So - what is it - a fortnight or so since the footy season ended with the Champions League final - and lets face us footy fanatics are already starting to get jumpy...
With take overs at Liverpool, Newcastle, Villa, West Ham and possibly Man City and Birmingham seeing their first proper transfer window, this summer promises to be the hardest on record in terms of getting those players to make us a top four side. Gareth Bale is a coup - make no mistake but the over inflation of the market as a result of the money that the likes of West Ham are throwing around in wages terms, means this is going to be a toughy....
So what has the football world offered us this week? Darren Bent is likely to become the highest paid player in London outside of Chelsea Village if he joins West Ham - though cynics will say that the hammers are setting themselves up for a fall, you have to say that its probably a good time to be a hammers fan...linked to everyone and anyone decent. Personally I think it remains to be seen whether Curbs can handle the inflated egos and the expectation that the money is going to bring - consider him my outside tip to be an early season sacking....
Other than West Ham's perpetual forays into the transfer market, today saw the launch of the absurdly copyrighted fixture list. While we can expect it to change instantly due to live tv and european dates, there are indications once again that if we can sustain a strong position throughout the early months, come the Spring of 2008, we could well be in for another strong finish - culminating with the hopefully significant visit of Liverpool on the final day of the season.
Other dates for your diary then:
A tough opener at the Stadium of Light on August 11th - likely to be moved for Tele's Roy Keane love-in..
A trip to Man Utd two weeks later on the 25th August.
A month into the season on the 15th September an early look at how we will do against the Goons this season - this the home fixture....hopefully old Terry Henry will be in Barcelona house hunting between appearances for Catalonia's best...
The return fixture on the 22nd of December - indeed for the first time I can remember both North London Derbies will be played before Christmas....
An away trip to Villa on Jan 1st 2008....set the year up boys come on!!!
11 days later we're off to Stamford Bridge where the new "budget Chelsea" will be starting to contemplate the departure of half their first team squad to the African Nations....could be time to break another hoodoo!!!!
Man Utd come to town on February 2nd, in what hopefully will be a game with huge significance to us in our slog to get into that top four slot....here's hoping...
A week later and the Chelsea tractors will roll into WHL, intent on rectifying Lennon's day from last season....here's NOT hoping!
The final big fixture I already mentioned - 'pool at home on the last day of the season.
As always with Spurs, its not just going to be about those games listed above - season after season we've seen unforgiveable slip ups against relegation candidates and perennial strugglers - this season if one thing is sorted on the results front it has to be that - if we learn to defend better as a unit though we should not fear the Fulhams, Wigans and Derbys - they will simply not have enough to break us down.
Oh and how could I forget - those magical European nights, the League Cup and the club's traditional stronghold - the FA Cup - surely its time we brought that beauty back to the Lane - 1991 is so last century!!!
COYS!!!