Since I first started watching football in 1992, I've been a dedeicated supporter of Tottenham Hotspurs. I have always been attracted to the attacking, flowing style of football that characterizes Spurs.

The team has always attracted some of the most exciting players. Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Paul Gascoigne, Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, Les Ferdinand, Edgar Davids, Dimitar Berbatov.

And, of course, the artistic winger David Ginola.

However, despite the presence of these great players, Spurs have not been very successful in terms of winning trophies in the last 15 years. All I have celebrated since becoming a Spurs fan are two Carling Cup trophies and UEFA Cup qualifications.

The last few seasons were better. Spurs finished 5th for two consecutive seasons before winning the Carling Cup last season. However, the real goal of Spurs is to break into the top 4 and qualify for the Champions League.

Will they finallly achieve that this coming season?

In analyzing this, it's important to look at ourself (Spurs) and our competitors.

First, let's look at Spurs.

Indeed, we have got a good manager with winning reputation in Juande Ramos. He might not have won any league trophies, but he has guided a Sevilla side to two UEFA cup trophies. That might not be the best achievements in football but it's certainly something. His managerial skills and flavor for attacking football are certainly suitable for Spurs. So, I would say that we have the right manager in place now.

Financially, the club is in very good position. Spurs has more money to spend than two of our most important competitors for the Champions League - Arsenal and Liverpool. The club has been well managed financially. This season, Spurs has spent a lot and is still spending a lot more in the coming weeks.

Now, look at the squad. This season, Spurs has officially secured 3 players: Luka Modric, Giovanni Dos Santos and Gomes. Modric was a star at Euro 2008 and his price tag of 16.8 million pounds is not expensive. Mexican Dos Santos is a true talent. Thierry Henry has picked him to be a real gem and said that he could become the world's best footballer if he wanted. Brazillian goalkeeper Gomes, bought from PSV, is also a good keeper with European experience. His statistics in the last few years has been nothing short of impressive and he's certainly going to be a better keeper than Paul Robinson.

Spurs is also on the verge of securing the services of Spanish forward Luis Garcia. This Luis Garcia is not the same player as former Liverpool Luis Garcia. This Luis Garcia is an Espanyol forward with some good techniques. This will certainly adds depth to the attacking force of Spurs. Spurs is also likely signing England winger David Bentley from Blackburn Rovers, and maybe another central defender if Michael Dawson should leave.

To finance all these purchases, a number of out-of-favor players (in fact, a team of players) will be offloaded. Paul Robinson, Lee Young-Pyo, Younes Kaboul, Anthony Gardner, Pascal Chimbonda, Teemu Tainio, Steed Malbranque, Hossam Ghaly, Kevin Prince Boateng, and Darren Bent look certain to exit White Hart Lane.

And there is also the Keane and Berbatov issues. Keane is a Rafa Benitez's target while Berbatove is Sir Alex Ferguson's. I think it's unlikely that Spurs will let both of these players leave the club at once. The most likely scenario is one of them will be leaving the club this summer.

So, this is most likely how Spurs will look like next season:

Gomes - Hutton - Woodgate - King - Bale - Bentley - Jenas - Modric - Dos Santos - Berbatov (Keane) - Garcia.

The depth of the squad is provided by Ranieri, Dawson, Gilberto, Gunter, Zokora, Huddlestone, Lennon, O'Hara and a new striker.

Not bad for a team looking for a Champions League spot? I would think so, provided that the defenders especially Ledley King do not get injured a lot.

Now, let's turn to look at Spurs' competitors - the top 4. I would say that Man Utd and Chelsea are definitely going to be in the top 4, most probably the top 2. They have great managers and great players, better than Liverpool and Arsenal. So, let's just look at Arsenal and Liverpool.

Arsenal, in my view, is going to be a weaker side than last season's. The club is financially not ready to spend big because of the money required to pay for the expensive Emirates Stadium. The club has lost important players like Hleb and Flamini, and looks set to lose striker Adebayor too. The incoming reinforecements are Nasri and perhaps Arshavin or Huntelaar. Not bad, but still the squad lacks depth, especially at the back where Gallas and Toure are not as reliable as before.

The most important asset of the Gunners is of course, Arsene Wenger. The French manager  is one of the world's finest. So, even without much money to spend on, Arsenal remains a strong team largely because of Wenger.

Liverpool also has a good manager in Rafa Benitez. The squad for the next season, however, still looks unclear. The Gareth Barry saga still hasn't ended, but most likely he will be wearing the Liverpool jersey next season. The two players they have officially signed are Degen and Dossena, both of them ony B-grade full backs. 

The Reds are also signing one new striker to replace Peter Crouch who has left for Pompey. That player might be Robbie Keane. Still, the Reds' main problem is penetration. You see that in many games they play, they have a lot of possession but not many chances of scoring. They need someone with creativity who could create chances, and they are unlikely to find that in Robbie Keane.

So, in my view, the new Arsenal and Liverpool sides do not appear to be stronger than last season's, while Tottenham certainly looks a stronger side. But are they strong enough to really challenge Arsenal and Liverpool? 

I predict that the fight for Champions League spot will be very close this year, and Tottenham's consistency and killer's instinct are key ingredients in the club's success.

Only time will tell... and I can't wait!