Newcastle Game: Short term pain, long term gain?

[Dave-F]

I've been reading all the fallout from the Newcastle game, here and other places.

A thought has occurred to me having read what Poch has said and the way many have responded, that in the long arc of our progress, that game could have done us a massive favour.

Yes, I know it hurt a lot, but, before that match I think it is fair to say we (fans), Poch and the players were being a bit too complacent. Just because we've had a very good season, whilst others have had poor seasons means suddenly we think we have it all sowed up. Poch's language before the game was about having a strong team, with the implication we will just need to add one or two faces. And the players clearly turned off after the Chelsea game.

All in all, that implosion may actually give us the kick up the backside everyone needs to reach the next level. Poch in particular from all account went mad at the players and seems to now have a hit list. Good. The players who are there will now know they can't sit on their laurels and will have to work hard to regain his trust. On top of that it sounds like the number of players we'll sign has gone from 2-3 to around 5-7. Assuming these will be 5-7 top quality players to challenge the current team.

So, perhaps in terms of our overall development that game will be an important chapter in shaping thie development of this squad and our success over the next 3-5 years or so.

 

[beats1]

signing 5-7 players, because thats worked great in the past

 

[Grapo2001]

Nothing good can come of that game.

 

[chinaman]

Who said we're signing 5 to 7 players? Any advantage we have in a settled squad will evaporate.

 

[BromleySpur]

I'd much rather we'd won.

 

[Shadydan]

We're not going to sign 5-7 players, that's overkill. The squad needs minor tweaks, we probably need about 3 with 3 going out.

 

[Colonel Dax]

signing 5-7 players, because thats worked great in the past

Worked this season didn't it? We signed 5 players last summer- 6 if you include Alli.

 

[Colonel Dax]

We're not going to sign 5-7 players, that's overkill. The squad needs minor tweaks, we probably need about 3 with 3 going out.

I reckon 5 isn't completely unrealistic. 1 or 2 first teamers and the remainder squad players. Feasible IMO.

 

[scat1620]

I genuinely think that getting pipped to 2nd by Arsenal has set us back. I wouldn't want to be as black-and-white as saying "it's set us back 1/2/3 etc seasons", but IMO failing to finish above them yet again from a position where it seemed harder not to stay ahead of them than it did to slip up will hinder rather than help our development. It's one more psychological barrier to our improvement and I think it will prove to be more of an albatross than a spur to future glory. Not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle, but IMO it will definitely be a net detriment to our future prospects rather a net benefit.

 

[Gassin's finest]

And that is what we call looking on the bright side

 

[OneHotspur1988]

The season ended when we couldn't win the league and were mathmatically impossible to lose a CL spot.

2nd is just the first loser

 

[shelfboy68]

I reckon 5 isn't completely unrealistic. 1 or 2 first teamers and the remainder squad players. Feasible IMO.

I think five along with some youngsters being brought through next year would give us a decent chance of top four again while competing in CL, even if we go out at the group stage.
Imo we do need to add some decent depth to the squad in order to give ourselves a chance, although i can see us only ending up with three at the most.

 

[JimmyG2]

I've been reading all the fallout from the Newcastle game, here and other places.

A thought has occurred to me having read what Poch has said and the way many have responded, that in the long arc of our progress, that game could have done us a massive favour.

Yes, I know it hurt a lot, but, before that match I think it is fair to say we (fans), Poch and the players were being a bit too complacent. Just because we've had a very good season, whilst others have had poor seasons means suddenly we think we have it all sowed up. Poch's language before the game was about having a strong team, with the implication we will just need to add one or two faces. And the players clearly turned off after the Chelsea game.

All in all, that implosion may actually give us the kick up the backside everyone needs to reach the next level. Poch in particular from all account went mad at the players and seems to now have a hit list. Good. The players who are there will now know they can't sit on their laurels and will have to work hard to regain his trust. On top of that it sounds like the number of players we'll sign has gone from 2-3 to around 5-7. Assuming these will be 5-7 top quality players to challenge the current team.

So, perhaps in terms of our overall development that game will be an important chapter in shaping thie development of this squad and our success over the next 3-5 years or so.

Let's hope we get whacked by relegated teams more often
and finish below Arsenal again.
When's the pay day?
If we had kept our heads
we could have had it all now.

 

[LeSoupeKitchen]

Taking the title race to the last game or two and smashing arsenal by 6points would mean we were a far more attractive prospect to potential signings than we are now. So there is no gain from the end of season shit show for me.

If Liverpool win the Europa then we drop down the pecking order even further.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I think everyone, including Pochettino is reading way too much into that debacle. Just as everyone tried to read too much into the Chelsea debacle.

That was just a freak of a game. They had absolutely nothing to lose for the first time this season, they were playing without any pressure for the first time, we were a bit lethargic and sloppy with the ball up front first half but we we didn't deserve to go in 2-0 down in a game where we'd had about 68% of the ball. What unfolded in the second half was just football at it's freakiest, we piled forward trying to claw two goals back, they got an unjust penalty - 1-3 - and as we then threw everything forward we got our pants pulled down and just about every time they went in our half in the match they fucking scored.

There was some poor play all over the pitch, especially without the ball, but it's not the only game where we've been fucking sloppy, we've just gotten away with it (like all decent teams will) throughout the season. 10 man Watford were outplaying us and their place for example.

We didn't actually lose control of the game for long spells in that game like we have in others, we were just very naive and got our pants pulled down on the break several times. It can happen, reminded me of Liverpool at Stoke at the end of last year.

 

[Shadydan]

I reckon 5 isn't completely unrealistic. 1 or 2 first teamers and the remainder squad players. Feasible IMO.

Yeah actually if you include Fazio and Yedlin in that as well who I forgot about.

 

[longtimespur]

I think that the number of new players we will try to sign has increased because of that game.