Race for the Top 4 - 2017/18

[Garbob]

hopefully we just get our shit together and win the next two games. I can’t stomach chelski piping us. It just always has to to them to fuck us up.

 

[Shadydan]

So if we manage to throw away a 10 point lead over Chelsea and end up 5th, What would you call it then?

Dunno I'd rather wait until the final outcome that's how it normally works

 

[spurfetto]

2 nil to spurs wed ??

 

[StevePil]

To be honest, on the bright side...
We have more chance of winning the EL then we do the CL and that gets us back in CL the year after if we win it next season, so if the lads do bottle it, we have that as a hope, as I am hoping we have a strong summer and sign some winners as its what this side needs...

Just hope it does not damage our transfer plans too much, but CL football hasn't made Levy spend more over the years so fingers crossed it dont

Clearly, hoping we don't bottle it but I'm thinking there is more chance we will then not so preparing myself for the all the pictures/jokes and shit about my club that was not the laughing stock in the 60s when I started supporting them

 

[Donki]

Why?

Come on, it’s our primary goal each season, if we didn’t get it the season at best would be a failure at best. I mean if trophies don’t matter, as some people seem to think, and top 4 doesn’t matter, what exactly does matter? We have arguably the second best first 11 in the country yet seem incapable of winning a trophie or even finishing in the top 4... something not right there with that mentality.

Btw for what it’s worth I think we will do it and get 3rd.

 

[JayB]

I think some people need to calm down. There were pre-season threads about what we were expecting this season with the Wembley transition. Many, myself included, were expecting top six at best. It will be disappointing to miss out on top four yes, but only because of the position we were in. If we played worse all season and were never in the top four to begin with, I bet there wouldn't be so many people thinking it will be catastrophic for the future of the club. I don't see it being a disaster or a catastrophe for the club. We're not getting relegated.

It's not preseason anymore though is it. It's all well and good to have thought in August that Wembley would be such a hindrance that it would make it difficult to finish in the top four, but here we are in May and that has not proven to be the case at all. If we miss out on CL it will be because the players thought the job was done and went on holiday with a month and a half remaining in the season, which is completely and utterly unacceptable.

As for whether it would be a catastrophe, we are already on the precipice of losing a number of the most important players in the squad during the Pochettino era (Alderweireld, Dembele, Rose, rumblings about Eriksen). That problem could only possibly get worse if we miss out. Imagine having to replace those players, and possibly more, without the lure of CL football. Not to mention the possible ramifications it could have on the club's finances if the sponsorship deals for the new stadium have been negotiated on the basis that we would likely be a CL club.

Perhaps we could weather those storms and come out on the other end just fine, but we aren't in a position to offer the kinds of wages to entice CL-quality players to come play for a non-CL club the way that Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal have done when they've found themselves in the same situation. Missing out on the CL would absolutely be a major blow to our prospects of attaining the level of signings that we need in order to continue to progress in this coming transfer window.

We cannot pretend that we are not at an incredibly important moment for the club. We are about to move into a stadium which has cost us nearly a billion pounds to build, and we don't have the financing (naming rights, etc.) sown up for it just yet. We are also at the outset of what is likely going to be the most important transfer window (given the aforementioned outgoings and the glaring needs in the squad) since we sold Bale. Chalking a failure up to the fact that we thought the season would be difficult before it started would be to ignore what actually took place once it did start.

 

[tiger666]

Come on, it’s our primary goal each season, if we didn’t get it the season at best would be a failure at best. I mean if trophies don’t matter, as some people seem to think, and top 4 doesn’t matter, what exactly does matter? We have arguably the second best first 11 in the country yet seem incapable of winning a trophie or even finishing in the top 4... something not right there with that mentality.

I understand all that, I still don't see why it's such a disaster. For the fans sure, I don't see why it sets the club back for years. We may be back in it the end of next season.

 

[Donki]

I understand all that, I still don't see why it's such a disaster. For the fans sure, I don't see why it sets the club back for years. We may be back in it the end of next season.

I think it will affect the players a lot of first teamers are in the last 2 years of their contracts.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

To be honest, on the bright side...
We have more chance of winning the EL then we do the CL and that gets us back in CL the year after if we win it next season, so if the lads do bottle it, we have that as a hope, as I am hoping we have a strong summer and sign some winners as its what this side needs...

Just hope it does not damage our transfer plans too much, but CL football hasn't made Levy spend more over the years so fingers crossed it dont

Clearly, hoping we don't bottle it but I'm thinking there is more chance we will then not so preparing myself for the all the pictures/jokes and shit about my club that was not the laughing stock in the 60s when I started supporting them

That's the bright side? If you are such an EL fan (hey, right there with you) isn't it better to get into EL by failing the CL group stage, than to get EL by giving up an 11 points lead in the league? I mean, call me a radical thinker, but ...

 

[poc]

I understand all that, I still don't see why it's such a disaster. For the fans sure, I don't see why it sets the club back for years. We may be back in it the end of next season.

Because it makes it harder to keep players more importantly to get players. It further erodes our players confidence and confirms what everyone else thinks that we bottle things that seem to be impossible to bottle. It will be a monumental fuck up if we don't get 4th.

 

[MyNameIsNicolaBerti]

It's not preseason anymore though is it. It's all well and good to have thought in August that Wembley would be such a hindrance that it would make it difficult to finish in the top four, but here we are in May and that has not proven to be the case at all. If we miss out on CL it will be because the players thought the job was done and went on holiday with a month and a half remaining in the season, which is completely and utterly unacceptable.

As for whether it would be a catastrophe, we are already on the precipice of losing a number of the most important players in the squad during the Pochettino era (Alderweireld, Dembele, Rose, rumblings about Eriksen). That problem could only possibly get worse if we miss out. Imagine having to replace those players, and possibly more, without the lure of CL football. Not to mention the possible ramifications it could have on the club's finances if the sponsorship deals for the new stadium have been negotiated on the basis that we would likely be a CL club.

Perhaps we could weather those storms and come out on the other end just fine, but we aren't in a position to offer the kinds of wages to entice CL-quality players to come play for a non-CL club the way that Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal have done when they've found themselves in the same situation. Missing out on the CL would absolutely be a major blow to our prospects of attaining the level of signings that we need in order to continue to progress in this coming transfer window.

We cannot pretend that we are not at an incredibly important moment for the club. We are about to move into a stadium which has cost us nearly a billion pounds to build, and we don't have the financing (naming rights, etc.) sown up for it just yet. We are also at the outset of what is likely going to be the most important transfer window (given the aforementioned outgoings and the glaring needs in the squad) since we sold Bale. Chalking a failure up to the fact that we thought the season would be difficult before it started would be to ignore what actually took place once it did start.

Excellent post. I'd add that it is not melting to realise that after two title challenges and two CL campaigns it absolutely would be regression for us to finish fifth.

 

[SugarRay]

I agree, totally. Is it Kane, Son or Lloris you have in mind?

To be fair to Kane, he is manning up. He’s still putting himself in the firing line despite being in terrible form by his standards.

 

[Donki]

Dunno I'd rather wait until the final outcome that's how it normally works

If we all dis that this place wouldn’t exist surely, I mean there would be no point discussing anything.... perhaps that would be a good thing... lol.

 

[tiger666]

I think it will affect the players a lot of first teamers are in the last 2 years of their contracts.

If a player wants to leave because we miss one season of the CL when that player contributed to it, imo, they're welcome to go.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

And if Chelski win today?
Same ole same ole on here, home and dry my arse. The way we have played in the last 3 games we could easily lose one of our home games, teams will sit very deep and try and snatch one from a corner of something. It is like our players have the same attitude as you also, swanning around expecting other teams to lose at home ( Chelski) and us to win away( West Bromwich) and it just hasn’t happened. We badly need a win vs Newcastle and will probably need a draw on the last day of the season to be Home and Dry!

My post was sarcastic. Christ!

 

[tiger666]

Because it makes it harder to keep players more importantly to get players. It further erodes our players confidence and confirms what everyone else thinks that we bottle things that seem to be impossible to bottle. It will be a monumental fuck up if we don't get 4th.

I never said it wouldn't be a fuck up, I also don't give a fuck what other fans think of us, but then I don't spend my time gobbing off to fans of other clubs on social media.

 

[worcestersauce]

Not quite that easy though is it? There have been times this season where we looked like we could catch United but each time we stumbled to close the gap, we had opportunities in the game against Juve where we could have went though and didn’t, in the FA Cup again we failed to show up. There is a time when we must wonder what the fuck is stopping us from taking the next step up the ladder.

It really is that easy, I prefer to see it as delayed us rather than stopped us stepping up the ladder yet they keep obliging us with further opportunities and with the best will in the world I don't equate Newcastle and Leicester with Man United and Juve.
I really am that confident.

 

[yankspurs]

Jesus wept there some miserable sods on here.....

Let us be miserable in peace

 

[Donki]

If a player wants to leave because we miss one season of the CL when that player contributed to it, imo, they're welcome to go.

I’d agree with you.

 

[StevePil]

That's the bright side? If you are such an EL fan (hey, right there with you) isn't it better to get into EL by failing the CL group stage, than to get EL by giving up an 11 points lead in the league? I mean, call me a radical thinker, but ...

100% agree with you, I would much rather CL then the EL, hate the Thurs night / Sunday football, drives me crazy but I am trying to look at bright side if we do miss out, there isn't much there given how clear we was. It will be a true fuck up from the team and they can rightly be called legends if it happens but I just want some comfort knowing we could win the EL (if we get some winners in this side) whereas we have no chance of CL yet (even though our manager seems to think different)