With the season over [and three long months to the next one – God!], it’s only now that we can fully assess the different aspects of the season - the positives and negatives, highs and lows, how the team and the players performed over the season.

Understandably a certain Mr. Bale has won plaudits for his season and may well have scooped nearly everyone’s player of the season.

But what about the new signings – how have they fared and who should be the signing of the season?

Hugo Lloris

A summer deadline day signing [now where have I heard that before?] from Lyon, the French international captain was eased into the team by AVB gradually establishing himself ahead of Brad Friedel.

On this day back in 2007, 17-year-old Welshman Gareth Frank Bale put pen to paper on a 4-year contract at Tottenham Hotspur after coming through the ranks at Southampton. The initial paid fee was £5M, with Spurs eventually dishing out an extra £2M for the financially struggling Saints.

Today, Bale is considered to be one of the Premier League’s – or even the world’s – best footballers, with a price tag in excess of £50M.

Bale was signed by Martin Jol after a rapid rise to fame as a 16-year-old at the South Coast club. However, his Spurs career looked to be done for after he failed to pin down a permanent spot in the team.

In August 2007 when asked if he would consider selling the club’s prized asset Dimitar Berbatov, then Spurs manager Martin Jol replied ‘I’d rather die’. With all this talk of selling our current superstar of 2013, ask yourself – what would you go through to keep the brilliant Bale at the club?

We at Spurs may hold an incorruptible faith that our Welsh Wizard will stay for at least one more season, but beyond May 2013 who are all unfortunately none the wiser.

With Real seeming to be the most likely destination, can we really keep Bale out of reach for the biggest club in world football?

Following in the Footsteps of Luka Modric

This scenario seems strangely familiar doesn’t it? After failure to qualify for the CL, our best player is linked with a move to one of Europe’s footballing elite. Once again, our Chairman looks set to stand firm and keep his club’s main man for at least one more season.

Those of you who were looking to see Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho wearing a Spurs shirt next season, prepare to be let down.

French side AS Monaco, who were taken over by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev in December, have £100M to play with after the tycoon bought a majority share in the Ligue 2 champions. Porto star Moutinho is poised to be the first of many signings planned by manager Claudio Ranieri, who also targets Ramadel Falcao from Atletico Madrid, Carlos Tevez from Man City and Patrice Evra from Manchester United.

With endless speculation over whether or not Mr Levy will open up his chequebook this summer, it is easy to forget about the opposing end of the transfer window.

Spurs are one of the most financially sound clubs in the League, yet have been famed for high-profile leavers rather than big name signings in past seasons.

Yet there are still a few drifters amid the Tottenham squad. Drifters which that, unless they can prove themselves useful within the pre-season time scale, could find themselves folding up their kit and leaving N17 for new lands rather swiftly...

Behind the season ending disappointment there have been many positives in AVB’s first season, perhaps most notably AVB himself.

A young tactically astute coach, that has brought organization, character, Plans B, C and D to the team. Who has conducted himself as we would want, polite, erudite, evasive [to the media] when need be and conducted issues behind closed doors.

His partnership with Stefan Freund has seemed almost symbiotic at times particularly on the touchline, where the passion for our club and warmth of his relationship with the players has been evident.

Positives in the performance of Bale, the impact of our new arrivals [more of which another day], the improvement of Aaron Lennon and others; that considering this was a transitional season, considering the loss Ledley, Rafa, Modric and season ending injuries to Younes and Sandro that to be fighting until the last day for a top four position could be considered an overachievement.

With the curtain falling on the 2012/2013 season, now seems an apt time to evaluate Andre Villas-Boas’ first season in charge at White Hart Lane.

Missing out on the Champions League was disappointing, but all things considered, there is promise of great things to come.

Shaky Start

No matter what you thought of the man, Harry Redknapp was our most successful manager in a long time. Under him we managed two Top 4 finishes and, although his final season ended on a low, his tenure at Spurs should be considered a success.

A tough act to follow then, not least because AVB was mocked and deemed a failure after his spell at Chelsea. It was a controversial decision to appoint AVB to say the least, but we at Spurs don’t do managerial appointments quietly.

2. Clint Dempsey

APPS – 29, GOALS  - 7, RATING – 6/10

Another new addition to the new-look Spurs side. Dempsey failed to win over some Spurs fans this season despite scoring some massively important goals. His strike won the game for us at Old Trafford and he added a late equaliser in the reverse fixture. He was prolific in Switzerland against Basel and finished the season as our 3rd highest goal scorer overall, filling in the left-wing gap left by Bale’s inward ventures.

6. Tom Huddlestone

APPS – 20, GOALS – 0, RATING – 5/10

Yet to be allowed to cut his hair, Huddlestone only really made an impact on the team in the closing stages of the season. Sandro’s injury looked to open up the spot for him but Parker and Dembele looked to have it covered.  We never really saw the worldy passes that he is capable of, and he never got the opportunity to let rip with his deadly right boot.

Although the season may have ended with a bad taste in the mouth for Spurs fans after missing out on Champions League qualification, there are countless positives to take out of what has been a largely successful campaign.

Of the 23 players that represented Spurs in the Premiership this season, all of them showed commitment to the team cause and did the watching fans proud. To show for it, they have a record points score and a deserved place in next year’s Europa League – a competition we showed to be hugely beneficial and worthwhile.