Can Spurs Finish Top?

After a beautifully controlled match-winning strike from striker Jermain Defoe, Tottenham Hotspur sit in third place in the Barclay's Premier League. They are only 6 points out of first place with a game in hand. What was most interesting to me after the game was not Defoe's 1998 hairdo, nor the total control Spurs had from whistle to whistle, but rather the comments from the freshly defeated West Bromwich Albion manager Roy Hodgson...

"They are serious contenders. They have proven that already.There is no question about that. They win their matches. They keep putting pressure on Manchester City and Manchester United to win their matches and they are getting some distance between themselves and the chasing pack so they have to be very happy with their first 19 games"

High praise to say the least. But wow, an EPL manager coming out and flat out saying that Tottenham is the real deal? Not just for the top 4, but for tops in the league? It has been decades since anyone, let alone an EPL manager, could say that the other guys from North London could legitimately hoist the premier league trophy on match day 38. No one is denying that Spurs are having a tremendous year, but I believe it is about time that some of these whispers of a Tottenham title run turn into legitimate warning shots, i.e. Hodgson's comments. The two Manchester clubs better take notice. The North Londoners have the perfect DNA to uproot the preseason favorites and capture their first league title since 1960-61. Spurs have one of the most highly respected managers in the game in tandem with a starting XI that'd give just about any team in the world a run for their money. When Rafa van der Vaart, Emmanuel Adebayor, Scott Parker, Gareth Bale, and Luka Modric are all in sync, its a beautiful sight to watch. The power and pace at which Spurs play have been a defining feature of this team since the Harry Redknapp era had begun at White Hart Lane. And it is mainly because of the culture change and command that Harry Redknapp has had on this squad.

Coming into this season, many unsettling questions faced manager Harry Redknapp's side. The biggest of which was the challenge of keeping the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in north London with no Champions League football to offer. As the transfer rumors heated up, Redknapp and chairman Daniel Levy made it very clear to the predator clubs that at no price would they be sellers during the transfer window. They firmly believed they had the makings of a special team despite a disappointing 2010-11 campaign. This stance taken by the Tottenham front office represented an attitude change of sorts, and in my opinion is why Spurs have a legitimate shot at winning the title this year. You can never become a massive club if you don't view yourself as one. No more letting the United's of the world poach your Berbatovs and Carricks. Harry has brought the right focus and confidence to the white half of North London that is needed make a serious charge at the EPL crown. They have the manager, they have the talent, but do they have the depth? Only time will tell. 19 down 19 to go. ~E.Heffron