After the disappointment of another opening day defeat, Juande Ramos has had a week to refocus his team for the visit of Sunderland. In those seven days he will have asked some searching questions of his players, and hopefully of himself.
While there is no doubt that a host of key players underperformed during the 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough, a large portion of the blame for a turgid and direction-less display has to be placed at the feet of the manager.
Even the top football coaches make mistakes and last week Ramos made several crucial errors in team selection which no doubt disrupted a side who had looked very impressive during pre-season friendlies.
Firstly, regardless of the speculation surrounding his future, so long as Dimitar Berbatov is registered as a Tottenham player, he should start. He's the most gifted player at the club, and barring injury he should be the first name on the team-sheet. That he was not was a huge error which Ramos will hopefully correct come tomorrow afternoon.
Criticism should also be levelled at the omission of Gareth Bale, although it could be assumed he was not 100% fit. Despite this, starting Assou-Ekotto in an away fixture - a player of questionable defensive quality who has the tendency to wander up field and disregard his responsibilities - was a poor decision. If Bale was fit enough for the bench, he's fit enough to at least start the match.
The absence of King is cause for concern, mainly because it all but confirms that Ramos' captain will continue to have a bit part role in the Spaniards new look side. A replacement is desperately needed before the transfer window shuts if we are to make any serious assault on the top six or seven sides in the country.
As a result of these errors, it reasonable to assume that both Bale and Berbatov will start against Sunderland on Saturday. Or at least they should do. Ramos has once again hinted that his star forward may be confined to the bench, with Darren Bent again trusted with the goal-scoring responsibilities.
Now if you're Roy Keane, you would certainly welcome a Berbatov free starting line-up. The Sunderland boss has raided Tottenham for three decent players, two of which should feature heavily tomorrow.
With Teemu Tainio yet again struggling with an injury, it will be left to Steed Malbranque and Pascal Chimbonda to return to haunt their old boss. Of the two Malbranque's departure was the most surprising and disappointing, especially in light of the positive season he had last time around. Don't be surprised if he writes a few headlines come Sunday morning.
Awash with new players, Sunderland will fancy their chances of taking something from the match against a side who, as demonstrated last week, struggle when put under pressure in midfield. Having failed to add a ball winner in the past seven days, it is likely that Jenas and Modric will continue to form the spine of the midfield.
They should enjoy considerably more freedom than against Middlesbrough. In that match dominated possession without creating the chances but, with Berbatov in fine form for Bulgaria this week, returning to the trusted 4-4-2 for at least another week should produce positive results against a side that look brittle at the back.
That said, Keane has improved his squad since last season and our alleged fitness levels will come under strict examination because, as proved by their excellent scoring record in the last 10 minutes of matches, Sunderland do not know when they are beaten.
Under Ramos we have been reasonably consistent at White Hart Lane and it is likely to continue tomorrow afternoon, even if big question marks remain next to our expensive new-look squad. Few of those questions will be answered this weekend but Ramos will hope that, for once, the football does the talking.
Prediction:
Sunderland are a good side and I expect them to progress this season. However, have a wretched record at White Hart Lane (7 losses in 7 games in the Premier League) and I expect that, after a hard fought match, that will continue. Sunderland will score but, if he plays, so will Berbatov. It's also reasonable to expect a performance in the first home game of the season. Score: 3-1