What for this season?

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Now for 3 seasons we've finished top 4 with 1 mini title challenge, 1 genuine title challenge and a 3rd place on the last day.

We had 1 poor Champions League campaign which turned into a dismal Europa League campaign and 1 good campaign that ended disappointingly prematurely from the position we were in.

Our Domestic Cup efforts have been bordering on negligent to farcical despite having had many favourable draws and the obvious quality to have actually won something.

As we embark on Pochettino's 5th season in charge with finally the giant millstone on the verge of completion, a team that boasts 9 players from the last 4 in the world cup (including 1 winner and the Golden boot winner), a 3rd Champions league campaign on the bounce to look forward to I'm wondering as a fan base what they think the bar should be set at this season?

Are we still playing the plucky underdog role, punching above our weight with the Big Boys happy for the little victories and odd results, or are we going to be expecting more?

The transfer window to date has been a complete non starter for us with 19 days left to improve the 1st team output and our over all chances of achieving something memorable quickly seeming less obtainable, while again watching clubs around us strengthen.

With ticket hikes for the new destination, the matchday revenue increases, the TV & Sponsorship increases year on year that ENIC have enjoyed - (not us) while putting next to nothing back into our 1st team yet expecting us to pay through the nose for the privileges of knowing we're close but never really quite there something's gotta give soon hasn't it?

So I'm wondering as fans what people expect from this season for A it to be counted as progress and successful & B what would be unacceptable/not good enough?

Now to put this into perspective we are playing against 5 sides for the home honours, Man City undoubtedly the favourites due to the financial clout/manager/ squad, Liverpool interestingly seem to be the most ambitious so far of the chasing pack in this window, Utd have a winner in charge and a handful of quality players, both the Chavs and Scum in transition new managers/questions over players etc.

So for me and for a team with the playing personnel at hand we have currently , the fact they're settled I only see City and Pool as the 2 teams we should be worried about and seeing as we've finished above both in last few seasons there's no reason for the inferiority complex we should be in the Hunt/Mix for the Title from the off if the drive/hunger is right not hoping for top 4. I'm not saying we must win it or any type of entitlement just that we should be in the Mix towards end of season.
Champions league is a must reach knockout stages minimum, after that it all depends on the draw and rub of the green.
Domestic Trophies we Must put something in the Cabinet no ifs buts maybes should've would've could've the baron spell has gone on for far too long, the club needs silverware no matter how much Poch or some would say it doesn't matter - it does !!!! And it's not beyond our capabilities.

Now we've had more projects, transitions, plans than Levy could count on an abacus over the last 15years building at a snail pace often stagnant, often 1 step forward 2 steps back, new direction, managers/players/goals etc but surely Now is the time to take the next step?!?!

I want to see lessons have been learnt from seasons previous, it's ok saying that they'll learn from this result/match/run if they come back stronger and right those things the next time round, there's little evidence to show they do.

This season I want to see pro active player purchases (not optimistic on that front)
I want to see us start on the front foot, not 2 months in and chasing a 8/9 point gap.
I want to see tactical improvement and not just from Pochettino the players need to step up and take responsibility in the tighter/tricky games.
The naivety needs to stop, yes play our game but know when to shut up shop and protect what you've got.
Better use of the squad , let's not run the 1st team into the ground until they're struggling or we're 1 injury away from it going tits up.
Treat the Domestic competitions with respect and in turn the paying loyal fans!

Now I can accept not winning a trophy again as long as on those days we've really give it our all - but I can't accept though the whimpering about and limping out of competition anymore.
For example City going out to Wigan because of Wigan's valiant effort was more honourable imo than our no show Vs Utd especially after being 1 up we literally just had no idea how to hold onto it and these are the improvements I'd like to see a winning mentality!

But I'm interested to know as a collective what fans think and is it now time we stopped accepting 2nd best/nearly men and started demanding more?

 

Good article..
I did have high hopes for this season.But like you say it is frustrating watching your rival's strengthen whilst we sit on our hands.
If we don't get genuine competition for Kane and some more midfield options it will be more of the same l am afraid.
We simply don't have the depth if our first team is off form or injured.

 

Thanks

Is this good enough from the Club though in your opinion Unsey?

Shouldn't there be more pro activity/planning/conviction?

 

The recruitment at Spurs is flawed. Sissoko, Aurier, Llorente, Stambouli, Fazio, Paulinho, N'Jie, N'Koudou, Janssen - all big flops.

Selling players who could make a difference - Sigurdsson, Holby, Chadli and replacing them with Sissoko, N'Jie and N'Koudou says it all. What a farce.

The academy players at Spurs look doomed, which is why some are preferring to move abroad.

Pochettino has only ever promoted 2 players from the academy and given them regular game time - Ryan Mason, who he sold, and Harry Winks. That is it.

There seems to be a myth that Pochettino gives young players a chance. This only applies to those the club have brought in from other clubs.

 

No its not good enough.
But as a Spurs fan I'm use to it.
I know we can't complete with the big clubs but like the poster above says our punts in the market have not been good enough.
Watching Liverpool address there problems already only heightens my frustration.

 

It is quite clear with the rose tints off that a lot of what Pochettino is bigged up about and renowned for has many a hole in it unfortunately.

I think the problem with our recruitment for far too long now is that it completely revolves around money rather than actual talent or what we need.

Saving or squeezing a buck seems far more important than improvement.

Whenever there is a new player we're actually interested in there always has to be a
'contract running down/out'
'frozen out of their current team'
'the next .....[insert]'
'club are in financial difficulty'

It's never a case of that's who we want lets go get him because of their stand out quality and that's where we've been going wrong for too long imo

 

In truth everyone is playing for 2nd aren't they. City are million miles ahead of us all. They have the best squad the most money the best 11 and the world's best manager.
Last season we were better than Liverpool but they've shown massive intent so I think they'll take 2nd. Given our inactivity I'd expect utd to grab 3rd so it's us fighting for fourth with Chelsea in disarray and the goons who despite there signings who all look average no better than last year. We need to get out the group stage at least. We have to win a cup and I'd prioritise one of them in particular the fa Cup. I'd use the squaddies in early rounds and target the trophy once we reach Premier league sides.
All in all a cup and 4th will represent a good season given we are likely to sell one of our only 2 world class players and as yet haven't strengthened and its disappointing as we are clearly going backwards unfortunately that's the truth.
In regards to Poch bringing thru youth and his reputation I'd suggest it's more difficult to bring them thru when your at a club with greater goals and higher stakes but in the Premier league of over 25 yrs we've brought thru walker Carr Campbell King Barmby and Kane so it's a club problem rather than a Poch one. Most other clubs are the same especially those with money to spend.

 

Big Fran - Kyle Walker was not a Spurs academy player. Spurs bought him from Sheffield United.

I hope that Oliver Skipp gets an opportunity to impress in USA, because he looks a top prospect has great technical ability and can actually play proper football, unlike Sissoko.

 

Ian walker sorry m8

 

The Premier League, now more than ever, is a Success Now Or You're Fired set-up due to the huge barrel-loads of money spilling all over the place. Everybody knows this, it's not a lightbulb moment I've just had and no-one else has experienced. So - if you've got the money then it's a sight easier to buy cups'n'stuff. No surprise then, that the last Academy product out of Stamford Bridge to have any first team success was John Terry even though they've won the FA Youth Cup for five consecutive years and Manchester City with, reputedly, the best Academy set-up and most promising kids, don't look like promoting many of them any time soon. We've got a shiny new ground to pay for, ergo not much - if any - spare cash to play with and things won't change for quite a while. Any imports will probably have to be mainly financed by exports but here's the thing - the proposed exports, everyone seems to be agreed who they are, are mainly recent big money imports of dubious quality. Who does the scouting, if such a quaint old-fashioned activity still goes on ? Or is it a 20- second YouTube appearance that gets all at WHL in a tizz ? Answers please. Years back in the 60's I remember Spurs buying Laurie Brown from the Goons, swapping Jimmy Robertson for David Jenkins (Goons again) and in the 70's buying Willie Young from Aberdeen, total dumplings to a man, so it's been going on for years but not at the rate of recent times. I'm perplexed to say the least.

 

Have to agree sadly.
It looks like more of the same, a shambolic mess around in the transfer window until the very end when a couple of awful panic buys happen.
Don't Levy and Poch learn their lessons ?? it seems not
Maybe we should hire Klopp for a month to do our business, he has bought really well and promptly.
I also agree that this idea that Poch is great with young players is looking a bit dubious, how many have broken through into being first team regulars in the last 3 years ? it looks like a lot feel they are better off somewhere else.
Very sad, with the addition of maybe 2-3 class players we would be there, now it looks like Liverpool, and god help us West Ham might be there instead !

 

The lack of signings worry me once again! we have to strenthen to keep up but our lack of activity is alarming! we are the only premiership side not to sign anyone and we are going after a championship player and that's it! What happened to Poch's talk about being brave and getting signings in early to bed in? Levy will never change for the best and will wait until the last day again for some panic buys jeez! Poch is trying to do his job with no backing from that scrooge Levy, we won't win anything while Enic are there! if Kane get's injured for the season god forbid that's our season over with no other decent alternative, we need a decent second striker, a winger and a midfield general and that's as long as nobody is sold! maybe a replacement for Toby aswell? Levy likes screwing clubs but won't pay the going rate that's the problem with us and that's what's holding us back from winning things. i will be happy with top 4 but would trade that for one season only for a trophy of any kind.

 

Hopes are one thing, but expectations quite another, and my expectations are currently very low indeed (even for a perpetual pessimist). Our World Cup contingent will start the season barely rested, Son will be battling to avoid conscription, and I'll be astonished if we're not well off the pace in the PL within a couple of months. The upside could be a long overdue concentration on the domestic cups, and perhaps even a longer run in the CL, but so much depends on factors that defy project management (form, fitness, luck and, above all, what the opposition is like) that it's really anybody's guess whether this season shows genuine progress, or a further slip back towards the EL pack, which we only narrowly avoided last time. On the other hand, I HOPE that we sweep the board, domestically and in Europe, that world peace is declared, and that Count Arthur Strong comes back to Radio 4 without the PC baggage that ruined the TV version. That'll do for me.

 

Another day goes by - some rumblings about Grealish not a lot else

Brave this is not!

17 days left

And by the looks/sounds of things bit dubious if the Grounds gonna be ready for even the Liverpool game.

 

It's a joke mate. Best we can hope for now is to keep rose Toby and Dembele...

 

Tottenham have put up 7 players for sale. Crazy! Ah Remy?

 

What would people deem a fair price for someone like martial and what should we be willing to pay. Would he be a good signing?

 

45-50 mil realistically imo, he's not top class bracket and is a bit part player at UTD.
He's decent , quick, can score goals, versatile and has age/longevity on his side would be a good option/aquisition definite upgrade on the cart horse and jankssenn.

 

I think the kid has bags of potential still only 22 with a coach who believes in him..
He's been destroyed by mourinho and won't be the last youngster to either with rashford well on his way down.
His first season at utd gets around 17 goals on 49 games under van gaal. The following two seasons under Jose around 19 in 87 games. Overall he's still scored in the league at a ratio not far short of 1 in 3 games despite playing out wide and a lot of sub appearances. I'd pay 70m in this climate no probs. Exactly want we want young hungry pacy scores goals and can play out wide or up top as a CF so won't upset the fans who think Harry should be untouchable

 

70mil for me is World Class territory if we're spending those sums, I personally don't see Martial at this level (potentially maybe) 45-50 mil would be a fairer value even in today's obscene market imo

Also I'd value Zaha at a similar price