The August sun shone as Tottenham Hotspur impressively defeated their prestigious Italian pre-season opposition. Their Spanish-speaking boss looked on encouraged—one of his new signings had scored and the others too looked to be integrating well with the talented players already at the club.
Tottenham's 5-0 win over Roma in August 2008 excitingly concluded unbeaten preparations for the year ahead. Yet, just over two months later, their manager Juande Ramos was sacked and the team sat bottom of the Premier League, winless.
That summer should be an eternal reminder to Tottenham supporters that all pre-season results, good or bad, should be taken with a pinch of salt.