Post- preseason expectations

[WiganSpur]

5th or 6th. I can't see us finishing below Everton this time, it's possible that we could beat one of Pool, United and Arsenal for 5th but will be difficult to beat two of them for Champions League football.

So yeah, hoping for a solid finish and just have a good crack at the Europa League because we've definitely got the ability to win it. It's also about time we had another go for the FA Cup.

 

[ItsBoris]

Last season we got these results against teams outside the top 4:
Played 30
Won 21
Drew 5
Lost 4 - lost to norwich, newcastle and west ham x2
Points 68

Record against top 4:
Played 8
Won 0
Drew 1
Lost 7
Points 1 - no team got less points than us

Im expecting 6th but last season was the worst performances I think I seen since 2006 or before.

I seen people say this is another transition season but the same was said last year after bale left and Timmy was in charge so I don't think we should accept any worse.

For me its not points thats important but the performance and there should be a philosophy or a plan for the team(which looks like it is happening)

However if Timmy and AVB were as bad as I/we think they were then Poch should be achieve a higher points total and probably the highest ever, which sounds crazy because then we will going for a top 4 place and my head says we shouldn't be there and don't do it to yourself!!!!

Just not how it works unfortunately. The 5 teams that finished above us all have very good managers, and now United have Van Gaal. That means that even if we have a manager equally good, we still need a better squad to finish above them.

I think we do have a very good squad, but it's still very unlikely that we'll finish above all of Everton, Liverpool, and United. Europa league is what we should be going for.

 

[diamond lights]

I just don't want to suffer any more soul-destroying thrashings. Those horrible results skewed everyone's vision of last season, in which, if looked at dispassionately, we actually performed well. As pointed out above, we performed excellently against everyone but the top 4 (and Spammers, dammit). This season we could hardly do worse against the top 4...

I reckon ManC and Chelsea have bought their CL spots, they will not be dislodged any time soon. But there is no reason we have to be terrified of the rest of them - Pool are certainly a worse team without Suarez and with Gerrard heading to washed-up status at a rapidly accelerating rate. How they have managed to delude themselves into thinking they have returned to their "god-granted and rightful" place at the top is a testament to their legendary powers of self-delusion of their eternal greatness.

Obviously, ManU are likely to be better than last year, but they hardly look awesome. Arse look pretty good unfortunately. But anyhow, managers near the top don't get transitional seasons to play with. They don't even get half seasons. We have to be attempting a top 4 finish, or what is the point?

I agree with all of this however as long as we are attempting a top four finish and not making it a pre requisite for the manager's continued employment. Objectives should be a clear playing philosophy installed, try to win every game, have the "group" bought into the collective being more important than the individual and see where it takes us.
I've just got a feeling we will just miss out on top 4 to City, Chelsea, Arse and United but finish above Everton and Liverpool who will struggle with increased expectations and Champions League. Watch us win the Europa and qualify for Champions League that way then Poch can continue to build his dynasty

 

[WiganSpur]

Just not how it works unfortunately. The 5 teams that finished above us all have very good managers, and now United have Van Gaal. That means that even if we have a manager equally good, we still need a better squad to finish above them.

I think we do have a very good squad, but it's still very unlikely that we'll finish above all of Everton, Liverpool, and United. Europa league is what we should be going for.

We're a better team than Everton. They finished just 3 points above us last season and it's fair to say they had a great season and we had a disastrous one.

Them signing Lukaku has actually hindered their ability to strengthen elsewhere, so I see them as around the same as last year, whilst we look set to plug our weaknesses in the transfer market and we have a manager that is probably better than a Tim Sherwood/Andre Villas-Boas combo. I'd be surprised if Everton beat us to 6th again.

 

[ItsBoris]

We're a better team than Everton. They finished just 3 points above us last season and it's fair to say they had a great season and we had a disastrous one.

Them signing Lukaku has actually hindered their ability to strengthen elsewhere, so I see them as around the same as last year, whilst we look set to plug our weaknesses in the transfer market and we have a manager that is probably better than a Tim Sherwood/Andre Villas-Boas combo. I'd be surprised if Everton beat us to 6th again.

Yes that's true but they also have stability whereas we have a new manager.

Yes I think we'll finish above them but does it matter? I doubt we finish in the top 4, which means EL should be our priority.

 

[N17TJK]

'It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory.'

But yeah ide be happy with 8th place and winning the Europa league all day long. (As the EL winners now get CL qualification).

 

[beats1]

Just not how it works unfortunately. The 5 teams that finished above us all have very good managers, and now United have Van Gaal. That means that even if we have a manager equally good, we still need a better squad to finish above them.

I think we do have a very good squad, but it's still very unlikely that we'll finish above all of Everton, Liverpool, and United. Europa league is what we should be going for.

TBF liverpool look like they would be around our level and same for Everton and potentially both United and Arsenal

I wasn't saying anywhere that we should finish above all of them, but we should finish at least 6th and improve on the points total

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I expect 5th, with only margins separating us from 4th.
A serious go at El.
1 forward pass from Townsend to Soldado during the season.

 

[teok]

5-7 th, decent run in the uefa and maybe a battling loss to the goons/chelsea in one of the cups. Hoping too see the team developing as the season goes on though.

 

[SpurSince57]

We're a better team than Everton. They finished just 3 points above us last season and it's fair to say they had a great season and we had a disastrous one.

Them signing Lukaku has actually hindered their ability to strengthen elsewhere, so I see them as around the same as last year, whilst we look set to plug our weaknesses in the transfer market and we have a manager that is probably better than a Tim Sherwood/Andre Villas-Boas combo. I'd be surprised if Everton beat us to 6th again.

69 points disastrous? Disappointing, yes, but how many times have you witnessed us do as well or better? In fact, under Sherwood we averaged 1.91 PPG, which equates to 73 points over a season, so we'd have pipped Everton and also beaten our 2012-13 total—and I don't recall too many people complaining about that.

Sixth for me, fifth a bonus—I honestly can't see two of United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool slipping up, although anything's possible, I guess.

 

[Bobishism]

Win champions league and World Cup.

 

[Monkey boy]

for the 1st time in a long while im going into the season with no expectations whatsoever, ill just be happy to see us moving in the right direction. That being said id really love us to win a trophy and if that means that the league takes a back seat and we go all out for the Europa or the FA Cup then im all for it as its been far too long since we won something. Oh and id like to see us hand out some thrashings of our own, I feel we owe some payback to the premier league.

 

[SamR]

Isn't it great that we as spurs fans are more excited about a positive harmony and unity this year over anything else.

I think we'll be a stern test for most of the PL teams this year if Poch gets it right. If we start creating multiple chances per game I think a cup run or two might be exactly what we'll see. 5/6 place with the big boys nervous about Us and i'll be happy.

 

[lukespurs7]

Unfortunately losing Bale Modric and VDV really set us back as well as having a mess of a season last year due to AVB and Tim not being the right men to take us forward.

Meanwhile all our rivals have unfortunately strengtherned.
City are City, Chelsea have Jose back and a new WC striker and Cesc. Man.U will be strong under LVG,Rogers has taken pool to another level although who knows how big an impact Suarez leaving will have. Arsenal have bough Sanchez,Ozil in recent years and are looking strong.

We really need a CB,CM and possibly a striker to get back to the others level. As a result as well as it being Poch's first season I expect a 5/6th finish hopefully some wins and respectable performances vs the top4,better football and a cup run to semis at least.

Hopefully we will get the new stadium underway and until then Poch will start to shape our squad and gradually improve our football. If that happens I think the Lane will be buzzing again and we'll start to have our spurs back.

 

[tomo]

Look what Atletico did last season with a strong manager, organisation and excellent moral. I don't think they had too many outstanding players but some good ones and a massive amount of self belief.

I'm not saying for one minute that we will win the league but if Pochettino can get the squads confidence back and organise the system so we can cut out our ability to self destruct then we should be aiming at top 4. If we don't achieve then this season won't necessarily be unsuccessful but you have to aim high. All this 6/7th nonsense is exactly the sort of mentality that I hope is nowhere near the players at the moment. You have to believe you can challenge to give yourself a fighting chance.

Would absolutely love a cup win as well.

 

[Montasura]

I remember when Darren Bent scored about ten goals in pre season. I was excited that year. I've since learned my lesson!
6th with a cup run.

 

[spurious1]

I think this is the lowest I've seen expectations around here in many years - I guess it's a results of the emotional traumas of last season, rather than the raw data of how the season went.

I think we still sit in the same configuration as it has been for the last few years, since ManC bought themselves into the big 4. There is a still the obvious big 4 (ManC, ManU, Arse, Chelsea), all of which are odds-on favourites to finish in the top 4, and 1 of whom will win the league. ManU had one disastrous season last year (and, their disaster was far far worse than ours - yet they consider themselves title contenders essentially just by virtue of changing their coach...). And they're probably right.

Pool had one good season last year, their first in ages, due very largely to the amazing performances of Suarez. Who is now gone, leaving an unfillable hole. Plus they have more football to deal with this year. I cannot see any possible logic dictating that they are now part of some big 5 based on 1 anomalous data point.

So it is like usual - most years one of the big 4 has an off year (happens almost every year) giving a chance (not always taken) for one of the also-rans to sneak in (that's us, Everton, and Pool, baring surprises). I think it will be the same this year. I would bet that if we (or anyone) make ~72-74 pts, they will get top 4. It's how it pretty much always works.

 

[SpurSince57]

I think this is the lowest I've seen expectations around here in many years - I guess it's a results of the emotional traumas of last season, rather than the raw data of how the season went.

I think we still sit in the same configuration as it has been for the last few years, since ManC bought themselves into the big 4. There is a still the obvious big 4 (ManC, ManU, Arse, Chelsea), all of which are odds-on favourites to finish in the top 4, and 1 of whom will win the league. ManU had one disastrous season last year (and, their disaster was far far worse than ours - yet they consider themselves title contenders essentially just by virtue of changing their coach...). And they're probably right.

Pool had one good season last year, their first in ages, due very largely to the amazing performances of Suarez. Who is now gone, leaving an unfillable hole. Plus they have more football to deal with this year. I cannot see any possible logic dictating that they are now part of some big 5 based on 1 anomalous data point.

So it is like usual - most years one of the big 4 has an off year (happens almost every year) giving a chance (not always taken) for one of the also-rans to sneak in (that's us, Everton, and Pool, baring surprises). I think it will be the same this year. I would bet that if we (or anyone) make ~72-74 pts, they will get top 4. It's how it pretty much always works.

Or maybe it's realism finally settling in. This is the first pre-season since 2005-06 that Arsenal haven't been on the point of terminal implosion.

 

[brasil_spur]

Based on what i've seen in pre-season i think we're going to do very well against the non-top 5/6 teams, to the point we will win a lot of those games. However i think we might come a bit unstuck against the top 5/6, especially as our goal threat is still a little tame IMO.

I would say overall a good season with us all desperately looking for a new (world class) striker in Jan to help us break down the tougher teams.

 

[Mr Pink]

I think we'll be the surprise package this season and will get stronger and stronger as the season progresses.

I've already seen a healthy amount of improvement and the season hasn't even started yet.

I think we'll be around 5th for the majority of the season and we'll sneak into fourth in the run in.