'Arry Targets CL Next Seaon, here we go again......

[Dan Ashcroft]

We are still a long way from the strength of the top 4 so it is unrealistic to demand it but you do gotta have faith

I think Adebayor is really the only difference between us and Arsenal. Our back 5 is better. Our respective wings are similar. They edge CM because of Fabrigas. But mainly they are better upfront (particularly the all important #9 position).

We will have more money than Arsenal to spend this summer too.

It's a potential target, but not if we sign Downing and Jones, which I fear we will end up with.

Agreed. If we pull out 2 big guns upfront and a DM we can catch Arsenal. Drowning and Jones aren't better than what we already have in those positions (Modric and Pav).

 

[chkthfc82]

i'm not getting too carried about expectations for next season because every summer all the hype usually leads to nothing.
Having ambition is good to hear but i'd rather see how the first 10 games of the season go first.

 

[sendô]

hi send - wise words -

but don't forget we do have different levels of expectations and success here than at many other clubs

it's both a curse and a blessing

it drags us down at times but it also inspires us at times too

why would harry have joined us if it wasn't because of the chance of finally managing a 'big club' (I hate that word but it's a convenient shorthand

of course the money helps - but he is rich anyway - the chance of glory is what makes him get up and do that long commute day after day

Ambition is a good thing. Everyone should aim for the top. It's no good coming out and saying you want to be mid table next season if that's where you are now.

Just seems to me that he's getting ahead of himself. If Spurs have a bad start again next season, people won't be thinking "we can still have a decent season and get into the top half" they'll be thinking "4th is gone, another season wasted, sack the manager" etc.

Just seems to be a recurring theme at Tottenham the moment.

 

[Evolution]

We need a good start to the season, that's key for sure then I think we'll have a good chance to finish top 6 which I'd be more then happy with!

Also feel it's important to keep hold of Lennon and Modric and not sell to any of the big 4 if they come in for them.

 

[DC_Boy]

Ambition is a good thing. Everyone should aim for the top. It's no good coming out and saying you want to be mid table next season if that's where you are now.

Just seems to me that he's getting ahead of himself. If Spurs have a bad start again next season, people won't be thinking "we can still have a decent season and get into the top half" they'll be thinking "4th is gone, another season wasted, sack the manager" etc.

Just seems to be a recurring theme at Tottenham the moment.

you may well be right sendo

it's a difficult line to call

I don't expect us to finish top 4 next season - I suspect most spurs fans feel the same

but Harry is harry - he likes to talk - and as long he keeps up the kind of win ratio in lge and cup he's had this season, then while top 4 won't happen - top six 6 and a trophy might and that'd make me well happy

 

[SpurSince57]

tbh rather have HR coming out saying this than Jol negatively saying we are unlikely to achieve it ....... HR knows as did Jol that is what Levy expects us to be aiming for

The difference being that our current squad is a distinct upgrade on the one we had two years ago. What Levy was expecting then and what he was likely to get were different things entirely, particularly after our rather strange acquisitions of summer 2007. He may have believed (or been persuaded) that he'd given Jol a squad capable of challenging the Sky Four, but I don't recall anyone on here being particularly convinced. I don't blame Jol in the slightest for being realistic and damping down expectations—and the rumours that Ramos decided that the squad wasn't good enough to compete were rather borne out by events.

The big question, surely, is whether or not we can make a sustained challenge over the season instead of showing top-four form for a third of it and crap to ho-hum for the rest. At the beginning of February Villa looked nailed-on for fourth; since then they've had the wheels come off big-time and been almost as rubbish as we were under Ramos. It seems it only takes the loss of one or two key players and another one or two to suffer a dip in form for everything to go tits-up—is it any coincidence that we managed a fantastic run-in in 2006-2007 and grab a fifth place that had seemed completely beyond us once Jol had all his first-choice players (bar Lee) back? I don't think so.

It's encouraging that Harry feels he only needs 'one or two' players, and I hope that he sticks to that and manages to sign the right ones. The last thing we need is more upheaval in search of an instant fix. Unless any of the current squad actively want out, I don't see the need to get shot of anyone bar the likes of Gilberto and Rocha, who obviously aren't going to get within a mile of the first team and probably shouldn't have been signed in the first place.

 

[Stoof]

Oh no, how dare we have ambitions.

Stwike him, centuwion. Stwike him, wuffly.

 

[barry]

why so low? we should be targeting the title :wink:

tbh we shouldn't be setting long-term targets since we can't control what others are up to, our goal should just be to get 3 points every game and do our very best to achieve that.

Third place or "higher" ergo title push.

Seriously I watch a fair bit of football and the way we're playing right now, Man utd game apart, is some of the best, most consistent footy in the league.
Before we were very sporadic, nowadays, even away from home, we seem in total control of most matches, and with a goal scoring CM, and/or a prolific striker, with some technique we could really be in business.
Even without those two purchases we could challenge if Pav adapts like I know he will, and the enigma that is Jenas pushes on that bit more, and strives for consistency, which I think lately he's starting to do.

Lishiyo and myself think 3rd or higher, anyone else

 

[14/04/91]

If he said we're aiming for top 7 he'd get criticised, he can't win. Unless he keeps quiet & that ain't gonna happen with 'Arry!!
Frankly I don't care what other teams fans think; it's the media who have previously touted us for top 4, never the club itself, generally after we narrowly missed out.
In terms of signings, personally I feel Gareth Barry is what we need. I think he'd work well with Palacios & also be able to 'share' the left side with Modric (ie, swap between centre & wide). He's more expensive than Downing (possibly double) but offers so much more. He's strong physically & mentally - I think Sat 2nd half demonstrated we're still short there!
Whether he'd want to swap Villa for similar potential, who knows. And assuming Liverpool are no longer interested.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

Third place or "higher" ergo title push.

Seriously I watch a fair bit of football and the way we're playing right now, Man utd game apart, is some of the best, most consistent footy in the league.
Before we were very sporadic, nowadays, even away from home, we seem in total control of most matches, and with a goal scoring CM, and/or a prolific striker, with some technique we could really be in business.
Even without those two purchases we could challenge if Pav adapts like I know he will, and the enigma that is Jenas pushes on that bit more, and strives for consistency, which I think lately he's starting to do.

Lishiyo and myself think 3rd or higher, anyone else

Agreed. Even from a 'Harry hater', we have been playing some excellent stuff in the past few months and are definitely showing ourselves to be the 4th or 5th best side in the league at the moment. If there was another 10 games we would catch and surpass Everton and Villa.

With a proper decent striker to partner Keane (because we play with Keane I don't think we can afford the luxury of a goalscoring CM alongside Palacios), we'd've been beating teams by 3 or 4 in recent week. I've not seen us dominate midfields like we do now since the days of Gazza, Stewart, Allen and Samways/Nayim.

 

[Shanks]

You know Dan, I never thought I would see that post from you, whilst redknapp was in charge!

Rep on its way fella.

 

[mil1lion]

I definitely think we need to replace Carrick and Berbatov (like for like) in order to have a serious chance at the top 4.

 

[Hoowl]

Agreed. Even from a 'Harry hater', we have been playing some excellent stuff in the past few months and are definitely showing ourselves to be the 4th or 5th best side in the league at the moment. If there was another 10 games we would catch and surpass Everton and Villa.

With a proper decent striker to partner Keane (because we play with Keane I don't think we can afford the luxury of a goalscoring CM alongside Palacios), we'd've been beating teams by 3 or 4 in recent week. I've not seen us dominate midfields like we do now since the days of Gazza, Stewart, Allen and Samways/Nayim.

Good to see you've not been blinded by your hate of Harry :up:

 

[danielneeds]

I definitely think we need to replace Carrick and Berbatov (like for like) in order to have a serious chance at the top 4.

I still think Modric in the middle with Palacios is the answer to the first part of your request, Did anyone see MOTD2 where they showed clips of Nasri playing the sitting role in midfield? Modric can do just as much if not more alongside Sergeant Wilson, and then get a motivated and reinvigorated Downing out of his funk at Boro to go up and down the left and whip in balls to the strikers.

As for replacing Berbs, that will probably be harder.

 

[steve]

I still think Modric in the middle with Palacios is the answer to the first part of your request, Did anyone see MOTD2 where they showed clips of Nasri playing the sitting role in midfield? Modric can do just as much if not more alongside Sergeant Wilson, and then get a motivated and reinvigorated Downing out of his funk at Boro to go up and down the left and whip in balls to the strikers.

As for replacing Berbs, that will probably be harder.

Who were Arsenal playing again?

It's not quite the same is it?

 

[dontcallme]

I don't expext top four four but this doesn't mean we're not capable of putting in a challenge.

First of all we'll need to keep our top players at the club, I don't know why but I expect Modric, Lennon, Woodgate and Palacios to all dedicate themselves to us at least for another season.

Despite Bent scoring and working hard, I felt against Utd our strikers didn't have enough to pose a serious threat alone and once Utd got on top of the game I didn't feel we'd threaten at counter attacks. Either a top quality striker or someone who can act as a target man is needed in some games and something we genuinely lack.

If we can continue our good form, even if we struggle against the top four we can challenge them over the period of a season.

 

[Dan Ashcroft]

I definitely think we need to replace Carrick and Berbatov (like for like) in order to have a serious chance at the top 4.

Totally agree. I've listed in my sig my (probably slightly ambitious) shortlists for both those vacancies.

Those are the two positions we need filling - a holding ballplaying DM and a tall goalscoring #9 who can also hold the ball up.

 

[mil1lion]

Unfortunately i dont watch a lot of European football, so i dont know too many players. But i like your defensive midfielder options there Dan. I haven't seen the strikers to comment though (although i've seen a little of Gomez). But another player i think might be possible (although a long shot) would be Gudjohnson. He's hardly playing at Barca now, and i wouldn't be surprised if Barca sign another attacking player in the summer. He's the type of intelligent big striker we need, who can hold the ball up, win headers and contribute goals. I think Alonso and Barry would be out of our reach, but i'd love Inler and Gudjohnson for sure.

 

[THOWIG]

Central midfield options, I know some are highly unlikely and ambitious but hey: Arteta, Cahill, Barry, Ireland, Defour, Biglia, Gago, Hernanes, Melo, Rakitic, Bodmer, Coutadeur, Moutinho, R.Garcia.

As for strikers I think Mario Gomez would be a fantastic option, but I've seen a lot of Diogo at Olympiakos this season and this boy has everything. He's just a joyous player to watch.

Although Gudjohnsen as someone above had mentioned would be a fantastic addition.

 

[AnotherSpursFan]

Unfortunately i dont watch a lot of European football, so i dont know too many players. But i like your defensive midfielder options there Dan. I haven't seen the strikers to comment though (although i've seen a little of Gomez). But another player i think might be possible (although a long shot) would be Gudjohnson. He's hardly playing at Barca now, and i wouldn't be surprised if Barca sign another attacking player in the summer. He's the type of intelligent big striker we need, who can hold the ball up, win headers and contribute goals. I think Alonso and Barry would be out of our reach, but i'd love Inler and Gudjohnson for sure.

Gudjohnson's a good call. Very intelligent foward.
And i can see H.R leading us to a top 4 spot next year. He's a top class manager.