IT is tempting to talk of this team through the achievements of those who are most eye-catching: Bale and Modric, Lennon and Walker, Parker, Defoe, Adebayor.

 

But one of the ever-presents in this wonderful season deserves a mention. We need to talk about Kaboul.

 

While today Tottenham's midfield proved yet again they are simply unplayable when they are on top of things, and that our centre-forwards like a good few attempts before they get their names on the scoresheet, Younes Kaboul's contribution in this spell – which includes a club record-breaking sixth successive victory – must not be overlooked.

 

Today he played alongside William Gallas, and while Gallas is clearly the older statesmen in the duo, Kaboul's burgeoning reputation made it feel very much like he was the bossman at the back.

 

Kaboul showed his attributes when we bought him five-odd years ago, a callow 20-year-old who cost us £8m from Auxerre. But he joined a side in a state of flux, was paired alongside Anthony Gardner, and although he showed his skill getting on the scoresheet three times in his first few appearances and showing real athleticism, he got some flak for the odd mistake caused by inexperience.

Spurs got rid of Martin Jol soon after Kaboul had been bought, and the new man Juande Ramos didn't rate him. I recall at the time thinking it was an odd way to treat an investment of £8m  – he was hung out to dry, defeats being blamed on him rather than the team. He deserved sympathy – he was a youngster, moving to a new city where he didn't know anyone nor spoke the language, thrown straight into a struggling side and asked to shore things up. When he went to Portsmouth, I felt Spurs had missed a trick.

 

Harry Redknapp realised this and bought him back, but for a time last term it didn't seem he would get too much playing time – with Dawson, Gallas, King and Bassong all enjoying periods in the berth. Kaboul had to play a waiting game.

But this season his patience has paid off. Redknapp likes to say a few pep-me-up words about his players after the game, but even though he bigs up his charges regularly, Kaboul seems to get more than his fair share of bouquets. I sense it is because Redknapp may subsconsciously worry that while it is easy to admire the flair players in this side, the solid foundations their trickery sits on can go unnoticed. 

 

In my notebook, I have scrawled Harry saying: "The boy has the lot…he has it all to be a top, top player…" on many occasions.

And watching him today, in a game where Spurs dominated going forward and there was no period of sustained pressure for the defence to deal with, Kaboul's more graceful game was apparent. He is not only big, good in the air, fast over the ground and strong in the tackle, he has a deft touch for a centre-back. He brings the ball down so confidently, and likes nothing more than to be the springboard for another assault. When he pings a pass into the channels it shows a wonderful sense of how the game should be played, an understanding of the angles and the percentages, a rational, decision-making brain, someting that is the difference between being merely a rugged, strong stopper to a great centreback.

 

He was instrumental in the run to the summit.

 

Bolton's resistance melted away almost immediately at the Lane. On six minutes, Bale got his engine running and beat his man on the left. His ball to Adebayor went on to Lennon and his shot was deflected for a corner. Modric took it, Bale ghosted across the face of the six-yard box, and with Wanderers static, he flipped it home from close range. Seconds later he found space again and his cross was narrowly pushed wide by Defoe.

 

Then Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill was sent off for taking out Scott Parker after he nicked the ball off the defender's toes and suddenly there was the sense that Spurs may finish this off rather quickly. Chances came and went and the pace on the flanks just caused problem after problem for the 10-man visitors.

It was all Spurs as Bale, Parker, Ade and Defoe all forced Jussi Jaaskelainen into fine stops. Ade drilled one wide after Bale took the Bolton defence to pieces with a great cross-field ball, but to be honest, the one-way traffic was so heavy I soon lost count of the chances Spurs created and settled back to enjoy the spectacle.

 

The second period started as the first had finished, Spurs immediately got forward, Lennon cut back for Modric, and only the back of Defoe, who was trying to get out of the way, stopped it being two. Within minutes it was. A super-quick break – prompted by Kaboul heading clear a corner – saw Lennon step into the box, pull off two outrageous dummies to carve himself space, and nail it home. It was a terrific finish by Lennon – in the past he has been criticised for his goals ration but that was superb, not dissimiliar to the goal he hit away last month against Fulham.

 

The third came on 60 minutes, when a Modric corner was flicked on by Bale and Defoe smuggled it home. Then it was pretty much like a cat playing with a mouse, and chance after chance went begging.

 

After the game, Redknapp said he didn't look at league tables and that he wasn't sure if he had ever been second before (he hasn't).

He also said he had never said Spurs would win the title, just that it "wasn't impossible".

 

"City are favourites followed by United," he said in his deadpan way at the post-match press conference.

"We are in good form but so is everyone else in the top six."

 

He then went on to heap praise on his charges and said it was the strongest squad he has ever worked with. And you get the sense that for all of his playing down the fact we go into Christmas with a heap of winnable games in front of us and embedded in the top four, Harry Redknapp is rubbing his hands and plotting a prolonged spring title challenge.