This reminds me of last summer when Atletico were buying every player, people said they might be the "new big club in Madrid" because Madrid appeared to be in a decline that time. But it takes alot more than buying big names, buying local lads, luxuries etc.

Its alot more about managing what you have, If Spurs were to sack Jol and hire Capello or Ancelloti, I would be a little more worried. But they haven't done anything like that but have plunged into the market to sign Bent, when they have a formidable partnership in Keane and Berbatov.

Signed Kaboul who is unlikely to be in their first team next season for £7.5m, Dawson is just as good or even better. Like Bent, Kaboul isn't an improvement to what they have, he's taking Anthony Gardner's place in the squad. Signing players like Bent will only cause problems within the squad, players will start getting unhappy and play not to the highest standard. I would say Keane is better than Bent.

Bale signing is a good one but he lacks expereince and may be affected if he gets thrown into the deep against top premiership wingers. He is a good player but in the Premiership, a few more of his weaknesses may be exposed and people will exploit it. If Clichy was in the Championship and was British, people will say even more complimentary things about him than Bale overlooking his weaknesses and looking at his strengths more instead.

Finally, Jol obligence to not signing a playmaker, or a player in midfield that can organise and dictate play, the way Gerrard, Fabregas, Scholes, Deco, Xavi, Iniesta can do, will prevent them from being a top team. The £16.5m on Bent could have been better spent on buying a player like Moutinho, Nasri, Sneijder who have great potential to be top midfielders in the centre. Instead he prefers limited players like Zokora, Jenas, Tainio, etc who are only mid-table team players. Like Carrick, all it takes is just a good season from one of his players before they are priced away with promises of trophy, top level football and competition.

GK: Robinson, Cerny, Alnwick

CB: King, Gardner, Dervitte
CB: Dawson, Rocha, Kaboul
RB: Chimbonda, Stalteri, Ifil
LB: Lee, Assou-Ekoto, Bale

CM: Jenas, Murphy, Huddlestone
CM: Zokora, Tainio, Ziegler
RM: Lennon, Routledge, Barcham
LM: Malbranque, Taarabt, Ghaly

FW: Keane, Defoe, Bent
FW: Berbatov, Mido, Barnard

Compared to

GK: Lehmann, Fabianski, Almunia

CB: Toure, Djourou, Connolly
CB: Gallas, Senderos, O'Cearuill
RB: Eboue, Hoyte, Gilbert
LB: Clichy, Traore, Sagna

CM: Gilberto, Diaby, Song, Flamini
CM: Fabregas, Denilson, Merida
RM: Hleb, Ljungberg
LM: Rosicky, Reyes

FW: van Persie, Vela, Walcott
FW: Adebayor, Bendtner

Expansating further, I think you will see that they just have many average players vying for one position. Whereas, we have more overall quality even considering we haven't purchased any players yet this window. They lack players with high technical ability in their squad which is why they're where they are and will always be there even if teams like Liverpool don't buy any further.