Spurs Surprise: Tottenham Back on Track

Two fifth-place finishes, major player investments, a respectable UEFA Cup run, and the first successful and likable manager in recent memory were enough to give Spurs fans a sense of expectation throughout the summer break.

But things didn't start as hoped—and this time a week ago, the situation couldn’t have looked bleaker for Tottenham.

The club were on their second manager of the season, Martin Jol having been pushed out in a frankly shameful and unprofessional manner. They also had a mere three wins under their belt—which left fans wondering how things had gone so sour.

Firstly—goals. Spurs had scored more than both Chelsea and Liverpool, but outside the relegation zone only Reading have conceded more.

The defensive frailties and the long-term absence of King have been well-documented. The normally reliable Dawson had looked lost alongside Kaboul—who at £7m is looking like bad business, and is clearly not ready for football at this level.

Robinson too had been error-prone, and had been ordered by new manager Juande Ramos to shed weight.

All told, the figures in this area speak for themselves. The defence had conceded the most headers and long-range shots in the leagues.
 
The attack had also been problematic. Four strikers playing irregularly with each other aren't likely to establish chemistry. Bent at £17m was looking like the worst transfer ever.

And on top of all that, Spurs had shown themselves to be completely unable to finish games.
 
But suddenly things seem to be looking up, with a well-timed run of decent results. Could Spurs have finally turned a corner?

Berbatov seems to finally have found form, and looks like he wants to be there. The club have kept a clean sheet for the last three games, have won the last two league games, and beat Man City away to reach the last four of the Carling Cup.

So what brought about this change? While the team is much the same, Ramos seems to have instilled a new belief and confidence, and—crucially—fitness levels seem to have improved.

This means Spurs aren't falling at the last hurdle and conceding late goals, as they were prone to do previously. A sense of team spirit has returned, which could be seen in the result last night in the Carling Cup.

With Zokora sent off after 20 minutes, Tottenham managed to hold off a City equaliser for the remaining 70—something which, given recent form, is nothing short of a miracle.

Suddenly, the season doesn't seem so hopeless. Reaching the semifinals of the Carling Cup, through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup—and even the first away win in the League this season against Portsmouth.

The next opponents: Arsenal at the Emirates.

Can this form continue?

Watch this space.

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