So yet again millions of pounds spent by Spurs in the summer on big name recruits, a highly successful pre season undertaken with bags of goals scored against some big teams like Roma, Dortmund and Celtic but, yet again, when it comes to the crunch we're all left bitterly disappointed and it's a case of here we go again, another false dawn.

Middlesboro away is hardly a fixture that should fill one with dread (no offence, Boro, I'm not having a dig and thought you thoroughly deserved your win yesterday) but from the moment Spurs stepped off the team bus at the Riverside things just didn't seem right.

If Ledley King is as fit as he says he is then why was our best defender and captain left on the bench? Why the hell was Bale dropped for Benoit, a guy who's barely played for the last year, and if Berbatov's attitude is spot on and he is acting like the consummate pro like Poyet and Ramos keep telling us he is then why was he too on the bench? A central midfielder, Didier Zokora, plays at right back when we have a very promising young full back in Chris Gunter, again left on the bench.

Only Ramos himself knows the answers to these questions and let's hope he provides the right solutions before Sunderland arrive at the Lane next weekend. The balance of the team just looked off yesterday but it was all too easy for Boro as well with Woodgate struggling to fend off attacks on his own at times and the midfield literally nowhere to be seen in terms of providing a defensive shield - same old same old.

Some fans will harp on about how this is only our first game and that I'm being too negative but from what I saw yesterday I have cause for concern. We had a fantastic pre season last year then look what happened when it was hammer time, we won one of our opening twelve fixtures before Jol lost his job. I'm not saying that will happen this year under Ramos but the similarities between now and last August are on the verge of coming back to haunt me and I just don't want that to happen!

I think we definitely need another centre back as Dawson, try as he might, just is not good enough when King or Woodgate are out of the side. Berbatov needs to be got rid ASAP and a replacement or two brought in and why oh why hasn't a defensive midfielder arrived over the summer. Modric looks a cracking player but he is NOT a defensive midfielder.

Maybe I'm way off the mark, in fact I really hope I am as I want Spurs to break into the top 4 more than anything this year but one thing cannot be argued against. If we are to achieve our target come what may then we need to improve drastically on the lacklustre plod in the park we saw on Saturday!

COYS!!!!