Spurs - Robbie keen to make an impression
Spurs under Juande Ramos now there is an interesting proposition. At the end of last season with the League Cup safely tucked up after out foxing Avram Grant, Ramos did not seem to care too much about anything else that was happening, except perhaps his goalkeeping situation where his unforgiving nature as regards Paul Robinson was in some contrast to the lenient view of the keeper’s gaffes taken by former England coach Steve Maclaren. While everyone else was wondering what was going to happen at Euro 2008, Ramos bagged Croatia’s Luka Mondric who at £16 million looks a snip. Suddenly the rumour static has also dried up surrounding Dimitar Berbatov although that may be temporary or possibly Lucas Podolski is being lined up as a replacement, the axe instead of the rapier. He has a lot of English talent at his disposal - in fact he has a big squad all round - especially in Jermain Jennas, Tom Huddlestone and Aaron Lennon all of whom would hope to be part of Fabio Capello’s thinking. So too Jonathan Woodgate if he can stay free of injury. And his strike force is reliable in terms of Robbie Keane and Ramos obviously felt secure enough in his planning to let Jermaine Defoe walk to Portsmouth not withstanding the mystery of that other £16 million man Darren Bent who is currently pretty much untransferable for anything like that money.
Bet Tottenham: Spurs are 65/1 to win the title, and are anticpated to come in fifth, but fourth or higher is what is expected. A cup is not beyond them though, or Ramos.
They start with the kind of game that neither Spanish managers nor Tottenham have historically liked very much - away to Middlesbrough on August 16.
