Could we do something special this year...

[Mr Pink]

Not surprised at all by Liverpool's result today, far too much wanking over them and the millions they've spent.

I think they will get better but all the talk of them and no mention of us is utterly ridiculous in my mind, infact sometimes I wonder what the pundits are on about.

They have a long term plan to get back to where they were a a few years ago but it will take time.

They wont finish above us this season.

 

[Spursking]

The question was: Could we do something special this year?

Answer: Only if we bring in a few more French/Africans.

We might do that: Lassana Diarra and Adebayor are mentioned.
Also Samba. (He did not play for Blackburn today).

So, if we sign there players.
The answer would be: YES.
We could be something special this year.

 

[StartingPrice]

SP - I agree with pretty much everything you've said above. The only thing I'd say is that I reckon we could have an amazing season wth our existing squad. Obviously I'd like a shiny new striker to give us more options but if we play to the strengths of the forwards we have I reckon we could be in for more than just a decent year.

A good season, under these circumstances, is possible...but not a great one.

What was the spurs score at home to Sunderland last year ? The spurs that at that stage were only 4 years ahead of liverpool in development terms.

What is it with you? Is it some kind of sad revenge motif?

I went OUT OF MY WAY to stress the point that I was saying that Liverpool are at a similar point of development as we were 4 or 5 years ago, in terms of squad building, but not that they were 4 or 5 years behind us in terms of squad building. And straight away you misquote me trying to make it appear that I said we were 4 or 5 years ahead of them:roll: I can only guess that either your ability to read a text has been seriously impaired, or that it was negligible in the first place.

And what is it with mentioning the Sunderland result at the Lane last year. It is totally, totally irrelevant. I am commenting on the level of Liverpool's squad this year, and using the Sunderland result to show those who are obsessed with the idea that Liverpool have massively strengthened and are much better than we are this season, that they are not just going to blow us out of the water.

I suspect you have either collated the point you have misunderstood or deliberately twisted about levels of squad development, with the point about Liverpool's result today showing that they aren't quite as powerful as some imagine. In any case, it is rather a poor effort.
Look, here it is, and in the first paragraph of the relevant section:

"they at a stage we were at about 5 years ago. I'm not saying they are 5 years behind us,"

What do you hope to achieve by massively misquoting someone who you know will notice the artifice?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

A good season, under these circumstances, is possible...but not a great one.



What is it with you? Is it some kind of sad revenge motif?

I went OUT OF MY WAY to stress the point that I was saying that Liverpool are at a similar point of development as we were 4 or 5 years ago, in terms of squad building, but not that they were 4 or 5 years behind us in terms of squad building. And straight away you misquote me trying to make it appear that I said we were 4 or 5 years ahead of them:roll: I can only guess that either your ability to read a text has been seriously impaired, or that it was negligible in the first place.

And what is it with mentioning the Sunderland result at the Lane last year. It is totally, totally irrelevant. I am commenting on the level of Liverpool's squad this year, and using the Sunderland result to show those who are obsessed with the idea that Liverpool have massively strengthened and are much better than we are this season, that they are not just going to blow us out of the water.

I suspect you have either collated the point you have misunderstood or deliberately twisted about levels of squad development, with the point about Liverpool's result today showing that they aren't quite as powerful as some imagine. In any case, it is rather a poor effort.
Look, here it is, and in the first paragraph of the relevant section:

"they at a stage we were at about 5 years ago. I'm not saying they are 5 years behind us,"

What do you hope to achieve by massively misquoting someone who you know will notice the artifice?

Sorry my mistake. WE COULDN"T BEAT SUNDERLAND AT HOME LAST TIME WE PLAYED THEM EITHER. And this despite them being where we were five years ago in terms of the development of squad building.

You used a result to demonstrate something which was:

a: Wrong. Liverpool are not 5 years behind us in any aspect.

b: A poor example as the result was no better than ours the last time we played the same time.

 

[brett.spurs]

The question was: Could we do something special this year?

Answer: Only if we bring in a few more French/Africans.

We might do that: Lassana Diarra and Adebayor are mentioned.
Also Samba. (He did not play for Blackburn today).

So, if we sign there players.
The answer would be: YES.
We could be something special this year.

Samba was injured. I hope we get the first two you mentioned though.

 

[jondesouza]

A good season, under these circumstances, is possible...but not a great one.

Depends what the difference between good and great is...

 

[SpurSince57]

Arsenal have added a very good player in Gervinho, and they will unquestionably reinvest any incoming money they have on players like Hazard, Cahill, and others.

Liverpool, who amassed 8 more points than us between January and May of this year, have added quality all over the pitch. Enrique and Downing were fantastic signings for them, and Charlie Adam is a very creative player. They will score a ton of goals with Carroll healthy.

The other top 3 finishers from last year are simply too strong for us over the course of a full campaign. We may take points from them, but they have too many top shelf goal-scorers for us to surpass them.

It's imperative that we bring a striker in.

Not that you'd have noticed from today's showing.

But whom we beat without too much trouble at Anfield. Downing's a useful player who would have improved us four-five years ago, but not now; Adam and Enrique are likewise useful, but nothing special. Only after the game did I realise that Carroll had been hidden in Wes Brown's pocket.

 

[brett.spurs]

It's frustrating because if we showed an ounce of ambition we could actually overtake Arsenal or atleast run them close.

 

[StartingPrice]

Sorry my mistake. WE COULDN"T BEAT SUNDERLAND AT HOME LAST TIME WE PLAYED THEM EITHER. And this despite them being where we were five years ago in terms of the development of squad building.

You used a result to demonstrate something which was:

a: Wrong. Liverpool are not 5 years behind us in any aspect.

b: A poor example as the result was no better than ours the last time we played the same time.

I know this is a little bit of a sophisticated argument for you, but I will try to explain it.
I am qualifying Liverpool as being in a similar position to where we were five years ago in terms of squad development. This is substantially different to saying they are five years behind us. I made that clear in my original post that you are deliberately misread, or just didn't have the sophistication to read. I then made this abundantly clear in my response to you, showing where you had misread this...and yet you still persist in forcing your own words over mine. Look, here it is AGAIN with original formatting:

"they at a stage we were at about 5 years ago. I'm not saying they are 5 years behind us,"

I am making a statement, based on the fact that five years ago we were buying a lot of young English/British talent of reasonable quality, to give us a squad of a certain level of quality, which was young and developing, and would fulfill criteria for home grown players that was being suggested around about then, and was subsequently put into effect by UEFA. There were conversations on here at the time that this might be what we were doing.

I am sure even you could look over Liverpool Summer's transfer dealings and see that they would seem to fit this pattern. Because Liverpool had a better squad and a bigger name than us to begin with, I have several times went out of my way to state that they are not five years behind us, even if, from what I can see they are rebuilding their squad in much the same fashion that we did (which shouldn't be much of a surprise, as Comolli is DOF).

If you don't want to agree with that assessment that is fine, but it is not the first time in recent months you appear to be trying to twist my words and opinions to suit some preordained agenda (which seems rather petty). So, as I went out of my way to state that they are not five years behind us, but that there stage of squad development equates to where we were at five years ago, why do you persist in quoting me as saying they are five years behind us? I even copy-and-pasted the exact sentence where I said I am not saying they are five years behind us.

I didn't use a result to demonstrate anything. I merely pointed out that there result wasn't particularly good, whereas if they were as good as some folk are making out you would have expected them to have annihilated Sunderland at Anfield. I have also explained this to you in the post you quote while ignoring the contents therein:roll:

So, if I didn't use it to demonstrate anything how could I have used it to demonstrate that Liverpool are five years behind us, especially as I went to great lengths to spell out to the less cerebral members of the MB (that's you, BC) that I wasn't saying they were five years behind us?

And even if I had been using it to demonstrate something (which I wasn't), I wouldn't have been demonstrating anything based on our performance last year as:
Firstly, I am not stuipid enough to believe you can draw straight lines through results as they are unpredictable;
And, secondly, I wasn't trying to demonstrate anything at all about our side of last year.

It is a stupid argument...and the fact that you are making it makes you seem ubalanced.

 

[StartingPrice]

Depends what the difference between good and great is...

Good would be being in with a shout of top 4 come next May...great would be challenging for the automatic places and getting one.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I know this is a little bit of a sophisticated argument for you, but I will try to explain it.
I am qualifying Liverpool as being in a similar position to where we were five years ago in terms of squad development. This is substantially different to saying they are five years behind us. I made that clear in my original post that you are deliberately misread, or just didn't have the sophistication to read. I then made this abundantly clear in my response to you, showing where you had misread this...and yet you still persist in forcing your own words over mine. Look, here it is AGAIN with original formatting:

"they at a stage we were at about 5 years ago. I'm not saying they are 5 years behind us,"

I am making a statement, based on the fact that five years ago we were buying a lot of young English/British talent of reasonable quality, to give us a squad of a certain level of quality, which was young and developing, and would fulfill criteria for home grown players that was being suggested around about then, and was subsequently put into effect by UEFA. There were conversations on here at the time that this might be what we were doing.

I am sure even you could look over Liverpool Summer's transfer dealings and see that they would seem to fit this pattern. Because Liverpool had a better squad and a bigger name than us to begin with, I have several times went out of my way to state that they are not five years behind us, even if, from what I can see they are rebuilding their squad in much the same fashion that we did (which shouldn't be much of a surprise, as Comolli is DOF).

If you don't want to agree with that assessment that is fine, but it is not the first time in recent months you appear to be trying to twist my words and opinions to suit some preordained agenda (which seems rather petty). So, as I went out of my way to state that they are not five years behind us, but that there stage of squad development equates to where we were at five years ago, why do you persist in quoting me as saying they are five years behind us? I even copy-and-pasted the exact sentence where I said I am not saying they are five years behind us.

I didn't use a result to demonstrate anything. I merely pointed out that there result wasn't particularly good, whereas if they were as good as some folk are making out you would have expected them to have annihilated Sunderland at Anfield. I have also explained this to you in the post you quote while ignoring the contents therein:roll:

So, if I didn't use it to demonstrate anything how could I have used it to demonstrate that Liverpool are five years behind us, especially as I went to great lengths to spell out to the less cerebral members of the MB (that's you, BC) that I wasn't saying they were five years behind us?

And even if I had been using it to demonstrate something (which I wasn't), I wouldn't have been demonstrating anything based on our performance last year as:
Firstly, I am not stuipid enough to believe you can draw straight lines through results as they are unpredictable;
And, secondly, I wasn't trying to demonstrate anything at all about our side of last year.

It is a stupid argument...and the fact that you are making it makes you seem ubalanced.

You're wrong.


.

 

[alfiespurs]

Spurs will return back to being a top 7 side, unless we invest wisely .... sorry, 'Arry, I do think you will be gone by the years out ... You are great person to dig team out and have one special season, there after ...... you are no one. I would love you to lead a bunch of wannabes like England ...

 

[StartingPrice]

You're wrong.


.

:roll:

 

[mattstev2000]

Don't see us doing anything special this season. 5-7 unless we sign a couple of top quality strikers.

We blew our chance a bit last season, whatever Harry says about it only being 'idiots that phone radio stations' that weren't pleased with what we achieved last year I think it's safe to say that we should have been top 4 with the squad we had and we would have then been a more attractive proposition.

Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City are the top three, we won't get close to them. Liverpool finished just behind us last season and have strengthened considerably (along with the fact that they'll have Dalglish all season) so I see them overtaking us unless we sign some quality up front. Arsenal are the most precarious of the established order but we just never finish above them. Seriously, it's like the 11th commandment or something. Spurs shalt not finish above Arsenal.

 

[Khilari]

^agree
Had we managed to nab a goal scorer a la suarez we probably would have pushed on and could have achieved 4th

We've fallen behind and our lack of CL activity means we're unable to now attract the better players. Big let down.

But here we are so we've got to get behind the lads and hope our strikers (whoever starts) finding their shooting boots.

 

[Mornstar]

from what I've seen on the opening weekend so far, this is a poor league with lots of very mediocre teams (including arsenal, liverpool and chelsea). I just hope our owners realise that this is the time to dig deep into the pockets and splash the cash on a quality striker that could turn us into genuine challengers for the second spot. Levy was happy to spend a combined fee of 32 million on bent (when we already had berba, keane, mido and defoe) and bentley (when lennon was already an established first teamer) so i don't quite understand why he's being so miserly now that we just need that final piece of the jigsaw!

 

[SpurSince57]

^agree
Had we managed to nab a goal scorer a la suarez we probably would have pushed on and could have achieved 4th

We've fallen behind and our lack of CL activity means we're unable to now attract the better players. Big let down.

But here we are so we've got to get behind the lads and hope our strikers (whoever starts) finding their shooting boots.

Suarez: 1102 minutes; 47 shots; 23 shots on target; 4 goals; 22 attempts created; 3 assists

Defoe: 1490 minutes; 42 shots; 23 shots on target; 4 goals; 19 attempts created; 2 assists

Clearly, with a 'goal scorer a la Suarez' we would have been in exactly the same position.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Suarez: 1102 minutes; 47 shots; 23 shots on target; 4 goals; 22 attempts created; 3 assists

Defoe: 1490 minutes; 42 shots; 23 shots on target; 4 goals; 19 attempts created; 2 assists

Clearly, with a 'goal scorer a la Suarez' we would have been in exactly the same position.

Why do you keep omitting the other relevant stats. In 300 minutes less premiership football a player (Suarez) playing his first six months in that league not only marginally bettered a vastly more experienced player's (Defoe) goal assist but managed to pass see the ball 200 more times and make 100 more accurate passes - in, I repeat 300 minutes less of football.

So whilst his goal tally might not have been superior his overall contribution was vastly superior.

 

[SpurSince57]

Because the statement to which I was replying to was specifically about his goalscoring last season. That's why I emboldened the 'goal scorer a la Suarez' bit.

 

[t79boy]

I'm actually a bit worried about this season. Squad wise we can easily compete with Liverpool, and if Arsenal lose Fabregas and Nasri and we can sign Adebayor then technically, squad wise we won't be far off arsenal either, but I think Redknap really started to struggle last year to adapt to the tactical requirements that our squad and the challenge of retaining for top 4 and CL football brought.

Basic things like preparation, organisation, leadership, tactics, work rate, pressing are just not up to what is required by a side with the aspirations we have. Having a great squad can get you so far, and it did, especially as Liverpool were failing and ManC hadn't quite arrived but we have gone as far as we are going to go with just a good squad, we need our manager to put a lot more into the equation and I honestly don't think Redknapp can.

From getting the best out of an under performing squad, he last season managed to mis manage the squad and we saw Lennon and Defoe have their worst seasons ever just about, Bale was poor for the last 6 months, he continued to fuck Pav about, Crouch was benched for 3 months after scoring against Milan, Dawson is being selected ahead of the clearly more talented Kaboul, who was also played at RB ahead of the RB's we have sometimes, Kranjcar was under used, VDV was shifted out from where he clearly should play to RM, Palacios has been marginalised because we fluked three games without him once, Huddelstone seems to be Redknapp's first choice CM when fit despite the fact that he is the footballing equivalent of a mogadon.

The court case must also be playing heavily on Redknapp's brain, his decision making must be affected and we are getting lots of ITK that him and Levy are not singing from the same hymn sheet, not helped by Redknapp's desire to have his every word broadcast on SSN.

I hope to fuckery that I'm proved wrong, but I don't believe that a striker will fix all our problems, I worry as much about a defence that is captained by Dawson and contains the ponderous Corluka and casual Ekotto.

And if we end up with playing Modric and Huddelstone in CM with Bale and Lennon we will seem the same end to end lottery football with no graft cohesion or balance.

We need to learn that what you do off the ball is as important as on the ball.

I think we have at least the fifth best squad on paper. But I think that we continue to not make use of that squad wisely we will under achieve.

Repped. I couldn't have put it better if I tried