PA PhotosTottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saves at the feet of Libor Kozak

1. And the new and undisputed Tottenham first-choice goalkeeper is... Hugo Lloris.

He was in unbeatable form on Thursday and if we roll up at White Hart Lane on Sunday to find Brad Friedel between the sticks, I'll be the first person on the phone to have Andre Villas-Boas committed.

I don't think we'll have to worry about any more switching back and forth, though. On Thursday, Lloris earned his Spurs, or rather, earned his right to call himself the Spurs' keeper.

He saved everything that came at him, was equal to any aerial onslaught and when called into action became our sweeper-keeper, rushed out of goal to deal with any danger.

Yep, I'll have some of that for the next 10 years, which is potentially how long Lloris could be our No. 1. Successful teams need a stable presence in goal season after season. We might have landed ourselves one and he's at an age (25) where he could still get even better.

2. Midfield now has more options

If you can put in a good performance at the ground of a decent Italian side then there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to play in the Premier League.

At long last Spurs' youth system is providing the first-team squad with useful players. First we had Jake Livermore, then Steven Caulker and now Tom Carroll, who looks every inch a Spurs player.

By that, I mean a midfielder who isn't afraid to take possession and can pass well. There was a time Spurs used to churn out such players. There was Glenn Hoddle, of course, who was less a product of a good coaching system and more a gift from God, but also fine players such as Micky Hazard and Ian Crook.

Carroll looks as if he has the talent to follow in their footsteps. What's more, when the youngster was eventually replaced, we were able to bring on Mousa Dembele. Has ever a player been missed so badly, having played so few games? Things are looking up in the middle of the pitch.

3. Spurs had another half-decent midfielder once...

His name was Paul Gascoigne. He would later play at Lazio and it seems that their fans still love him just as much as Spurs supporters do. Indeed, there has been a banner bearing Gazza's image on show at each of their home games since he left the club.

I've spent much of Thursday reading articles recounting old Gazza stories. In an era when he generally makes the headlines for his demons, it's nice to be reminded how he could make everybody laugh. On Friday I'm going to root around on YouTube and remind myself what an amazing footballer he was.

4. Dempsey and Sigurdsson are still struggling

Both were substituted as Tottenham went in search of the win and it wasn't surprising considering that they were largely anonymous.

To be fair, they weren't helped by the curious decision by AVB to play Dempsey behind the striker and Sigurdsson on the right, when surely the reverse made more sense.

With Emmanuel Adebayor now banned for the next three league games, either Sigurdsson and Dempsey (probably the latter) will have to feature. They will need to perform better if Spurs are to return to winning ways.

5. English fans are still paying for past sins

A group of Spurs fans were ambushed by a larger collection of armed Lazio 'fans' Wednesday night, with one Tottenham supporter suffering a very serious injury.

When the Europa League draw was made we were debating the merits of a trip to Rome. A Spurs supporting Italian friend who was with us said: "Don't go to Lazio." He didn't need to elaborate to know exactly what he meant.

They certainly have a reputation for trouble, as English clubs once did during their regretful era of extreme hooliganism. Sadly, the crimes of a past generation continue to cause problems for today's largely peaceful travelling support. English fans are seen not just as a target but as a trophy for a certain breed of violent moron.

Dan Fitch is the founder of Tottenham Blog and editor-in-chief of Unibet's range of content sites. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DJFitch

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