Key player contracts & our season: 5 short weeks

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The coming five weeks from January 31st when we host Manure, to March 7th when Juventus come to Wembley for the Champions League second leg, there are a series of fixtures that will prove defining to our season, and possibly many seasons beyond.

During that time we play Man U, The Gooners and Juve at our temporary adopted home of Wembley, and visit Anfield and Turin for equally mouth-watering games against the Scousers and Juve. 5 fixtures of enormous magnitude. Indeed, in the history of the Club I would doubt that five more important games have come so close together, ever.

Now history shows that we've generally struggled with away matches against top class opposition - evidence Manure, Sheik City and the Gooners this term. Three defeats to close rivals on the road, and if you take the defeat in the season opener at Wembley to Chelski, then the history isn't in our favour.

However......we are on good form, leading since early December. We're scoring lots of goals, H is on fire, Son has been brilliant, Dele is showing signs of a return to past form, and even Eriksen is looking brighter. Add to the mix a splendid performance from Moussa D against the Toffies and the prospect of a returning to fitness Wanyama, then there is mood for optimism.

We've seen a marked improvement at Wembley and we've not been too shabby on the road either. But the games come think and fast, so we need to pray for good fortune on the injury front, with no stupid disciplinary matters to deplete our, still thin, squad of top players.

A good outcome from the big ones, not to mention not letting ourselves down against the lesser sides, will surely define this season. Indeed, success against the teams closest to us in the PL is essential, never has these six-pointers been more important to us. The two CL fixtures against Juve are mouth-watering prospects. It will be good to see how we equip ourselves against one of the masters of the art of European success.

As for defining this season, I feel that if we achieve well through this intense five week period, it will give our Chairman some much needed opportunity to nail down new contracts for our key players - H, Dele, Toby, Eriksen, Sonny and any more of the starting 11 that we might be at risk of losing if our seasons falls apart in that five week window.....31/1 to 7/3.......there can rarely have been more interesting times to be a Spurs fan.......COYS.

 

Toby's return to fitness also crucial.

 

I agree Chris, but left him out of the article on the basis that he might not make many, if any, of the games.....I hope otherwise, but three months out takes a lot of recovering from....fingers crossed

 

Regarding Toby it's always a little difficult to reintroduce a centre back after a long break through injury. You wouldn't start him, but typically you don't see centre backs subbed during a game....time will tell.

 

As it stands its tight from 2nd to 6th (although i dont think the Scum are much cop yet only 4 points behind us) so we are lookin at the 3 above us for frailties if we want Top 4.
In true Spurs trophies/success doesnt matter fashion were laying in a permanent state of snoozure whilst the window is open.
Our esteemed leaders Ming the Penniless and Poch the pauper r 'happy' to dawdle/bury their heads in the sand and hope for the best.
Never mind as long as theres a project

 

Seems to be the way for the lads at the top to operate don't it. Anyway - thinking about who's available, anyone who is, we don't need/ want and anyone we want/ need isn't available (not at the prices that we'll be prepared to pay). And while I'm at it, I'm not prepared to take ANY rumour seriously anymore after seeing the Stamford Bridgers are interested in Andy Carroll. He has no comparable peer in the useless stakes other than the Hateley father and son duo of years back.

 

They were far better than Carroll Gordon....he's a real donkey......pity the deal won't go through...

 

Turning out to be another slow painful and ponderous transfer window. On the rumour mill Chelsea have been linked with llorente and if true I'd take what we can for him ASAP.
Cannot understand why aubamyang isn't a target other than his price tag. Woukd have thought wages wouldn't be a problem but who knows... Otherwise why not Dembele and sessagnon well within our budget surely.
On the plus side we are bang in form and once Toby returns full strength for a final top four push which we look good for its a shame a little bit of ambition isn't shown to seal it.

 

Baz - far better than Carroll, and I have to agree to disagree with you on that, doesn't make them reasonable by a long stretch; but like you say - pity he isn't going to Chelsea (yet ?), it'd be hilarious I reckon. Re the Juventus tie, I was reading an article about Paulo Dybala and how he has generally failed to set things alight in "big" games. Oh dear - hope this is Judas' Kiss.

 

Oops - hope this ISN'T Judas' Kiss.

 

All good writing, Bazza47. Don't forget FA Cup. We got good draw, but only so far. To me the top 4 finish is a trophy of its own, but I would love Spurs to win FA cup, while doing well in UCL and PL. That will keep well known posters here happy as well.

 

Thanks.....trying to keep us below the radar in the Cup. ....

 

Yea it's definitely **** or bust time now that's for sure .. Like I've said many times now , winning away against the top 6 is difficult for everyone , not too many home games are lost by these sides .. Suppose where you are in the table also dictates what's acceptable to a degree .. Having lost one of our home games against our rivals already and even more crucial having dropped too many points against the so called lesser sides , it leaves no margin for error at this stage .. We can't really afford to drop any points against anyone for the time being .. That gap could get rather big rather fast .. Pressures on ... Let's get the 3 points tomm first and foremost ... C.O.Y.S ....

 

Absolutely burnt.....a must win after yesterday's results....

 

Well lads - another 2 points dropped to a side that should have been seen off comfortably and as it stands we've dropped 6, yes 6, points to the current bottom 3. Not acceptable I'd say. I have neither seen nor heard any part of the game -not seen because of lack of SKY/BT, not heard because of BBC Radio's decision to air some RU game or other on 5Live and a continuous loop of just how fantastically good BBC Radio Sport is on 5Live Extra. No doubt, though, if Mourinho's bores had been performing against anyone at all we'd have been treated to that . However - back to the matter in hand, I'd welcome any thoughts from anyone who witnessed it. Saw the team on App and appalled again at Sissoko being first pick. Is that justified or not ? I'm not happy again.

 

Woeful performance .. So much wrong with that , one wouldn't know where to start .. I keep hoping we'll click into gear but , but , but ..... Dier and Sissoko are nothing players really , we don't really have a central midfield .. Ali , wow he's so ordinary , where does the hype come from , he can be a lethal finisher but his general play is so ordinary , why does he never release the ball at the right time , same thing game after game after game .. When he's not scoring he offers nothing
.. Davies , how many times does he wallop the ball off whoever's in front of him , time after time , game after game .. Could go on and on here , I know options were limited and Sonny was absolutely anonymous but at least with him you know he can do something out of nowhere ... Why not take off Dier or Sissoko , they're never going to change a game , ever .. lol ... Finally he takes off Dembele and puts on Victor , ah jaysus I love Victor but hes never going to change a game in a million years either ... In the end we have Dier , Sissoko , Wanyama all in midfield when you're looking for goals , Harry's up top with Coco the leaden footed clown and England's saviour Deli Ali .. lol poor Harry , a Deli counter would have been more helpful ... My hope is fading fast here lads ..

 

Fairly comprehensive there, burnt - can't argue with it I 'spose. In a nutshell then, we were absolute brock (again) after giving this team a pasting only 4 weeks ago. JC almighty - Top Four is disappearing over the hill, if not gone already.

 

I taught we were shocking Gordon .. Its not looking good at all I'm afraid , look at our upcoming fixtures .. If Liverpool beat Swansea tomm which I'm sure they will we'll be five behind with them fixtures coming up .. It doesn't look too promising at this moment I'm afraid ..
Sometimes you should give yourself a bit of time after a game and let the blood stop bubbling a bit before writing on these forums and maybe I'm guilty of that but this time with a little help from Mr John Jameson I freely admit , I couldn't hold back ....

 

Well i watched every minute of the non event.

Poor from all today really again only Harry that can say he tried.

Poch should shoulder a lot of the blame today, got it badly wrong.

We looked flat from the off Aurier got left in no mans land twice before 3rd time lucky the Saints got in behind again, low cross bit of fortune sanchez poked a toe out and its in off the near post.

Not long b4 Kane pulled us level seeming the only player on both sides who wanted to attack the ball from the corner and got his reward.

On the balance of play other than corners id say Saints were the better side.

So at 1-1 whats Poch got in his locker to go get these 3 points. He waits ...............
And then............ you guessed it- takes off Son our only other regular goalscorer off and puts on........... The great Argentinian dope Lamela to up our attacking threat by -50%.
Then of course the next step was to bring on a RB and a DM.
He mustve not realised hed started Sissoko and that he was infact still on the pitch.

With such in game management it was almost inevitable that we were going to go on and ............. Draw the game dropping 2 points.

But of course we are so calm, we dont need anymore players, we are happy with the squad.

 

Shocking was too good a word for that. We were total SHITE. We struggled with the conditions, the pitch, their pressure down the left. Dele was dreadful, Sonny anon.....Moussa toiled, but ploughed a lone furrow. Eriksen was badly missed. We blew the few chances we had. Why were we so nervy.....Ffs.
Horrid.