Part of the late season bad run, I'd guess, was that Spurs last year were poor mudders, like Arsenal actually. The faster and more attractive football you play, the less well you're likely to do on a wet and/or cold or otherwise substandard pitch. Both Parker and Ade should help, Parker for grit and work level, Ade for set pieces.
Interesting for me to note cultural differences. When I see game in hand, I make up for it in my head: so Spurs have 22 points from 10 games, meaning they're averaging 2.2 (let's call it 2) points a game, so they're now, the way I figure it, a point up on Newcastle, and 4 on Chelsea and Liverpool.