Spurs have a naivety and innocence that’s to be admired, and while it could derail their prospects of a title challenge and a lengthy run in the Champions League, at least it’s provided some exhilarating football this season – perhaps the best of any team in the Premier League.

They are a rollercoaster of a side and unpredictable in the most glorious sense. The main highlights of an adrenaline-fuelled first half of the season goes back to the Champions League preliminary against Young Boys in August when they stared elimination in the face at 3-0 down before fighting back to eventually qualify for the main event.

Two early goals in a sparkling first-half debut in Europe’s Premier competition was followed by lapses in concentration against Werder Bremen while only the concession of four goals kick-started Spurs in the San Siro, allowing the mesmerising exploits of Gareth Bale to come to the fore with a memorable hat-trick against Inter.

More steady and accomplished performances followed at White Hart Lane though as the Italians and Germans struggled to cope with Spurs’ bombastic attack.

 

Domestically, a true test of how far Tottenham progressed lay at the Emirates – their dismal recent record against North London rivals Arsenal looked set to continue when they fell two goals behind.

Three second-half goals however turned the game on its head and Spurs emerged victorious – and had truly arrived as a force – not built on hype and big talk, but one of grit, quality and the ability to deliver on its promises.

The odd farcical moment reared its head with the Nanigate debacle at Old Trafford, along with some inexplicable results at home, but Spurs haven’t deviated too much from their attacking approach – even when they were reduced to ten men against Aston Villa and Newcastle over the Christmas period.

And now Tottenham are a side that can go through the motions before flicking on a switch to decimate the opposition – an ability only previously reserved for the big three.

When they’re good, they are swashbuckling, brilliant and a team that get you on the edge of your seat. When they’re bad they can lose at home to Wigan.

It seems Tottenham need a wake-up call and only produce their best form when they’re on the brink – something that great teams do as well – but Spurs put themselves in that position once too often and won’t always have the answer.

They’re not going to win the league or even finish second. It’s also a possibility that AC Milan will show little patience for their vulnerability in the Champions League knockout phase. But Harry Redknapp’s side deserve a lot of credit for being one of the few teams that want to put on a show for the paying public. Let’s hope it’s more of the same in 2011.