I?ve followed Spurs all my life, I remember crying at the Worthington Cup final in 2002 and more recently fighting tears of frustration (give me a break, I am female) last game of the season when reality really hit in that we hadn?t made the Champions League?again. For many like me, supporting Tottenham has been a rollercoaster of emotions; but us spurs fans seem to have a common trait of optimism and this season that hope is stronger than ever.
Kaboul and Sandro will be back from injury, and to me they were two integral players in our successful Champions League campaign. Sandro, Paulinho and Dembele create a strong, creative midfield that we were severely lacking towards the end of last season with the injuries of Sandro and Dembele. With a strong midfield Bale will really be allowed to have a free rein; and that?s when he?s at his absolute best. The idea of a 4-3-3 formation that we have all been reading about appears like an exciting prospect; a complete turn-around from how we've previously seen a Spurs squad line up. With Paulinho coming in for a transfer record 17 million, it seems clear to me this season Levy has his cheque book open and a quality couple of strikers are on the cards ? especially after the woeful Adebayor performances of last season.
AVB himself fills me with hope, having read he plans to retire in 5-10 years I can only hope he is committed to fulfilling his ambitions within the game beforehand; and hopefully at Spurs. Having narrowly missing out on Champions League last year Andre Villas Boas still has a lot to prove ? and this season with the fans wholeheartedly backing him after their initial concerns. A true tactician, he has his own chance to put his stamp on the squad with the transfer window allowing him to change the dimensions of the team. With Levy seemingly backing him financially I?m excited by both the quality, established players and the hot young prospects that Villas-Boas could bring to the squad.
It was the first day of pre-season training yesterday in Enfield and Bale was present and correct. To add to the yesterday?s joys the new Spurs kit was released and his face is plastered all over the advertising campaigns. There couldn't be a bigger club statement that he is staying than that. Like many Spurs fans I felt a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders; to fulfill our ambitions as a club and to attract the quality of player we need for Champions League, Bale is a non-negotiable. The ?will he/won?t he? saga has been going on before last season even ended and with the Spanish papers claiming Real Madrid have given up the ghost for another season it finally looks like we can get ?Bale? printed on the back of our new HP Shirts.
The shirts themselves give a sense of a new beginning, whilst remaining nostalgic. The HP sponsorship is a reminder of the 95-99 period when they previously sponsored Tottenham. The kit itself has a similar resemblance to the 60?s kit Spurs donned; a period in which Spurs won the coveted double. Returning to the classic blue shorts provides a reminder to many of Spurs at their height. I can only hope that like tradition the white shorts will remain for Europe? And by Europe I mean Champions League 2014/15.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG