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What the pundits & media are saying about us

Spurs1960

Spurs1960

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2011
2,424
1,220
davidmatzdorf said:
As the league has become more competitive in the past decade, a process that accelerated dramatically last season, people are going to have to become accustomed to the fact that we now have a functioning "top 6" that is likely to be invaded, in most years, by 2 or 3 clubs from the rest of the league.

The main implication, as I have been writing for a couple of years, is that no club can rely upon perennial qualification for the Champions League. Liverpool, Man Utd and now Chelsea have found this out the hard way. Different clubs will make up the top 4 from season to season.

Surely this is a good thing. There's a possible future where any one of 10 clubs can have a few years at or near the top, perhaps win one Championship and have 2-3 seasons in the CL, then fade away again. The major clubs in Manchester, Liverpool and London will be there or thereabouts, but each one will have occasional declines and then will rise again.

The same applies to us. A realistic ambition is to compete in the CL 3-5 times in any decade, perhaps win the league once or twice, or perhaps not, and win a cup every 5-10 years. The objective is to be in there with a chance more years than not. That's what we need to stay excited about Spurs: to be competitive.
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People have to get used to something they are already used to, Tottenham finishing in the top 6?

Pessimism rules and an inferiority complex come shining through.

Our own fans don't rate us unless we have media hyped household names in our ranks. We happen to have one of, if not the best managers, Conte is unproven over here as is Pep, but you would expect him to thrive. How long will it take to build what he wants though? No Messi, no one team league as in Germany.

Competing in the CL 3-5 times in 10 years is failure. Retain your manager and you retain a top 4 slot, Sir Alex ferguson, Arsene Wenger. It is the changing of managers and rebuilding in their image that causes blips outside the top four and I believe Pochettino is here for the long term.
 
davidmatzdorf

davidmatzdorf

Front Page Gadfly
Jun 7, 2004
18,106
45,030
Spurs1960 said:
People have to get used to something they are already used to, Tottenham finishing in the top 6?

Pessimism rules and an inferiority complex come shining through.

Our own fans don't rate us unless we have media hyped household names in our ranks. We happen to have one of, if not the best managers, Conte is unproven over here as is Pep, but you would expect him to thrive. How long will it take to build what he wants though? No Messi, no one team league as in Germany.

Competing in the CL 3-5 times in 10 years is failure. Retain your manager and you retain a top 4 slot, Sir Alex ferguson, Arsene Wenger. It is the changing of managers and rebuilding in their image that causes blips outside the top four and I believe Pochettino is here for the long term.
Click to expand...

You seem to have missed my point entirely. I wasn't talking especially about Spurs, though that appears to be the only bit of the post that you read.

I was talking about the whole top half of the league, all 8-10 teams who have a realistic chance of being perennially competitive. My main point is that I don't think any of the clubs will be able to rely on competing in the CL more than 3-5 times per decade. That's a business point as much as a footballing point - it affects transfer strategies and long-term business plans, by contrast with the 90s and 00s, when the same 4 clubs qualified nearly every season.

Spurs have at least as good a chance as anyone, for the reason you checked (excellent manager with a long-term plan), but also because of the reason that manager joined us - we have spent 10+ years creating a powerhouse of an academy. As long as we keep that academy rolling, then we stand a very good chance of weathering the financial pressures of building the new stadium, without sacrificing the quality of the squad.

But a climate where there are 8-10 clubs clawing away for the top 4 every year - and 4-6 clubs in with a shout for the title - is not a climate in which we can expect to qualify for the CL every year and win multiple titles. Nor anyone else. Which was my point.
 
Khilari

Khilari

Plumber. Sort of.
Jun 19, 2008
3,461
5,287
Spurs1960 said:
People have to get used to something they are already used to, Tottenham finishing in the top 6?

Pessimism rules and an inferiority complex come shining through.

Our own fans don't rate us unless we have media hyped household names in our ranks. We happen to have one of, if not the best managers, Conte is unproven over here as is Pep, but you would expect him to thrive. How long will it take to build what he wants though? No Messi, no one team league as in Germany.

Competing in the CL 3-5 times in 10 years is failure. Retain your manager and you retain a top 4 slot, Sir Alex ferguson, Arsene Wenger. It is the changing of managers and rebuilding in their image that causes blips outside the top four and I believe Pochettino is here for the long term.
Click to expand...
I didn't know whether to press Agree or Like. Ligree.
Though @davidmatzdorf still makes a very relevant point.

[on a side note, Private Frazer must've been a Spurs fan, no?

"Doomed, we're doomed I tell ya"]
 
Spurs1960

Spurs1960

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2011
2,424
1,220
davidmatzdorf said:
You seem to have missed my point entirely. I wasn't talking especially about Spurs, though that appears to be the only bit of the post that you read.

I was talking about the whole top half of the league, all 8-10 teams who have a realistic chance of being perennially competitive. My main point is that I don't think any of the clubs will be able to rely on competing in the CL more than 3-5 times per decade. That's a business point as much as a footballing point - it affects transfer strategies and long-term business plans, by contrast with the 90s and 00s, when the same 4 clubs qualified nearly every season.

Spurs have at least as good a chance as anyone, for the reason you checked (excellent manager with a long-term plan), but also because of the reason that manager joined us - we have spent 10+ years creating a powerhouse of an academy. As long as we keep that academy rolling, then we stand a very good chance of weathering the financial pressures of building the new stadium, without sacrificing the quality of the squad.

But a climate where there are 8-10 clubs clawing away for the top 4 every year - and 4-6 clubs in with a shout for the title - is not a climate in which we can expect to qualify for the CL every year and win multiple titles. Nor anyone else. Which was my point.
Click to expand...

I don't agree that 8-10 teams have a realistic chance, there is a top 6 above the rest, that doesn't look like changing.

Changing of manager causes change in league position and the turmoil that goes with it, consistent managers have meant consistent CL football. 3-5 is not a City expectation, not a United expectation, not a Chelsea expectation nor has it been an Arsenal expectation.

There haven't been 6 teams in with a shout of the title since the Premier League began, they aren't usually even 4 teams in with a shout. Arsenal haven't had a good enough squad for years for instance. They will be in your calculations but they haven't been real contenders for a title. Sir Alex Ferguson reinvented United several times, Wenger doesn't seem capable of doing the same.

I understand your point, but I disagree with your initial starting premise which knocks everything out of kilter.
 
Spurs1960

Spurs1960

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2011
2,424
1,220
Khilari said:
I didn't know whether to press Agree or Like. Ligree.
Though @davidmatzdorf still makes a very relevant point.

[on a side note, Private Frazer must've been a Spurs fan, no?

"Doomed, we're doomed I tell ya"]
Click to expand...

yes I have the same dilemma over posts, I plumped for like in the end.
Good film Dad's Army by the way, my Mum enjoyed it and Private Godfrey was excellent (Sir Michael Gambon), head and shoulders above the rest.

Yep I follow his point, just feel he had a wrong starting position which skews the figures. Understand his reasoning and point he's making.
 
yiddopaul

yiddopaul

Well-Known Member
Dec 28, 2005
3,455
6,744
davidmatzdorf said:
You seem to have missed my point entirely. I wasn't talking especially about Spurs, though that appears to be the only bit of the post that you read.

I was talking about the whole top half of the league, all 8-10 teams who have a realistic chance of being perennially competitive. My main point is that I don't think any of the clubs will be able to rely on competing in the CL more than 3-5 times per decade. That's a business point as much as a footballing point - it affects transfer strategies and long-term business plans, by contrast with the 90s and 00s, when the same 4 clubs qualified nearly every season.

Spurs have at least as good a chance as anyone, for the reason you checked (excellent manager with a long-term plan), but also because of the reason that manager joined us - we have spent 10+ years creating a powerhouse of an academy. As long as we keep that academy rolling, then we stand a very good chance of weathering the financial pressures of building the new stadium, without sacrificing the quality of the squad.

But a climate where there are 8-10 clubs clawing away for the top 4 every year - and 4-6 clubs in with a shout for the title - is not a climate in which we can expect to qualify for the CL every year and win multiple titles. Nor anyone else. Which was my point.
Click to expand...
I agree. It's why this is the most exciting league in the world. And it's why – despite some saying we had an easier chance to win the title last year compared to other seasons – it was one of the toughest campaigns in a long time, and we did well finishing 3rd, shows just how good we were!
 
eddiev14

eddiev14

SC Supporter
Jan 18, 2005
7,178
19,701
Danny Murphy on our summer activity and Janssen:

"Look around at other big clubs, what are Tottenham going to do in the next few weeks to stay up with them. They might not need to but I think they need to.

"I know they've spent heavily on Janssen but us at Fulham bought Bryan Ruiz from Holland and he struggled. He was a super talent, great technician but struggled to come to terms with the Premier League.

"There's no guarantee this guy can come over here and pull up trees. It's a risk, a signing that has potential. I think they need to do more."
 
E

etchedchaos

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2006
2,670
5,278
Ugh, Murphy is an eijit, so we should buy more players because the guy we did buy might not adapt well, GTFO! By that logic we should keep buying players because the guys we buy as backup for the guys we bought might not do well either, punditry gets worse with every year.
 
eddiev14

eddiev14

SC Supporter
Jan 18, 2005
7,178
19,701
That Goon prick Henry on Sky Sports:

"I think something that might stop them, something that you mentioned with Leicester, they can cope a little bit better, is the Champions League.

“When you play away in the Champions League against a big team and you have to play away in the league against a big team, sometimes it takes a lot out of you.

“Hopefully they can manage that, but for them that might be something that might stop them from winning the league.”
 
E

etchedchaos

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2006
2,670
5,278
So, is he saying that Leicester who literally played a single first 11 for the whole season, will be able to cope with the CL better than a team who are veterans at playing in energy sapping Europa League matches? Fucking Gooner prick.
 
King of Otters

King of Otters

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2012
10,751
36,094
guiltyparty

guiltyparty

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2005
9,023
13,524
etchedchaos said:
So, is he saying that Leicester who literally played a single first 11 for the whole season, will be able to cope with the CL better than a team who are veterans at playing in energy sapping Europa League matches? Fucking Gooner prick.
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I didn't read it like that. I thought he was saying "although they can cope better", as in us, similar issue but we'll handle it. But he's French so he's dropped the qualifier. Maybe benefit of doubt
 
spurious1

spurious1

Well-Known Member
Sep 20, 2005
994
848
eddiev14 said:
That Goon prick Henry on Sky Sports:

"I think something that might stop them, something that you mentioned with Leicester, they can cope a little bit better, is the Champions League.

“When you play away in the Champions League against a big team and you have to play away in the league against a big team, sometimes it takes a lot out of you.

“Hopefully they can manage that, but for them that might be something that might stop them from winning the league.”
Click to expand...

Didn't think that what Henry said was either too controversial nor too negative, actually. Rather positive actually, consider that he said that coping with the CL "might be something that might stop them from winning the league.” That's a pretty mild criticism I'd say - it hasn't taken the difficulty of dealing with the CL to stop us winning the league for the last 50+ years!
 
eddiev14

eddiev14

SC Supporter
Jan 18, 2005
7,178
19,701
spurious1 said:
Didn't think that what Henry said was either too controversial nor too negative, actually. Rather positive actually, consider that he said that coping with the CL "might be something that might stop them from winning the league.” That's a pretty mild criticism I'd say - it hasn't taken the difficulty of dealing with the CL to stop us winning the league for the last 50+ years!
Click to expand...

Agreed.

He's still a prick though (y)
 
danielneeds

danielneeds

Kick-Ass
May 5, 2004
24,183
48,814
eddiev14 said:
That Goon prick Henry on Sky Sports:

"I think something that might stop them, something that you mentioned with Leicester, they can cope a little bit better, is the Champions League.

“When you play away in the Champions League against a big team and you have to play away in the league against a big team, sometimes it takes a lot out of you.

“Hopefully they can manage that, but for them that might be something that might stop them from winning the league.”
Click to expand...
Except we've been playing European football consistently for years - unlike Leicester, Terry. Granted we won't be able play as many second stringers in the CL as the EL, but we also won't have to go Thursday-Sunday too.
 
thebenjamin

thebenjamin

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2008
12,359
39,247
He may have point. We have incredibly hard away fixtures after most of our CL games. Leicester have easy home games.
 
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