Several minutes passed before a stern looking fellow entered the room and asked me take a seat. The conversation went a little something like this:
Doctor: Mr Davies, I've got some grave news.
Me: Oh god, how long have I got?
Doctor: A little over 24 hours.
Me: Oh no, oh god, what is it Doc?
Doctor: I'm afraid caught a pretty rare condition. It's called Tottenham-in-a-cup-final-itis, and it's very, very serious. The last known case was in 2001 and we thought we had it under control until a new Spanish strain arrived in the country. Ever since then I've seen more and more people just like yourself who have the fever.
Me: So there's nothing I can do?
Doctor: Hope is all you have now.
That is an entirely true story... Ok, I was creative with the truth here and there but I'm sure that condition exists. It's the only explanation as to why I can barely type for nervous shakes and even merest thought of turning on the television tomorrow brings me out in hives. The closer the final gets the less it is 'The Carling Cup' and the more it becomes 'A trophy', 'The Final' and when the match kicks off who cares if the teams are competing for England's least important domestic cup? Not me, or any of the other 80'000 or so supporters inside Wembley stadium. For when that whistle blows, it's a final and winning is everything.
Can we win? Of course we can. There can be no denying the quality at Chelsea's disposal. Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Anelka - these are some of the best players not just in the country, but arguably the world. It's not just the players we will need to overcome, it's the mentality. Not team in the country are better than reducing and controlling a game like Chelsea, who have become the masters of attrition football, of grinding their opponents into the dust through sheer force of will and dogged determination, before landing the killer blow at the business end of the pitch.
But who better to take on the mighty Chelsea machine than Juande Ramos, the man with an impeccable cup record and a healthy dose of self belief of his own. The Spaniard's tactical acumen and wily cunning gives me the belief that, on the day, whoever walks out on the hallowed turf of Wembley in the famous lillywhite of Tottenham will play like a lion. Though Ramos has been at the helm for a relatively short time, few fans would question his ability to mix it with the best managers the League has to offer.
So how will we win? First and foremost our big players must play well, as obvious as that sounds. The onus is on players like Berbatov and Keane, Jenas and Aaron Lennon, to take the game to Chelsea as Ramos knows that his side plays best on the front foot. Superb performances against Manchester United and Arsenal will have gone a long way to convincing the players they can win. It's time we turned some of that potential into something palpable. A victory against Chelsea tomorrow would go a long way to convincing the players that they have what it takes to take on the biggest teams in the league when it really matters. Drubbing Arsenal will mean very little if we end up having nothing to show for it.
On a personal level, I really hope that, whatever happens, the match itself is a good one. Don't be wrong I'd take the ugliest of ugly victories but the romantic in me would like the first final involving Tottenham in six years to be a good one because cup finals are so often too laden with nerves to be classics. We've got this far by playing attacking football and not allowing our opponents time to settle on the ball or to ever feel comfortable in possession, and we should not change that approach or allow fear of defeat to govern the way we play. If we do, we play straight into Chelsea's hands and we lose. Take the game to Chelsea, and we might just do it.
As you will have gathered, I've been slightly overwhelmed by 'cup fever' but I make no apology for the wide eyed way in which this preview has been written. At the end of the day Cup finals are what football is all about. Fans want trophies and the winning is pretty simple - you have to want it more than the other lot. So in view of that and in hope that one of the players passes across this site whilst trying to take his mind off the game, I'll end but posting a few glorious moments from our clubs history because, if anything, a cup final makes me sentimental. Hopefully new videos will be made from our victory come Monday morning.