Heurelho Gomes believes Tottenham are a season away from challenging for the Premier League title.
The Brazil goalkeeper insists Spurs have the players to match all-comers, but believes Chelsea and Manchester United are more ruthless at dispatching weaker rivals.
Injury-ravaged Chelsea's recent slip has helped Tottenham to within six points of the top of the table, but Gomes cautioned: "We will have to change to fight for the title."
In an interview with Brazilian website Globoesporte, he added: "We have quality. We are not as strong as Chelsea and Manchester United as a group, but individually we're no less than great teams.
"When the team is strong as a whole, they don't wobble as we have been doing in some games.
"In the League, for example, we've lost some games because of conceding stupid goals. When a team is together, they don't suffer like that. We have to grow together."
Spurs showed character to come from two goals down to win the north London derby at Arsenal on Saturday, but cheap defeats earlier in the season against Wigan, West Ham and Bolton have proved costly.
"Maybe we need another season to challenge for the title," he said. "Our team is growing, picking up confidence.
"But to take the title I think we have to stop dropping points against smaller teams. You don't see Chelsea or Manchester United wasting those points. Besides, I don't know if we can make up six points on Chelsea, but all is not lost."
