Post- preseason expectations

[Gilzeanking]

I see a lot of positivity for an EL win . Be great to do it , but we haven't come close in many seasons now . With the shit rule that CL failures come into the EL , It'll take a shedload of good fortune to win it .

4th , on the other hand , we've come close to , a couple wins away generally..even made it twice . The strengthening
of top 4 competitors is intimidating atm....but its a long haul , plenty of time for cockups and maybe...just maybe it won't be us making them .

 

[spurious1]

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.

Maybe. But for the last few years, we have been managing to generally finish 4th or 5th somehow, so I think it's not insane to imagine we can do the same...I would be disappointed with 6th, personally. That would be like relaxing back gently toward mid-table anonymity.

 

[dagraham]

My feelings are no different post pre season than a couple of months ago. Pre season really means fuck all other than fitness and with some of our players at the WC it's hard to know how they are going to fit in yet. I remember when Ramos came in, we had a storming pre season thrashing Roma with everyone talking about what a great signing Bentley would be......We all know how that turned out.

Having said that, I do have a good feeling about Poch. I just don't think he's a miracle worker and contrary to a lot of people I don't see anything great about the transfer window so far. Yes, we've held on to Lloris and hopefully Verts (which is a positive and something I wasn't expecting), but it's a sad indictment of the last few years that not selling our best players is treated with such joy. That's what should be expected of us if we are to have any hope of getting back into the CL any time soon.

Other than that, we've signed a decent back up keeper, a LB who may or may not be better than Rose and a defender who is a good prospect for the future (but no more than that at this stage). Hardly improving our first 11. We still don't have an quality CB who can slot straight in the first team, still don't have a play maker in CM or someone to take the creative burden from Eriksen and still don't have enough up front imo.

That can all change though and it's why the question for me would be better posed after the 1st September.

I know that sounds negative, but I don't feel all doom and gloom about it. My expectations have just been lowered and at present I see no way we can improve on last years league position.

Hopefully though, we will see a better brand of football and promise for the future. I do feel far more positive with Pochettino after ditching AVB and Sherwood than I did after sacking Harry and appointing AVB.

 

[Shanks]

Aim has to be top 4.

To get top 4, we will have to over achieve.

Is it possible to get top 4? Yes it is.

But is it realistic?
Probably not.

The top 7 teams of Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton & Tottenham - it's some serious strength in depth within those teams.

Baring Everton and ourselves, the rest have considerably improved themselves over the summer. I know both Everton and Spurs have as well, with us probably being behind Everton due to change in management again.

As for money spending, wage bills etc etc expectations are hitting that 6th spot again, so anything above that will be over-achieving. If Poch can get the best out of the team, and get them believing in themselves, then anything really is possible.

Whilst I don't particular like Mourinho's type of football, he looks at the season like a game of chess.

He'll deliberatly set out to not be beaten aggainst the big teams, very defensive, hard to break down, alwaysd cagey games, but if they beat the rest of the league, and grab a few extra points against rivals, they'll awlays be up there.

I'd take a bit more of a cagey approach against the big teams, but then going for it against the lesser teams kind of approach. Posh seems to be pretty savvy in his approach so maybe we'll see a bit of an improvement on overall points achieved - the standard has been upped. So top 6, realistic, top 4 should be the aim, along with a 'decent' cup run or two!

 

[Locotoro]

I hope for us to win the first game..

Ask me about the second game after that.

 

[Ironskullll]

The ambition should be top 4. With a lot of luck it we might even get better than 4th place. 5th or 6th are probably more likely, which might still be considered satisfactory depending on the manner in which it's achieved. 7th would be a disappointment, especially given that AVB and TS did better between them. So cups do come into it; would make 5/6/7 so much more palatable if they came with some cup glory. My expectation is a top 4 challenge combined with 3 good cup runs, maybe even a cup win. If we fall short in the final analysis well, we're Spurs arent we?

 

[Flashspur]

Telegraph thinks we will get 14th and West Ham 4th....go figure

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...d-ranked-By-Jonathan-Liew.html#?frame=2993344

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Buckle up wankers, because I think we are in for a bumpy ride. I think circumstances have conspired to make this season, dare I say it, very much a transitional one.

The pre-season has been ruined by the world cup effectively, meaning many of our best players have had a about 2 weeks pre season. Dawson, the tosspot, has chained himself to Steffan Freund's cone hut until we agree to pay him the equivalent of a testimonial, meaning we can't sign the quality CB we need. Unless Barca pay us 20m for Walker of course - in which case I will personally suck @sloth off. Kaboul has looked OK in pre-season but I fully expect him to pull up 30 minutes into his first league game and go awol for 6 moths.

Has Vertonghen signed a new deal ?

I'm petrified that Pochettino has been hypnotised by Lennon's little legs into believing that he may suit a fast transitioning side and it will take him until at least December to realise that his head can't cash the cheques his little legs write.

Will Malaria have effected the level of serotonin in Adebayors brain ? Will Soldado remember where the goal is ? Will Kane's legs learn to keep pace with his head ?

And who the fuck of our 27 CM's will be in the starting two births ?

Will Pochettino manage to raise the collective IQ, will he manage to at least combine possession, high line, pressing and winning by more than 1 goal ?

The only unresolved question going into the new season is the goalkeeper.


In football dream land, Pochettino has managed to instil his complete (@Spurs_Bear) Philosophy in the last two weeks, Dawson will accept that he's lucky there are still EPL managers with IQ low enough to want him and fuck off, Pochettino will make all the right personnel decisions, he will also have turned Bentaleb into our Schniederlin in the last few days, Lamela, Eriksen and Chadli will combine to make shitloads of chances every game and Soldado will bury at least three a game.

But football dream land rarely happens. I'm expecting some pain. I don't even think it's worth thinking about what's happening until about November (who am I kidding, we'll be anal-ysing Poch's every fucking fart from 5pm this Saturday onwards). I just hope we (me, you, Levy) show some patience as long as we see some tangible foundations being laid. That the same "we" realises that if you want to build something you do it right, everyone uses the same instruction manual, and it might take more than a few months to build something worth having*.








*Unless he turns out to be the Argentine Glenn Roeder of course - then we should sack him in January and get FDB.

 

[ralvy]

Seriously guys, anything can happen.

Last season Chelsea proved not being able to cope with both CL advanced rounds and PL at the same time, while the main reason City ended up with the title was because both Liverpool and Chelsea dropped the ball. Also, this Liverpool is not used to playing European football. So if any of those three somehow manage to attain a deep run in Europe, who knows the effect that may have on their League form.

On the other hand, Pellegrini has never proved being a consistent winner (maybe only at River), Mou seems to be running out of ideas lately (he literally didn't have a plan B against Athletico last season) and Rodgers has proven fuck all yet.

So I think those who think City, Chelsea and Liverpool will be running out with the league once again may be in for a surprise, and as a consequence I think our top four chances and an Arsenal title challenge may be less impossible than some people think.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Unless Barca pay us 20m for Walker of course - in which case I will personally suck @sloth off.

I hope for Kyle, and for dear @sloth case, we keep him.

 

[tttcowan]

Buckle up wankers, because I think we are in for a bumpy ride. I think circumstances have conspired to make this season, dare I say it, very much a transitional one.

The pre-season has been ruined by the world cup effectively, meaning many of our best players have had a about 2 weeks pre season. Dawson, the tosspot, has chained himself to Steffan Freund's cone hut until we agree to pay him the equivalent of a testimonial, meaning we can't sign the quality CB we need. Unless Barca pay us 20m for Walker of course - in which case I will personally suck @sloth off. Kaboul has looked OK in pre-season but I fully expect him to pull up 30 minutes into his first league game and go awol for 6 moths.

Has Vertonghen signed a new deal ?

I'm petrified that Pochettino has been hypnotised by Lennon's little legs into believing that he may suit a fast transitioning side and it will take him until at least December to realise that his head can't cash the cheques his little legs write.

Will Malaria have effected the level of serotonin in Adebayors brain ? Will Soldado remember where the goal is ? Will Kane's legs learn to keep pace with his head ?

And who the fuck of our 27 CM's will be in the starting two births ?

Will Pochettino manage to raise the collective IQ, will he manage to at least combine possession, high line, pressing and winning by more than 1 goal ?

The only unresolved question going into the new season is the goalkeeper.


In football dream land, Pochettino has managed to instil his complete (@Spurs_Bear) Philosophy in the last two weeks, Dawson will accept that he's lucky there are still EPL managers with IQ low enough to want him and fuck off, Pochettino will make all the right personnel decisions, he will also have turned Bentaleb into our Schniederlin in the last few days, Lamela, Eriksen and Chadli will combine to make shitloads of chances every game and Soldado will bury at least three a game.

But football dream land rarely happens. I'm expecting some pain. I don't even think it's worth thinking about what's happening until about November (who am I kidding, we'll be anal-ysing Poch's every fucking fart from 5pm this Saturday onwards). I just hope we (me, you, Levy) show some patience as long as we see some tangible foundations being laid. That the same "we" realises that if you want to build something you do it right, everyone uses the same instruction manual, and it might take more than a few months to build something worth having*.








*Unless he turns out to be the Argentine Glenn Roeder of course - then we should sack him in January and get FDB.

Apart from the standard tyraid of BC Dawson abuse(should of been moved on and annoying he hasn't, he certainly can't play a high line, but no need for that level of rage) I think BC is pretty spot on... I pray Poch is indeed a wizard and a couple of the players have had brain transplants but I'm not terribly hopeful of it.

Other fans from what I've heard are expecting us to be better this year, so am I, but unfortunately I think it could just as easily go the other way.

 

[dagraham]

Will Malaria have effected the level of serotonin in Adebayors brain ? Will Soldado remember where the goal is ? Will Kane's legs learn to keep pace with his head ?

 

[VegasII]

Telegraph thinks we will get 14th and West Ham 4th....go figure

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...d-ranked-By-Jonathan-Liew.html#?frame=2993344

Comedy. I always wondered whether Liew was actually SC's Dan Ashcroft. Fuck knows why but it just seemed to fit for some reason.