Sometimes it’s hard to fathom, but the Big Four as we know them won’t be able to sustain their power forever. At some point in time, one or more of those four will be dislodged and replaced by a new heavyweight. The question is, what team is capable of breaking the monopoly and which of the four clubs will be the first to drop from their mighty perch?

Call me insane, but I honestly believe that this upcoming season will see a shift in the power of English football. The club that will shake up the league reside in London N17 and is named Tottenham Hotspur.

Supporters of Spurs have been used to having their hopes built up only for them to come crashing down, but this season will be different. This will be the first full season that Juande Ramos, one of the best managers in the game, will be in charge. Last season’s experience was a good introduction for Ramos to learn more about his players, the Premier League and how things are different in England. With that knowledge under his belt, Ramos is now ready to deploy his tactical expertise in the matches against the Big Four and the other teams in the Premiership.

The four main reasons why the 16 Premier League clubs outside the Big Four have been unable to dethrone Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are:

  1. The 16 Premier League clubs have less money to spend on proven players,
  2. The Big Four have better players to choose from, both on and off the bench, and
  3. The clubs outside the top four have a lack of self belief and, as a result, psychologically think they’re unable to beat the Big Four,
  4. The 16 clubs don’t have the consistency and staying power throughout the entire season to mount a serious challenge.

With Tottenham, I believe that under Ramos they have the answer and are able to meet the four main requirements to break into the top four.

Consider these facts:

  • The club has spent more money this summer than any other Premier League side
  • Spurs has signed the most new talent such as Luka Modric and Giovanni Dos Santos
  • Tottenham now has a team who is strong in every position
  • Psychologically, Juande Ramos is turning this Spurs side into winners, and
  • Ramos is continuing to work on the fitness of the team to ensure they can play the whole season at 100%.

This is not Martin Jol’s Tottenham Hotspur. The team has been spending the summer at an exclusive golf resort in Spain where Ramos has been putting the team through its paces. I have a strong feeling about Spurs this season. I may be proven wrong, but I really believe they’ll be able to crack the top four.

Who will be the team most likely to drop out of the top four to make room for Tottenham? It has to be Liverpool. I’ve been unimpressed by Rafa Benitez’s summer signings so far. It seems like he hasn’t been given the money to get a star signing and he instead is buying another crop of players who will quickly go through the Liverpool system and be sold in the next couple of years.

The key for Tottenham is to hold on to Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov. That struggle may seem fruitless but it seems that Tottenham are fighting to hold on to them. If they are sold, then Ramos will need to make some astute signings to find players with that caliber. Both Keane and Berbatov are dynamite up front and are one of the best striking partnerships in the world when they’re on song.

It’s time for Spurs to make White Hart Lane a fortress. With the ground possessing some of the most passionate football fans in the country, it’s already an intimidating atmosphere for opposition teams. But what the club needs to do this season is to take it to the next level and to make it like Stamford Bridge where Chelsea are undefeated in the league for years. Clubs need to fear playing at White Hart Lane.

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