Before a ball is kicked, what will define a successful season IYO for 2016/17?

Before the first PL ball gets kicked in anger and early-season results start to colour our expectations in whatever direction, I'm interested to hear people's takes on what you want to see happen in Spurs' season for 2016/17 so that you could come away feeling satisfied overall with the campaign at the end of the season. Would your minimum expectation be a trophy (the PL or even the CL for the ultra-confident, or maybe adding to our tally of FA or League Cups)? Qualification for the Champions League in 2017/18? To play attractive football and get a respectable finish somewhere in the top 6? Or for Pochettino to continue development of our young stars, with the likes of Kane/Alli/Dier etc having another great season, or perhaps a first team breakthrough for the likes of Onomah/Winks/Edwards etc?

I considered making this thread a poll, but there's so many different permutations of what we would each define as success that I didn't think a poll could cover all the options and nuance that people's expectations will comprise. Hope you all don't mind the lack of set check-box options and that you're happy to set out the things you're looking to see from us this season.

My own personal hope might be best placed in the Unpopular Opinion Amnesty if it wasn't locked, but - on the assumption that (IMO) the PL and CL titles will be beyond us this season - what I would love to see more than anything else is us to finish above Arsenal in the league*. On balance, I think I want to see that happen more than I do us win an FA/League Cup, or qualify for next season's Champions League. I've been a Spurs fan since 1995/96 (the season after we last finished ahead of Arsenal) and I've now seen us finish behind them in each of my 20 years of being a Spurs fan, and I'm sick of it. Last season's capitulation at Newcastle was genuinely the worst moment of my Spurs-supporting life to date, despite finishing in a league position that I would never have dreamed possible at the start of 2015/16, and I'm desperate for us to get rid of this albatross. Of course, there are plenty of shades of grey that you could chuck into the mix with all the multiple permutations of other things that could mitigate finishing below Arsenal, but my gut emotion is that if we don't win one of the 2 really big prizes, then finishing ahead of Arsenal would be the one thing that would unquestionably leave me totally satisfied with 2016/17.

*Before anyone comes at me with the "Grrrr, what, would you like to see Arsenal and Spurs both relegated as long as we finished above them?!?!" argument, the hypothetical lowest I can envisage Arsenal finishing this season is 7th, so if we finished above them then my assumption is that we would be in a respectable top 6 position at worst... and I'd take that.

Over to you for your hopes and expectations, and no doubt a load of furious takedowns about why I care so much about our league performance compared to the Nomads'...

I would be very happy with a 3rd-4th finish based on our squad strengthening in the off season. I desperately want us to win the FA cup next year.

I would also like to see Winks/Onomah/CCVEdwardsgiven more game time develop. That would represent a succesful.season in my view.

I think its decidedly important this coming season that we again finish in the Cl positions and maybe win the FA cup perhaps. Anything less and we start to see players heads turned e.g Alli, Dier, Eriksen,Lamela etc.

Silverware it's been far to long!
I'd class top four and a good CL run as a successful season too.

It is going to be very tough this year but I think we need to start thinking differently. We do have one of the best teams in the league. We have one of the best, albeit inexperienced, managers in the league. If you look at us player vs player against other teams we are strong. We just need mentally to be as strong. I am so hoping the disapointment of the last 4 games last season haven't left their mark.

Anyway for me this season I would say the below would be a success in my eyes..

- top 4 in the league and qualify again for CL
- last 16 of Champions League
- I would love to win a cup but I feel we will struggle on four fronts so not expecting anything from league or FA cup
- continue the attacking and exciting football and to see a few more of the academy lads become squad regulars

See even us fans don't have the winning mentality. Happy with top 4, bah come on aim higher!

I would usually say progress in our teams development on the pitch and some sort of cup but I think this year is different.

We've shown we can quality for CL but we've never followed it up to prove that we can consistently do it. Personally if I was told we would win nothing this year but qualify for CL right now, I would take it. It's painful to accept but I think making ourselves a consistent qualifier for the CL is the important next step in our development and I think it would put us in the best position to win further silverware.

It also allows us to build on our successes over the last few years and could prevent the inevitable interest in our players and manager actually amounting to anything.

Kane to score constantly over a season - something he didnt do last season and wasnt possible to do the season before

Alli to find his position - keep his good form and not suffer from second season syndrome

Lamela to find finally his feet - he has been very good last season but he hasnt been a stand out star, this season if he gets 10 goals in the CL and PL

Eriksen - get 10 goals all competitions

Defence - get more than 12 clean sheets in the PL

Janssen - get more than 10 goals in all competitions as a second choice striker

See some youth players given a chance even its scraps like Harrison, Onomah, Winks and KWP and potentially KWP

We need to win a trophy, we cant be taken seriously if we havent won anything

IF we can do that, it will have been a great season regardless of position(unless we are getting relegated or something)

Finish above Arsenal......please

I will consider the season a success if we manage to qualify for the CL again. Given how unbelievably competitive the league will be this season, a top four finish would have to be considered an achievement for a club of our means IMO.

I'm holding off on setting any expectations for our performance in the CL until the draw is made. If we wind up in a group with two massive clubs I won't be overly fussed if we don't advance to the knockout stage, but if the draw is kind to us then that will be my expectation. Should we find ourselves dropping to the Europa League I hope we will give it a real go as I think we have the quality and now also the squad depth to win it and to qualify for the CL again by those means.

Right now;

Top 3 of the Prem. Decent run in the CL. No major fall outs within the squad. Lots of goals from Kane/Janssen. More progress from Alli, Dier and Lamela.

FA Cup would be nice but not at the risk of the Prem or CL. EFL (League) Cup, fringe players until the quarter finals. Not fussed if we go out.

New contracts for key players.


I reserve the right to adjust this in February - hopefully aiming higher.

Finishing above Arsenal in the league
Going further in the CL than Arsenal
Winning a trophy

Top 4 and a trophy whilst our players improve and the youngsters step up.

Win the league. Semis for all cups we're involved in . Alternatively, win the Champions league and finish 2nd to Bournemouth in the league.

Back to back CL qualification and Kane to keep scoring. I want him to be in the PL 100 goalscorer club before the new stadium is open

1. Spurs to win season 2016/17 League and FA Cup Double
2. Eriksen, Lamela, Dier, Rose, Toby and Alli sign new long-term contracts
3. Winks, CCV, Onomah (and hopefully Edwards) establish themselves as excellent Premier League players

Top 4, baby.

Daniel Levy's visit to Advanced Hair Studios to finally bear fruit. Oh and if he can master them shoes with 3ft heels as well, that'd be a bonus.

As for the rest of it, a top 5 finish and a decent cup run would be nice.

I would like some silverware if not that, some good cup runs. I would like us to get top four but it could be difficult. If the league is like last season then I want us to win it this time. Learn from the last two seasons and not run out of steam at the end. I don't really care too much about finishing above Arsenal. I simply care about finishing as high as possible. I haven't been on their forums but I bet they don't give finishing above us , much of a thought.

Top four again, start to establish ourselves as a Champions League club. Which would also mean depriving one of either Arsenal or Chelsea with any luck.

All I want to see is us continuing to move forward with what we do on the pitch. I still think there is scope to press better, we can definitely still improve how we build/construct our play, and I'd like to see us improve our game management (particularly when we take the lead in games and for some reason then surrender the initiative).

If we do this then I'll be satisfied we've done what we could, in areas that we have some control over. If that isn't quite enough to achieve our hoped objectives then so be it.