North London derby nostalgia - our top four moments

IT'S that time of year again. The North London derby brings nerves and excitement bubbling to the surface as if it were your A-level results, graduation or wedding day - except, of course, it's far more important than that!

Taxi For Maicon looks back at our favourite moments from recent clashes. It's been said a number of times that top five isn't good enough, so here's our top four...

4. Aaron Lennon - March 2013

Andre Villas-Boas' debut season had yielded some good results - not least our first win at Manchester United since before dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The organisation of a side getting used to AVB's tactical nous was clear to see but would it hold up in the pressure-cooker atmosphere? 

The answer was a resounding yes as the very same pass in-between the Gunners' centre-backs caught them out twice in three minutes at the end of the first half.

First Gareth Bale and then Aaron Lennon beat the offside trap to ensure we got our own back for the November thumping at the Emirates.

3. Rafa Van Der Vaart - April 2011

The Dutchman relished derby day and he embodied everything Spurs stands for - style, raw passion and undoubted entertainment. Oh, and he was a bit injury prone, eccentric and unpredictable - we're suckers for all that.

VdV secured his place in derby nostalgia when he "shushed" the Arsenal fans after his first goal in a 3-3 draw at the Lane. 

Then, after his second goal to complete the comback from 3-1 down, he quite literally wrestled the ball off Wojciech Szczesny after an evening-long battle with the pole.

2. Danny Rose - April 2010

One of the best debut strikes in Spurs history. We had just lost at Sunderland and had a nightmare run coming up against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United as our fight for fourth looked doomed.

At home to the Gooners, youngster Rose was drafted in at left-back as injuries took hold. And, as Manuel Almunia punched out a 10th-minute corner, he lashed a 25-yard volley through a crowded box and almost took the keeper's head off as it flew into the net.

Spurs went on to win 2-1 and beat Chelsea the following weekend before ultimately qualifying for the Champions League with a 1-0 win away at Manchester City in our penultimate game.

1. Younes Kaboul - November 2010

Two-nil down at the Emirates. Same old story as it had been for the last 17 years as we'd consistently failed to win at Arsenal.

But goals from Gareth Bale and a Rafa penalty had hauled us level with 20 minutes remaining and we were all starting to think, "Hang on, we could do this."

With five minutes left, we were ready to settle for a draw until Younes Kaboul met a free-kick from deep and glanced his header into the bottom corner. 

Another record broken and a huge hoodoo off our back, so hopefully we won't have to wait so long for another victory at the Emirates...

Roll on 4pm tomorrow! Come on you Spurs.

Spurs must heed flood warning as they splash the cash

Changes are no longer afoot - they are here. It's easy to get overexcited when your team is making big signings but Spurs are getting into dangerous territory.

Too much more cash-splashing could flood the dressing room and past experience tells us it'll ruin more than just the tilework if the floor falls through.

With Erik Lamela's arrival from Roma imminent, our summer spending is set to outstrip even Manchester City's. And all sources - including manager Andre Villas-Boas - indicate that we ain't done yet.

But it is not the cost of this rapid recruitment that is the concern - we all know where the money is coming from after all - so much as the sheer turnover of players in a squad that cannot have expected this level of upheaval.

Gareth Bale was always going to cause some summer waves following such an impressive season but, having finished fifth by just one point, surely it was a case of signing a replacement then strengthening one or two positions - mainly up front.

Instead, there have been wholesale renovations with William Gallas, Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore, Scott Parker, Steven Caulker and surely Bale all heading out and four so far coming in.

Argentine forward Lamela, 21, would make five but then we can supposedly expect deals for centre-back Vlad Chiriches and Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen to be announced "within days". 

Add to that the links with Manchester United's Javier Hernandez and Real Madrid left-back Fabio Coentrao and it's all getting a bit silly.

In the last few years, a goalscoring box fox of Hernandez' quality is exactly what we have needed but that would make 10 new additions - and nearly all of them will expect a starting place.

AVB then has the unenviable task of juggling the egos and settling them into a first-team that - like so many others in the football world - is only allowed 11 players.

The last time the revolving door span so quickly was summer 2008, under Juande Ramos. 

Luka Modric, Gio Dos Santos, David Bentley and Heurelho Gomes - among others - arrived before the season started.

They were followed before the transfer deadline by Vedran Corluka and Roman Pavlyuchenko as the spending topped £104m.

More than 10 first team players including Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Younes Kaboul, Paul Robinson and Steed Malbranque were shipped out.

What followed is the single biggest horror show I have witnessed as a Spurs fan and "two points from eight games" became Harry Redknapp's mantra for the next three years as he came in to steady the ship and steer us away from the bottom of the table.

We were stung the previous season as well, when a turnover of 12 players, including the club-record £16.5m signing of Darren Bent, led to a run of one Premier League win in our first 12 games.

So, you see, we have previous for these mass overhauls and they don't always go to plan. It's no coincidence that in four seasons of relative calm we've now finished 4th, 5th, 4th and 5th.

But it's hardly panic stations yet. We've only completed four signings. And, unlike some in the past, they are quality players.

Paulinho would strengthen any midfield and we've been waiting on a goalscorer like Roberto Soldado for years.

Nacer Chadli fills the gaping hole on the left-wing and Etienne Capoue adds a more defensive option to what looks like a regular five-man midfield.

Lamela's £25m arrival sees us veer towards luxury but seems necessary to add excitement to a frontline now lacking one of the world's most explosive players.

And, but for Romania captain Chiriches,  we're hoping that is where it stops.

Otherwise it won't be long before that dressing room needs re-tiling.

Hugo Lloris fits like a glove and is key to Spurs' good start

THREE wins in a row for Spurs and our new centre forward is already centre stage but it's also three clean sheets and Hugo Lloris is very much our unsung hero.

The keeper has been in inspired form so far, coming to the rescue on numerous occasions against Swansea and Crystal Palace.

France captain Lloris made a terrific fingertip save to deny Pablo Hernandes a late equaliser on Sunday and twice stopped the Eagles in the final few minutes last week, thwarting Damien Delaney and then Kagisho Dikgacoi.

But it is not just his shot-stopping that is proving so important to Spurs. 

The Frenchman commands his area and organises his defence. He is fast becoming one of our biggest assets and one of the Premier League's top goalkeepers.

He is quick off his line - for crosses and one-on-ones - can mix it in a busy penalty area and is not afraid to throw himself in harm's way.

At this stage last season we had one point, having let leak a late goal two matches in a row to lose 2-1 at Newcastle and draw 1-1 with West Brom at the Lane.

We may have needed two penalties to secure six points this term but we have defended the lead on both occasions and Lloris has been key to closing games out.

But the gloves didn't always fit so snug. When the £11million man arrived from Lyon last August, his position was immediately shrouded in speculation.

Brad Friedel had been a fine servant for just over a season and new boss Andre Villas-Boas was not about to unceremoniously ditch the veteran stopper for no reason.

The tabloids roared that Lloris felt insulted at being on the bench and wanted to go home to France.

In reality, a 40-year-old Friedel was never going to win the battle as the long-term option and it was only a matter of time until Lloris, 26, made the No 1 shirt his own.

We have had some good keepers in recent years but all have had their flaws.

Paul Robinson managed several years of solid service but had a knack of being beaten all ends up from 25 yards. 

Friedel was consistent but only arrived in the twilight of his career.

And Heurelho Gomes was rightly known as "the octopus" for his long arms but was only ever one bonkers decision away from KO'ing his own player or throwing the ball in his own net.

Add Neil Sullivan, Kasey Keller and Ian Walker and it's a very long time since Spurs have had such a consistent and all-round performer between the sticks.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Lloris remains calm at set-pieces and switched on for the full 90 minutes - that breeds confidence in the back four.

It is testament to the Frenchman's influence that we hurtle into the last week of the transfer window looking to strengthen almost every position but his.

That's because, after three wins built on three clean sheets, there are very few keepers out there who can do the job better than Lloris.

Tbilisi was Boom Town for Dinamo man Andros

OUR away support may have witnessed a goal rush in Tbilisi on Thursday but one Spurs fan who really struck gold was Andros Townsend.

Anyone who plays down our wings in the coming weeks will be saddled with the pressure of filling you-know-who's boots.

Yet it is not overplaying it to say that Townsend's performance in the Europa League qualifying first leg has altered the landscape of his whole career.

Prior to the game the winger, 22, was considering his options having been turfed out on loan a whopping NINE times.

The most recent of those was a successful stint at QPR in the second half of last season.

His performances reportedly impressed  a host of Premier League clubs and, with Tottenham's recent exodus of British players, Townsend looked next on our homegrown scrapheap.

The player himself admitted this week that if first-team football was not an option at White Hart Lane then he would have to move on, which put Swansea, Everton and West Brom on red alert.

But then came the Dinamo game - a goal, two assists and a man of the match display that will have thrust him to the forefront of Andre Villas-Boas' thinking.

It was exactly the sort of reaction that boss AVB would have been looking for. Townsend grabbed his chance by the scruff of the neck and shook it till its pockets were empty.

Certain recently departed Spurs players - without pointing fingers - have rarely taken opportunities in such devastating fashion.

And if, as seems to be the case, AVB is replacing some of his restrictive, two-dimensional players with more agile and adaptable alternatives, then Townsend could hardly have better proven the flexibility of his own game. 

His goal in Tbilisi was basically a foot race - explosive pace with a great finish from distance. 

It was skill, rather than speed, to beat the defender before crossing for Paulinho then a cutback with his wrong foot to feed Roberto Soldado for 3-0.

Townsend's performance ticked every box and, if he can make a habit of it against better opposition, then he'll soon find himself on every team sheet.

Never mind Willian or Bale, Levy is Spurs' best player of the summer

CAN Daniel Levy fight off Chelsea's bid to land our target Willian?  Don't put it past him, as this transfer window is turning into his finest yet.

At Taxi For Maicon, we have often maligned the chairman as saga after saga ruined the start of seasons and came back to bite us on the Arsenal  - but this time it looks like he is coming up trumps.

It was always going to be a difficult window but Levy has put the fans at ease over the sale of our prize asset. We're all now more focused on new - and future - signings. 

It hardly takes a genius to figure out that, with the extra cash we're threatening to splurge, Gareth Bale is on his way to Real Madrid - selling Steven Caulker, Tom Huddlestone and Scott Parker just doesn't generate the sums being talked about.

True, we're a wealthy club AND there was a big Premier League broadcasting deal but the board has a new stadium to finance and you don't see Stoke or Norwich  throwing extra money around like us.

We had already spent £60m this summer but if Brazilian midfielder Willian arrives this week and Roma's Eric Lamela follows then our spending will smash the £100m mark.

Bale's departure had the potential to tear the heart out of the squad while branding the words "selling club" on to  the sign above the front gate.

But the chairman has played it right every step of the way, proving that he has learned valuable lessons from the late-window departures of Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric.

In each case the pre-season was disrupted and we were left struggling to sign replacements at 11.55pm on deadline day.

This time round Paulinho was secured early in the summer and followed up with Soldado in good time. It has settled the supporters' nerves and showed prospective targets that we still mean business.

Any squad disruption was nipped in the bud and "injured" Bale was hooked out of the first-team as Real speculation began to swirl around our Enfield training complex. 

Now if he does leave, any hole in the dressing room has already had time to heal.

Levy has a reputation for quibbling over the odd million quid and missed out on Joao Moutinho from Porto when last year's window slammed shut on his fingers. No such problem now.

Paulinho for £16m, then Soldado for £26m. Yet he still gets to practice hardball over Bale's move to Real. And therein lies the chairman's trump card.

In delaying the Bale deal, Levy has been able to spend the winger's transfer fee before other clubs hold us to ransom.

Willian has supposedly passed a medical and Roma forward Eric Lamela is also a big-money target. If Spurs had sold Bale for a world-record fee, then rest assured all of these signings would have cost far more.

Newcastle stung Liverpool to the tune of £35m when the Reds wanted Andy Carroll to replace £50m man Fernando Torres.

Levy brought in Franco Baldini came in as our technical director in June. Those who remember Jacques Santini and Juande ramos will know that this continental structure has failed for Spurs TWICE before.

But in the modern-day game - of transfer fees that sound more like the budget deficit and of contract battles that could be turned into epic Hollywood movies - maybe we're beginning to think Levy is right.

Big teams need big arrivals. And big arrivals are a big job, not a sideshow for the guy who already has to design the tactics, coach the players and manage a happy dressing room of inflated egos.

Levy's approach to this difficult window has to be applauded as it has given us the best chance possible of progressing to the next level - with or without Gareth Bale.

Does the Palace result change the look of life after Bale?

LIFE after Gareth Bale is still a talking point rather than a reality.

But was  a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace enough to show that our season is in good hands with or without the Welshman?

Spurs have a terrible record on the opening day and had only won two of their last 12 curtain raisers going into Sunday's match. 

So at least the first hurdle is cleared and points are on the board - but should Spurs fans have expected more?

We spent nearly £60m on a host of world-renowned internationals - next to Palace boss Ian Holloway's £6.5m on Dwight Gayle, who was playing in the Conference North two years ago - why did we have to rely on a penalty to beat the Premier League new boys?

Well, based on the performance, it's all down to luck really. We had some great chances that could have seen us 2-0 up by  the break and four or five by the end.

First half, the hosts defended well but we controlled the game and never looked likely to concede. 

We surrendered possession lightly a few times as our new look midfield found its passing range but nothing to worry about as the new boys looked right at home.

Roberto Soldado was sharp. He helped tee up Mousa Dembele in the first half and Gylfi Sidurdsson in the second - either chance could easily have found its way in.

The Spaniard was also composed to score the winner from the spot early in the second half - and that's our first Premier League penalty in over a season.

Nacer Chadli was unfazed filling Gareth Bale's boots on the left-hand side and Paulinho picked the ball up deep and drove us forward.

And Danny Rose looked sprightly on his return from loan at Sunderland.

Unlike the start of last season when we endured a few limp performances, this time round we arrived with intention.

Sigurdsson nearly scored a stunning first-half snapshot that Julian Speroni was at full stretch to tip over and sub Jermain Defoe should have done better when he charged through the Eagles defence only to drag his shot wide.

It hardly sent a message to the Premier League, unlike Manchester United's 4-1 win at Swansea or City's 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle last night.

But there was enough talent on display to calm the nerves and show that "life after Bale" may yet be a time of excitement, rather than cause for concern.

Levi's hardball stance has never been harder - and with good reason

THE PRESS are saying that Daniel Levy values Gareth Bale at upwards of £100million. The neutrals are saying that is too much for anyone - but are they all gloriously missing the point?

Maybe Levy just has no interest in making this process easy for the Spaniards.

Real have not exactly gone about their business in a civilised manner. They have  refused to take no for an answer, unsettled their target and gone back on their word.

Levy has umpteen reasons NOT to do business with them. And the impression is that he would sooner walk away from the deal and keep our star player .

Yet Bale's desire to leave may be forcing his hand and, if our chairman does have to play ball with these cowboys, he is now bound to play with the hardest ball he can throw.

When we sold Luka Modric to Real last summer, the deal came with handshakes, smiles and an unprecedented "goodwill agreement", meant to benefit both parties.

At the time, Spurs claimed: "The partnership agreement will see the two clubs working together in respect of players, coaching, best practices and commercial relationships."

But it seems Real have translated that as:  "Spurs will bend over and allow Madrid to penetrate as and when they please."

Frankly, it's a joke. We've gained nothing from said agreement other than years of disrupted pre-seasons.

If word is to be believed then Los Blancos - or Los Wankos - haven't even finished paying for Modric yet, so quite why anyone would expect Levy to sign away another asset without cash up front is anybody's guess? 

And can Real afford cash up front for Bale? Can they buggery.

Levy is said to have met Real president Florentino Perez in Miami, Florida, this week but a deal is reported to be a long way off. 

Madrid are in the US for a warm-up tournament and Levy has supposedly rebuffed a family holiday over there to get it sorted out.

Spurs owner Joe Lewis, who owns a house nearby, is bound to be either a phone call - or just a long boardroom table - away, so these negotiations are not going to be easy for the suitors.

They have openly courted Bale for the last few weeks, with club media rag La Marca, club ambassador Zinedine Zidane and even manager Carlo Ancelotti - who should know better - sticking their oar in to turn his head.

This offer should have come at the start of the summer. And it wouldn't surprise if Levy is angling for one more year and a quick sale next summer.

After all, the late-window sales of Dimitar Berbatov and Modric knocked our early season form so heavily that he can't want to flirt with all that again.

But if hardball is the game, and Real want their man immediately, then Levy is well within his rights to smash them out of the park. 

Why did nobody baulk at the selling of Caulks?

NO ONE can argue that the arrivals of Paulinho, Nacer Chadli and Roberto Soldado have added necessary strength to our midfield and attack - but when was it decided that we had too many defenders?

The sale of centre-back Steven Caulker to Cardiff for £9million is a strange decision to say the least, yet it seems to have been accepted without question. 

Caulker broke into our first team last season and went on to make 28 appearances, scoring twice. He also made the England squad in November, bagging a debut goal during the 4-2 friendly loss in Sweden.

He spent the 2011-2012 season on loan at Swansea for their first season in the top-flight and made 26 league appearances. That takes his Premier League tally to 44 games - not bad for a 21-year-old.

Even more surprising in the transfer of the young Londoner is that he came up through our own youth system.

Spurs have a great record of producing top defenders. And following in the footsteps of Sol Campbell and Ledley King, everything seemed in place for Caulker to continue his ascent next season.

But his departure means we now need to find another player to fill our "homegrown" contingent.

For anyone that has forgotten, since 2010-11, Premier League rules have stated that each 25-man squad must have eight players that have come through a British training academy.

That seems to have slipped everyone's mind while we've been spending £50m on three foreign players.

Admittedly, a club needs to recoup their outgoings but surely we're going to have to replace Caulker otherwise the squad looks worryingly short of defenders. 

The club website lists just three recognised centre-halves and one of those is Younes Kaboul, who spent most of last season out injured.

It seems ironic that after addressing our shortage of attackers, we now need a defender. 

The ideal candidate would no doubt be young, British and proven in the Premier League - maybe with a future in the England squad. And you can bet he will cost a damn site more than £9m.