After the Cup Final win against Chelsea, while celebrations were ongoing, it was clear that the Spurs supremo had the future on his mind. In a speech to the assembled gathering, he told the players that they should not be getting big headed. After all, he told them, they hadn’t won anything yet.
This wasn’t a linguistic mix-up. The coach meant it alright, because his standards were so high. But the coach’s name was not Ramos, it was Nicholson and the year was 1967 (see “The Glory Game”). However, it would not surprise me if Ramos was thinking this even if he did not articulate it. After all, his brief is not to just win the Carling Cup. George Graham did that, after all, and where did it get him? No, that victory is only a stepping stone, albeit a significant one.
With the only remaining issue for this season the picking up of a few points for mid-table security, the speculation is already building on the personnel for next season. I expect there will be some significant changes, especially now that Ramos can point to the transformation he has wrought with the existing squad. We clearly need to find better players in certain positions to play the way Ramos would like. Hopefully, we will be looking at spending the budget on two or three top players rather than seven or eight who might, someday, become good. Now is the time to avoid the “has beens”, the “never was'” and the “prospects” and, instead, to sign established quality.
Time will tell on our transfer policy, but among the changes since Ramos took over has been a change in internal practices at Spurs. Have you noticed how, compared to the prior regime, little information is coming out about players' fitness and who will play on any given occasion? It is a much harder job to guess who is going to be playing because we are keeping our cards close to our chest. While it is frustrating as a fan, it must be a better way, a more professional way, to operate. I don’t know if the spies are still watching Spurs, from trees or otherwise, but they are being kept guessing, as are our opponents. This cannot be a bad thing.
I’ll be watching through to the season’s end, but know that it will be hard to motivate the players for the remaining games. The real action will be in the close season. Fingers will remain crossed that we keep and buy the ones we need. Hopefully, if the pundits tip us for top 4 this time, they will be right.