Roman Pavlyuchenko on his way out the door

I will not let myself slip into pessimism here but Wednesday’s game against Man City even at this stage of the season will be the defining point of the season.

After a very strong start that saw Spurs in the top four, the last month has been patchy to say the least. In the last few games, Tottenham have outplayed both Aston Villa and Everton and come away with ties. On Saturday, the team folded to the footballing powerhouse that is Wolves, a team destined for relegation again.

If Spurs had not conspired to give up two late goals and miss a penalty in extra time against Everton and then lose to those suburban brummies, they would be a point behind Man United and in third. As it is, Spurs are now in fifth and only just point aahead of Man City and Liverpool and behind Villa.

The team has to develop the killer instinct of those top teams. Tottenham all too often can’t break difficult teams down. We like our free-flowing, sexy football, but get a team that wants to kick us around and keep eleven men behind the ball, then we fold and end up giving up a lame set piece and losing. It is the sort of thing Chelsea and Man U don’t do. They can get dirty and get stuck in. They can be patient and work the problem.

I think the team misses Modric more than they know. The little Croat knows how to change games and he can produce that minute of magic. The problem is the rest of the team has to learn how to hang onto the ball, be patient and wait for that moment.

January will, of course, bring the mid-season trading season and there may be a couple of people shown the door, but Redknapp really must keep the core of the team together and get rid of a few of the distractors and get one or two really solid additions.

Obviously, Bentley will be gone, he really is a tit and a self obsessed pretty boy who is wasting his talents because he is lazy; Bale was just brutal against Everton – he looked like I would have looked out there — he can’t defend and isn’t fast enough to be proper left winger. Pavlyuchenko just isn’t fitting in and, finally, Redknapp just doesn’t like Hutton.

So what do Spurs need? Other than a kick up the arse? A left sided winger, who isn’t afraid to get stuck in and a solid experienced full back. Of course Spurs will pick up another striker and a centre back.

Wednesday won’t break the season, but it will show whether the team have to cojones to beat the nearest rivals, to pick themselves up after the Wolves fiasco and prove they can deal with the pressure that is now on. The season doesn’t get easier from now on and people are getting the measure of Spurs. Don’t expect too many more 9-1 thrashings.