Speaking on Absolute Radio before the weekend, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said that it was unlikely that he would be bringing in any new faces to White Hart Lane this winter.

Rumours have persisted in the press, most of them suggesting that Tottenham will be looking for a new striker at the very least, but Harry claims that the current form of the side means that there is no need for reinforcements.

Anyone else reached the slightly absurd conclusion that we should really win all but two of our remaining 27 fixtures? The bubble will presumably burst at some point, but if the earth continues its merry rotation around the sun in the time-honoured fashion of a few thousand years there is little reason to expect anything other than the standard, slightly tortuous three-point haul.

Another chance for us all to pore laboriously over he pros, cons, t's, c's and minutiae of the Great VDV or Defoe Debate this afternoon, and with the added caveat that, this being a home game against a newly-promoted mob, we really ought to grab the bull by the horns and play two genuine strikers.

Never mind the game today, have you seen Sandro's hair? Heavens above. The fellow has done the most extraordinary things... have yourself a perusal at around 1.50 on this clip.

Of secondary importance is the visit of that red mob. In what might as well be a 17-team division competing for fourth spot, Liverpool, along with those relentless purveyors of comedy at the Emirates, represent our principal rivals – which makes this quite the key clash in the grand scheme of things.

AANP's bosom swells with pride in announcing that the youngest nephew this week began school this week, poor blighter, and similar feelings of satisfaction and reminiscence no doubt occurred to ‘Arry as he sent forth the various assorted whelps and whippersnappers still too young to watch Goodfellas, to do us proud on the corner of some foreign field last night.

Old hat it may be for everyone else, but here at AANP Towers we bounce around the walls like toddlers on a strict diet of fizzy drinks and E-numbers as we await the start of our Premiership season. Still, rather than pacing the corridors, rubbing hands together in feverish anticipation until tomorrow night, it occurred to me that the time is rather ripe for making public the various musings that have echoed around the walls of AANP Towers all summer.

"You mean it will be difficult?"
"Very."
"Well this is not Mission Difficult, Mr Hunt, it's Mission Impossible. Difficult should be a walk in the park for you."

However, the chances seem increasingly slim that we will all have smug Tom Cruise-esque grins etched across our faces come May.

"This was our best chance for silverware this season. I now think we'll end up 6th and lose to Milan on aggregate. Back to the same old Spurs."

Thusly opined my Spurs-supporting chum Ian immediately after the full-time whistle on Sunday, presumably running out of characters in his text message before he could predict relegation, liquidation and the end of the world.