Has it been a good season?

[tttcowan]

So, how does all the "lets throw everything at the premier league" posters feel now?

Do you still think it was worth throwing away europa league, seeing liverpool playing the final tomorrow. I mean LIVERPOOL FFS!!

that could have been us there, and our league position would not have been worse anyway.

Maybe not the right thread, but had to rant somewhere.

I think if we'd just thrown the very first EL game we were in and then gone all out in the league we would of come above Arsenal. And maybe won the PL who knows. Our lack of balls to priorise 1 competition over another is what always seems to cost us. Still, we're in the CL now with less games, less shitty scheduling, less traveling so it shouldn't be nearly as much of problem.

You might like to note the EL final is between 7th in La Liga and 8th in the PL. It's pretty telling if you ask me.

 

[cliff jones]

I don't disagree on your assessment in certain games, for me namely the final 4 league games of our season, we'd already finished for our holidays and in the last game particularly, bottled it.

I would disagree with you based on many of the other games i've watched this year. think we've shown some great character, we had the joint best defensive record this season and we still created an exceptional number of chances. if you want to assess our season based on a poor finale, that's fine with me but i won't.

Not sure where pub football enters the equation either frankly.

Each to his own. I think we've had a great season and all departments of the pitch exceeded expectations.

But steely for me are the Ferguson teams, some of them inferior in footballing terms, or Leicester, who may fit the same description, but when the heat was on they just kept producing the goods particularly defensively. You need steel to win titles, and based on the evidence at the business end of the season we haven't developed it, (yet?)

Steely certainly isn't hitting the beach early.

Neither is it playing like a pub team, where provocation by a Costa or Yacob type is usually resolved by a very nasty tackle or punch in the face in my rich experience. Red cards and bans result, which you will have noticed doesn't actually help the cause.

Many posters have been suggesting we stood up to Chelsea like men, didn't let them bully us etc... I totally disagree with that. I did think a couple of the yellows were beautifully timed hacks, but some were needless and made several downgrade their styles to avoiding all physical contact and a possible early bath.

 

[FabioKim]

FANTASTIC SEASON ! ! ! ! I looking forward next season especially, champions league. COYS!

 

[Seth]

Got past the despair of Sunday enough to realise it has been a fantastic season overall. A poor start and an even worse finish, but some of the best (team) football I've seen in 25yrs of following Spurs. We have a very talented squad which'll be even stronger next year and the first manager I've genuinely trusted, although I concede he has made errors (subbing Mason for Lamela when 2-1 up at home to 10 men arse the biggest imo), but he'll be back better and stronger too.

Looking back at some of the overreactions on here after Sunday (my own included)...we are not cursed. We had consistently poor finishes because Redknapp didn't know how to rotate, and this year our thin squad ran out of juice.

Sunday was gutting and shouldn't be ignored, but I'm with those who believe it'll drive the team on to do better.

 

[ThorntonSpur]

considering i expected fifth or sixth it has been a very good season. For me it was great to see players like Onamah given a chance to develop. A good squad that has shown its development. Improvement is needed still but i would guess we are ahead of the project datelines.

Next year [players should now be used to the pressure and if not poch will get rid I'm sure. Players that fit the style are key not the Zlatans of the world.

if we can turn 13 draws into seven with six more wins then we will be up there again.

no bothered by Champions league, its a bonus. I hope we focus on the league. I'm from an age where it was the champions of the leagues that were in the european cup so for me its not a big deal. but with us and leicester it has been freshened up a bit.

incomings will tell how we approach europe but i want to win the league then win europe as champions.

players out - davies mason bentaleb maybe son - players in likely to be ones we don't know about.

 

[brendanb50]

Each to his own. I think we've had a great season and all departments of the pitch exceeded expectations.

But steely for me are the Ferguson teams, some of them inferior in footballing terms, or Leicester, who may fit the same description, but when the heat was on they just kept producing the goods particularly defensively. You need steel to win titles, and based on the evidence at the business end of the season we haven't developed it, (yet?)

Steely certainly isn't hitting the beach early.

Neither is it playing like a pub team, where provocation by a Costa or Yacob type is usually resolved by a very nasty tackle or punch in the face in my rich experience. Red cards and bans result, which you will have noticed doesn't actually help the cause.

Many posters have been suggesting we stood up to Chelsea like men, didn't let them bully us etc... I totally disagree with that. I did think a couple of the yellows were beautifully timed hacks, but some were needless and made several downgrade their styles to avoiding all physical contact and a possible early bath.

Fair points and i agree with the general assessment of the Chelski game - 3 points were what we needed, not a multipack of yellow cards and a ban for MD.

I think that game, along with one or two others, we showed our relative inexperience. Having a young side is only a half excuse though, discipline is needed if we do want to add the 'steel' discussed as well as a mentality to grind out points, no matter what. The major plus points for me are that 1) MP is a great manager and is more than capable of building on this season and 2) we have a young team and strong spine, which we can add to and develop further. The lack of discipline shown should come with these developments. Let's hope we don't suffer any major setbacks on route.

 

[cliff jones]

Fair points and i agree with the general assessment of the Chelski game - 3 points were what we needed, not a multipack of yellow cards and a ban for MD.

I think that game, along with one or two others, we showed our relative inexperience. Having a young side is only a half excuse though, discipline is needed if we do want to add the 'steel' discussed as well as a mentality to grind out points, no matter what. The major plus points for me are that 1) MP is a great manager and is more than capable of building on this season and 2) we have a young team and strong spine, which we can add to and develop further. The lack of discipline shown should come with these developments. Let's hope we don't suffer any major setbacks on route.

it's a young team as you say and Poch has made his fair share of mistakes since taking over but each time he's quickly realized how to correct them and the progress has indeed been rapid.

What I'd like to see from him next, assuming he has surely convinced the board he deserves backing even against the stadium development backdrop, is using the option to play two up top against the park the bus brigade at home.

And that he maintains his dignity and modesty amongst a throng of myopic arrogant twats who are his competitors, Ranieri and Klopp possibly excepted. This includes judging not to go on the pitch when players are hand bagging, not to have lunch with Fergie till the season is over and being a bit quicker and bolder in defending the clubs interests in public. He took too long to dig out fabregas hazard and co for unprofessionalism, and certainly should have given Guidolin some for his comments and inexplicable team selection at Leicester. Then there's the three Monday nights in a row pisstake.

With Levy shunning such a role, Poch seems to be the man tasked with the club for this stuff, so he needs to be proactive in protecting and advancing the clubs footballing interests in public.

 

[WexfordTownSpur]

Yeah, but the point is that they still do it every year. Because they're better than us every single year. You can call it small minded, but they still get it. Every single year. And this year, they got it because we couldn't get three points from twelve.

Sorry but I have to agree. I know we were playing in the same league as Chelsea, Liverpool and Utd. And we did better than them - yes this is true but sorry it is all relative. I think it is extremely important that they were all very poor in the same season, as I am afraid it does mean that we weren't as good as we thought we were by finishing 3rd! Leicester finishing 1st also proves that. So in a season where most of the big boys who usually finish in the top four or close didn't - we played great but only got third! ARSEnal supporters would say it was a very bad season, not as bad as the other guys, but once again they did better than us. Add to that we got less points than we did under AVB and surly any rational person has to see. We got third, not because we over performed but really because the others under performed?
Having said all that. If the question were did we exceed the expectations I had pre season, I would have to say yes. However another question could be did we exceed the expectations I would have had for us in March, and I am sorry to say, No we didn't.
Relativity Sucks I know

 

[RichieS]

Sorry but I have to agree. I know we were playing in the same league as Chelsea, Liverpool and Utd. And we did better than them - yes this is true but sorry it is all relative. I think it is extremely important that they were all very poor in the same season, as I am afraid it does mean that we weren't as good as we thought we were by finishing 3rd! Leicester finishing 1st also proves that. So in a season where most of the big boys who usually finish in the top four or close didn't - we played great but only got third! ARSEnal supporters would say it was a very bad season, not as bad as the other guys, but once again they did better than us. Add to that we got less points than we did under AVB and surly any rational person has to see. We got third, not because we over performed but really because the others under performed?
Having said all that. If the question were did we exceed the expectations I had pre season, I would have to say yes. However another question could be did we exceed the expectations I would have had for us in March, and I am sorry to say, No we didn't.
Relativity Sucks I know

They very well may, but they'd be wrong. Best league finish since they moved to the Emirates.

As others have pointed out, the "less points than under AVB" argument needs to be binned. This is a radically different league now to what it was then. With the advent of the new TV money, the mid-table clubs are able to (and have) become much better, resulting in points being shared around more evenly. Even Newcastle, who were relegated so abjectly, had the talent in their squad to do what they did on Sunday!

 

[wishkah]

Would have taken 5th at the beginning of the season.

 

[eddiebailey]

Would have taken 5th at the beginning of the season.

Leicester fans would have taken 17th.

 

[Deleted member 27695]

Yes of course it is!

To question it makes little sense.

 

[rossdapep]

In the last couple of days I've been met with the "dissapointed?" question/statement, to which I've said "a little, but we got what we aimed for and we were in a title race, arsenal weren't". As soon as I say that you can see their minds work, and then the response "oh yeah, that's very true". Forget what the gooners may try say, this was a great season, and that ending may still help us in seasons to come.

 

[Spurger King]

Tonight's result was a real tonic. Like a lot of us I was livid with the way we ended the season (and I'm still not exactly happy about it), but the dust is beginning to settle and we can all recognise that qualifying for the Champions League group stages (none of this qualifying round shenanigans) is a great achievement. Especially considering how young our squad is.

Liverpool got to two cup finals and had the chance of a back door route into the CL, and have ended up with nothing. I know there's no literal prize for finishing 3rd, but tonight a CL spot was an actual prize for the winning team. We've won a ticket to play on the biggest stage in club football, and whilst we can't put that in the trophy cabinet, it is a clear sign of moving in the right direction.

Kane winning the golden boot also fills me with pride. It may be an individual award, but as a youth product and Spurs fan himself, it's a great moment for him, the club, and the fans.

 

[thinktank]

Tonight's result was a real tonic. Like a lot of us I was livid with the way we ended the season (and I'm still not exactly happy about it), but the dust is beginning to settle and we can all recognise that qualifying for the Champions League group stages (none of this qualifying round shenanigans) is a great achievement. Especially considering how young our squad is.

Liverpool got to two cup finals and had the chance of a back door route into the CL, and have ended up with nothing. I know there's no literal prize for finishing 3rd, but tonight a CL spot was an actual prize for the winning team. We've won a ticket to play on the biggest stage in club football, and whilst we can't put that in the trophy cabinet, it is a clear sign of moving in the right direction.

Kane winning the golden boot also fills me with pride. It may be an individual award, but as a youth product and Spurs fan himself, it's a great moment for him, the club, and the fans.

Exactly what I was gonna write. Proper tonic that was. A lot of the stink from the newcastle game just lifted off me.

Amazing what other teams' misery can do for you.

 

[Spurger King]

Exactly what I was gonna write. Proper tonic that was. A lot of the stink from the newcastle game just lifted off me.

Amazing what other teams' misery can do for you.

I think tonight just put a lot of things in perspective. I don't blame any Spurs fan (including myself) for being pissed off with the way we crumbled in the last few games, but we didn't lose a final or lose the league title away to Newcastle. We lost a great chance to end a hoodoo and gain bragging rights, which whilst important for us fans, is not all that important as far as the future success of the club is concerned. Finishing above Arsenal would become virtually meaningless the second the 2016/17 season starts anyway.

Imagine being a Liverpool fan right now! Lost two finals and have gone from having one foot in the CL to having no European football at all. I'm putting the end of the season behind me, and instead I'm going to look forward to exciting nights of CL football, the continuing progress of our amazing new stadium, and cheering on our lads in the European Championship.

 

[thinktank]

I think tonight just put a lot of things in perspective. I don't blame any Spurs fan (including myself) for being pissed off with the way we crumbled in the last few games, but we didn't lose a final or lose the league title away to Newcastle. We lost a great chance to end a hoodoo and gain bragging rights, which whilst important for us fans, is not all that important as far as the future success of the club is concerned. Finishing above Arsenal would become virtually meaningless the second the 2016/17 season starts anyway.

Imagine being a Liverpool fan right now! Lost two finals and have gone from having one foot in the CL to having no European football at all. I'm putting the end of the season behind me, and instead I'm going to look forward to exciting nights of CL football, the continuing progress of our amazing new stadium, and cheering on our lads in the European Championship.

That's the thing though innit.

Anyway, liverpool's misery is our mirth. *cheers*

 

[Spurger King]

That's the thing though innit.

Guess it's all part of the learning curve. Would help if key players didn't get themselves needlessly banned too.

It's ended up being the best 'worst season ever' (or the worst 'best season ever'). Either way it's been a more successful season than most of the last 25 years, and certainly better than Liverpool's

 

[ThorntonSpur]

a successful season for me is when you win something. a good season when you improve. so on that logic it has been a good season.

the league has become or had become for one season competitive. the so called gap was shut. will it happen again. us leicester west ham and southampton will hope so. i

Is the league better No i do not think so. i mean the 7th best team in spain hammered the mighty liverpool, champions league winners multiple times, league champions, more times then one can remember cup winners and all round amazing fantastic humble people and of course responsible for heysel (anyone remember that one?)

the league is competitive fast and furious fun to watch has its spills and idiots but produces some great football which we have contributed too this season.

.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

They very well may, but they'd be wrong. Best league finish since they moved to the Emirates.

As others have pointed out, the "less points than under AVB" argument needs to be binned. This is a radically different league now to what it was then. With the advent of the new TV money, the mid-table clubs are able to (and have) become much better, resulting in points being shared around more evenly. Even Newcastle, who were relegated so abjectly, had the talent in their squad to do what they did on Sunday!

You can't bin that argument completely because the TV money hasn't even kicked in properly yet, and even when it does it will still be fairly relative, i.e. every single team will just increase it's TV revenue by the same ratio. This isn't a "radically" different league, but it has evolved slightly stronger throughout the teams below us, but it's not like the league has gone from being like the Belgian second division to La Liga in 3 years. AVB also didn't have 4 of the 5 teams richer than us in cataclysmic meltdown as we found this season, and there is no way the squad AVB had was close to as strong as this one, or assembled as coherently.

I think Pochettino has done an excellent job this year, I think this has been a great season, and I am glad he's here, but I also think that what AVB achieved with that squad, in those circumstances (the loss of Modric & VDV, Adebayor playing up, Sherwood and Freund being pain in the arses etc) at that time was actually a much greater achievement than many are prepared to give him credit for.