At time of writing this article, Gareth Bale is all but a Lillywhite. Kiss of death or whatever, lets hope this is not Chamot mach 2. However, working on the assumption that we are going to have the South Coast Big Club's latest prodigy, casting an eye over the Spurs squad we're in need of a couple of players who have been round the block.
Check this as a likely first team next season - with obvious omissions.
Robinson
Chimbonda
Dawson
King
Bale
Lennon
Jenas
Zokora
*******
Keane
Berbatov
Now take the same lineup and measure seasons in the premiership.
Robinson (5)
Chimbonda (2)
Dawson (2)
King (8)
Bale (0)
Lennon (2)
Jenas (5)
Zokora (1)
Keane (7)
Berbatov (1)
Our likely first 11 is going to have only four players who have played 5 seasons or more in the top flight.
Now offset that against our two big targets next season - Arsenal and Liverpool. Look at their teams and they are similarly placed - for Liverpool, Gerrard, Carragher, Riise, Finnan and Bellamy come to mind. How many of them will be at the club come August remains to be seen. Arsenal have a couple too - Ljungberg, Henry, Gilberto, for example. IF we are to bridge the gap between us and these two teams, we need to have more experience of the Premiership than them - with quality to match. Ultimately Manchester Utd won the Premiership this season with Van Der Saar, Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Smith, Saha, Solskjaer, Brown and a couple more all in and around 5 years experience. Chelsea might have bought the premiership in their first two seasons under Mourinho but the lack of experienced players in depth cost them hugely at crucial times this season - no more so than when the likes of Terry were out.
Spurs have had two top senior pros at the club since Jol arrived - Nourradine Naybet was the first, the second the more controversial Edgar Davids. These players were forever being cited as being "a great influence on the youngers members of the squad" and although in the case of Davids his petulance outweighed his value towards the end, he was a central figure in last season's rise to fifth. This coming season, if Spurs are to bridge the gap to fourth, or even third if Liverpool have a season of transition with piles of cash coming in, then some experience is key. In sheer quality terms, signing Bale and a quality left winger, will bring us even closer to the ability of our rivals above - what won't be guaranteed though is the will to win - the ability to know how to win in certain situations, to win ugly and to win when its far from deserved.
Who that experience will be - remains to be seen - but its central to Spurs hopes of taking that next step that they do acquire someone who will boss the side in times of need.