MIKE McKINLEY: Juande Ramos has Midas touch for Spurs

Well, it seems I did the lads a huge disservice by suggesting that the summer hols might have already arrived and they were just playing out time. No sooner had I scribbled that out than they were serving up one of the games of the season against Chelsea

Well, it seems I did the lads a huge disservice by suggesting that the summer hols might have already arrived and they were just playing out time.

No sooner had I scribbled that out than they were serving up one of the games of the season against Chelsea. Now, we're no strangers to excitement at the Lane this season, but even in a season of superlatives this was a special game coming against a side chasing the biggest prizes, not to mention seeking revenge for Wembley.

Showing great quality and fight to come back and draw level three times, it still managed to be a case of "if only" when the last minute chance fell to Berba, surely the man we'd most want in that position.

Alas, Cudicini got a hand on it and the honours were shared, but it was another step hopefully on the path towards genuinely challenging the so-called "big four".

Pompey's visit was always going to struggle to match up, and sure enough it was a much more lukewarm affair, but again one that managed to add a little more to the ever-growing Ramos aura. Juande does love a tactical change, and is the master of the bold substitution as shown once more on Saturday. It reinforces the thought that he might just have the nous, not to mention enough Midas touch, to make next season very interesting.

So from a manager who can do little wrong to one who seems to have had the opposite effect.

Long-term Spurs sufferers will be glad that Kevin Keegan notched a win before bringing his side to Dr Tottenham's surgery. In theory, we should be far too good for them, so expect more thrills at the home of entertainment.