For me, this is one of the biggest North London derbies in recent times as finally Tottenham seem to be catching up to Arsenal after numerous false dawns at the Lane. I have been as guilty as anyone for bumping Spurs up in the past only for the team to disappoint but the work that Harry Redknapp has done at the club in the past year has been nothing short of amazing.
Harry has changed the club dramatically and I’d put Tottenham’s transformation on a par with the situation at Man City since the massive cash injection. Obviously there’s no comparison financially with City but in terms of where the two clubs were a year ago, there are similarities. The calibre of player Harry has managed to bring to the club has changed the team’s outlook. The likes of Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Sebastian Bassong and Wilson Palacios have arrived due to a big investment but have undoubtedly improved the squad.
I’ve always felt that Tottenham as a club are very much on a par with Arsenal in terms of support and finances. Spurs reportedly have over a million fans which is quite incredible when you consider the lack of success they’ve had for many years. The Gunners have moved ahead of their neighbours through their sustained period of success and the amount of trophies they’ve won which has really undermined Tottenham’s status both domestically and in Europe.
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There’s no doubt that Spurs can compete with Arsenal at every level in terms of attracting players to the club, fan base and finances so the next few years will be increasingly important as I expect Tottenham to continue to climb. The new stadium will put Spurs on a level playing field with their neighbours as the club’s board continue to show great ambition.
For me, their board are showing more ambition than Arsenal’s. Whereas, the next few years look bright for Tottenham; I see problems ahead for the Gunners with talks of takeovers which may lead to uncertainty rather than unity. This could mean that the gap closes even further on and off the field.
Where Spurs have fallen behind Arsenal is that the Gunners are way ahead in terms of their policy of bringing through young players. The groundwork has been in place for some time which is perfectly illustrated by the performances of the youngsters in the Carling Cup. Therefore, Tottenham have a lot of catching up to do on that score.
Enjoy the game
Too right Tony things are getting better and better. We have started addressing the young player side too, Bostock, Parrett, Obika and Mpoku are all looking strong.
Does Tony know what he’s going on about..????
Tottenham showing more ambition???
give me a freaking break.. hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
More ambition than Arsenal? Tony you really are a bias fool – they are out and out COPYING Arsenal – even the new stadium looks like the Grove!!
As for the cash injection City comment, d’oh, the Spuds are still the 2nd or 3rd biggest spenders of the last 5 years, after Chelsea.
So few footballers are blessed with intelligence its a wonder so many become pundits.
Arsenal are showing no ambition?! The man is an idiot…building a 350million new stadium shows no ambition. Fool.
yes he is right. AW is still in comfort zone believing his pretty soccer is the way when
winning matches is the top priority.
There are problems in the goal and if nothing is done in Jan and the gunners finish out of the top four,AW could go.
It has been revealed the gunners dropped a massive fiteen points to the llower rung teams. MU dropped only three. That is the crucial difference.
I suppose the only fans that count are English ones, eh Tony? Silly me. I was thinking that the Arse have a bigger international footprint. You know, the kind that has made Barcelona, ManU and Real Madrid the clubs that they are today. However, let this not blind you in your attempts to “big up” the Spuds
Do you think Spurs are only followed in England Sheez? You are very wrong
I totally agree with Tony and I am an Arsenal fan. We have sat back and reaped the benefits of Champs Lge without showing the ambition to compete with the likes of United and Chelsea. If we had continues to invest along with our youth then we would be dominating and not allowing the likes of Spurs and City to be catching us up.
Paul, have you been happy with 4th place then? Do you not think with all those things you’ve listed above that Arsenal should not be dominating?
Your ignorance has shown your own foolishness.
Read what is written not what you think he is saying!
What nonsense: the proof of Spurs ambition will be financing, building and transferring to the stadium without being relegated as most teams are which try it. Arsenal are coming out of the lean transition period now and will have money to spend IF the kids don’t do it this year. Meanwhile, Harry has spent big buying back the players Spurs sold to him at Portsmouth! Ambition? I think not.
Spurs have far more ambition than ar5ena1, your spot on as usual tony, and lets not forget, we beat the scum 5-1….
Im a man city fan, and im sorry to say – spurs are catching arsenal. This is to be expected as they have spent alot of money over the past few years. It also doesnt help that wenger keeps grooming kids all the time rather than being able to spend money on the real thing.
Wenger dont mind though.
I assume this is an attempt at a wind up by Tony Cascarino as I truly doubt anybody could actually be that stupid.
Spurs always think they are close to Arsenal. A couple of seasons ago they nearly made it, then last season fell away as usual.
Arsenal have everything in place to succeed, new stadium, youth development and comonsense purchasing.
Spurs are just about to start. They will do well to avoid relegation.
So come on Tony, your article is total nonsense.
spurs are showing far more ambition than the goons, and by spanking them on saturday they soon going to know all about it!!!!
Funny how its all little spud fans mouthing off about how they are going to beat us tomorrow. Lets see if they are back on here after the game, somehow I doubt it!!
Spuds everywhere going on about that 5-1 – we had J Hoyte and Traore at full back, it was the Arses Carling Cup kids squad with some 1st teamers on the bench. Big deal, one spanking in how many years? Sad fools.
When was the…
Last time you finished above us in the league? Last time you defeated us in the League? Last time you won a trophy other than the Milk Cup? Last time you got to the final of the CL? Last time Barca tried to buy one of your players? Last time you didn’t have a manager who supports Arsenal?
Since Gazza and Hoddle you lot have been a joke, plain and simple – top 4 contenders every year but NEVER achieving it…maybe you lot, Tony included, are over-hyping yourselves.
Harry turned Pompey into Arsenal 2…now he has turned you lot into Pompey 2. You must be so proud!
5 – 1? Here’s hoping.
Spurs must break their ‘losing’ streak against arsenal sometime. I dont think it will happen this time given the players not available. It will be a close game, but the gunners to win 2-1
Andy B,
Portsmouth 2? You are a sharp cookie.
You know the gap has shortened. Wenger only buys small and sells big as he gets a kickback for all the profit. It’s not about trophies amymore, it’s about him earning.
Andy B – Spurs copying Arsenal? That’s priceless.
Who followed whom to North London? Come on, if you wanna defend this ludicrous “copying” line. Riddle me that one.
Secondly, it can strongly be argued that Arsenal are copying the Spurs tradition of beautiful football – something Spurs pretty much trademarked in the 50s-60s, and have stuck with on and off ever since. Fact. Look it up if your Arsenal bias won’t accept this. What was it Arsenal used to be known as? “Boring, Boring Arsenal” ring any bells? Probably not if you’ve only been supporting them during the Wenger years, as your ill-informed comments seem to suggest.
Finally, copying you on the stadium? ALL modern stadiums are bowl-shaped, if you’d care to remove your Arsenal-tinted spectacles for a few minutes while looking at them. This includes ones built long before the Emirates – what gives you the impression your mob originated/somehow hold the copyright on bowl shaped stadiums? This is typical bitterness and jealousy from an Arsenal fan, throwing his toys out of the pram that we’ll shortly have a better stadium than them.
In summary, thanks for giving me the biggest laugh of the day. Spurs copying Arsenal? Do me a favour.
AND LETS NOT FORGET WE BEAT THE SCUM 5-1 AHAHAHAHAHA
Andy B – you don’t half talk some guff.
I do think Arsenal will win tomorrow, sadly, so I won’t be arguing that one, but I do find the arrogant Arsenal assertion that the 5-1 game was Tottenham vs the Arsenal “kids” pretty rich.
I’m no AFC fan, obviously, but off the top of my head I can remember Fabregas, Hleb, Flamini, Sagna, Bendtner and Adebayour all playing, Probably more of the 1st team too, if I could be bothered to look it up, which I can’t.
Not that I’m making excuses, but just to put it in perspective; tomorrow we will be without ALL of our major players: Defoe, Lennon, Modric, King and Woodgate – will you consider beating this Spurs team in the same sympathetic vein you remember the 5-1 in?
I doubt it.
Sorry, yeah sorry, really sorry Spudlovers, I’m wrong…a 5 -1 in the last couple of years and two league championships in, er, just over a hundred years, right? Better than what Wengers done in the last 4 years – no question. I’m sorry. You are really good.
Ledley and Woody are fit. Fancy us aerially against the Goons!
(The mods are involved now – I will try to play nice!)Moving the goal posts? Eh? What Tony says is that the Tots are showing more ambition than Arsenal by wanting to win the league lots, get into Europe, build a new stadium, develop youth etc, etc…my point is – Arsenal have already done all this…you guys cant have our ambition, or ‘more ambition’ (is ambition quantifiable?) until you have matched us – which you won’t in our lifetimes, Chirpy.
This is really funny reading.
I don’t mind you lot crowing about finishing above us or even winning league, but please do it large it up.
We’ve won the league 13 times, you’ve won it once and that was in 61 and our last was 2004. You spent a time last season languishing in the relegation zone and again you finished below just like you did the season before and the season before and…..get my drift? Yes you beat us 5-1 in the CC and were very good value off it, but that’s it. That’s all you’ve got off us in nearly 2 decades. So please, I ask you again, large it up when you’ve achieved it.
so does that mean your ambition stopped the day they finished building your new ground Andy B ????
That should read please do it before you large it up
Sorry I got it wrong you’ve won it twice haven’t you?
It’s a shame that we haven’t won anything for four years now but consider this, in four years of underachievement (by our standards) we have still performed better than Spurs. What does that tell you about ambition?
My apologies, Chirpy’s! Here’s to a quality game…I will be thinking of you!
So it was nice to see on Saturday that Spurs really showed how close they now are to Arsenal…
…about as close as they could get to Fabregas as he ran through the middle of their team, megged their centre-back and sent their keeper the wrong way from the edge of the box.
Oh how we laughed. Carry on Tony, carry on
HAHAHA. What a load of crap
Tony, your opinion is total bias nonsense. Open your eyes and for once give Arsenal the credit they deserve!!