant captain since Henry and two strikers fighting to be the biggest ego in the dressing room will do the trick.

*Spurs fan Pip Rowe will be battling against Richard Osley’s smugness this season.

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