Race for the Top 4 - 2017/18

[StevePil]

I'm prepared to look stupid in a few weeks but I've got a feeling that at the end of these 3 games we'll be feeling a lot happier about top 4

I reckon we'll beat united and arsenal and then draw with liverpool

If we lose all three feel free to spam me with d'ohs

Would absolutely love you to be right, but cant see it unfortunately, think we have dropped too many silly points this year and today was another and there will be more between now and end of season whereas the others are grinding out wins.

How many times this season have we said "what a shit weekend for us" with all them winning and us losing, not only did they win this weekend they have all improved their GD and I am sure Pool will do same tomorrow.

 

[Colonel Dax]

Top 4 is gone IMO

5 points off top 4 after tomorrow night and we have the tougher fixtures when you compare us and Pool.... forget Chelsea, Utd we aint catching them as they will spend in January too.

Would love to be wrong but we need to just try and get 5th so we get EL and auto qualify to group stage as we could have a big problem if we need to quality for EL and NWHL is not ready

I'd prefer to not qualify for the EL at all, although appreciate finishing 7th won't look good.

 

[StevePil]

Personally I'd prefer to not qualify for the EL at all, although appreciate finishing 7th won't look good.

I do agree with that, imagine going into the new stadium with no European football, that may teach levy for gambling in the summer, the transfer window in the summer is what has fucked us this year, not Wembley.

We wont finish below 6th though IMO..... I actually think that's where we will finish but we would have to have an awful finish to drop below 6th

 

[spursfan77]

I think we might look back at the end of the season and see today, West Ham and West Brom at home as the decisive games where we lost the battle.

I genuinely feel like we need to beat Goons, United and Liverpool to do it now. Otherwise I fear we will spend the remainder of the season looking up and building hypothetical scenarios in our heads based on other teams losing.

Unless we give those teams a knock ourselves I just can’t see them losing enough games for us to get ahead of them.

Out of those 3 I think we will only beat Arsenal which isn't enough. We basically can't lose against Liverpool to have any real chance. Too many dropped points:

Chelsea, Swansea, wba, West Ham at home to begin with.

 

[StevePil]

Out of those 3 I think we will only beat Arsenal which isn't enough. We basically can't lose against Liverpool to have any real chance. Too many dropped points:

Chelsea, Swansea, wba, West Ham at home to begin with.

Agreed, add Burnley at Wembley to that list too, we have had some shockers away from home too. As mentioned above the Summer transfer window killed us, we badly weakened our squad last summer and learnt zero lessons and that sits with Mr Levy who I hope sells this club when the stadium is sorted, that can be be his leaving legacy as we win fuck all under his stewardship IMO

 

[talkshowhost86]

Getting quite nervous now...

We're outsiders now.

Mind you I personally thought we started the season as outsiders so not much has changed.

 

[roslau]

We need to win the champion league to make us qualify if we want CL football in our new home next season

 

[spursfan77]

We're outsiders now.

Mind you I personally thought we started the season as outsiders so not much had changed.

When sky talk about the top 6 they don’t even put poch in the graphic so I think we are outsiders.

 

[jonathanhotspur]

Agreed, add Burnley at Wembley to that list too, we have had some shockers away from home too. As mentioned above the Summer transfer window killed us, we badly weakened our squad last summer and learnt zero lessons and that sits with Mr Levy who I hope sells this club when the stadium is sorted, that can be be his leaving legacy as we win fuck all under his stewardship IMO

No doubt in my mind that we fucked ourselves in the arse last summer. Our recruitment of attacking players/midfielders with half a brain was shambolic.

 

[talkshowhost86]

When sky talk about the top 6 they don’t even put poch in the graphic so I think we are outsiders.

In terms of financial clout we are rightly outsiders for top 4.

Doesn't excuse the way the press treat us like also rans even though we've finished 3rd and 2nd recently, but as fans we need to remember how much we've been batting above average in recent years.

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

Hopefully this was intensify our application towards both cup competitions.

 

[ajspurs]

We're outsiders now.

Mind you I personally thought we started the season as outsiders so not much has changed.

Agree. I know it's not over yet and we still have a chance but I personally think finishing in top 4 whilst having to play at Wembley all season would have been a great achievement but was also always a tough task.

 

[St José Dominguez]

In terms of financial clout we are rightly outsiders for top 4.

Doesn't excuse the way the press treat us like also fans even though we've finished 3rd and 2nd recently, but as fans we need to remember how much we've been batting above average in recent years.

Above average in terms of finances yes but we've not been over performing in terms of what we have player wise. Yes we need to improve the bench massively but we have a fantastic first 11 filled with fantastic players who despite us not spending much collectively are one of the most valuable teams in Europe. I don't blame Wembley, transfers, depth of squad I think as a team we simply have not played anywhere near our capabilities this season.

 

[spursfan77]

Based on last season’s results we are on course for 75 points, which I think is a big ask.

4th place the last few seasons:

2017 - 76 points
2016 - 66 points
2015 - 70 points
2014 - 79 points
2013 - 73 points
2012 - 69 points
2011 - 68 points
2010 - 70 points

An average over that period of 71 points. So really we can’t get below that else we’ve no chance. I think though because of the weakness of the other teams in the league the season will be more like 2016/17 and 2013/14 so we will need to better our results from the corresponding games last season to get top 4.

Sorry, when I looked this up I thought it was going to produce some good news for us, when in fact it’s the opposite but football isn’t that predictable else we wouldnt bother to watch it would we?

 

[SpartanSpur]

Looking a real long shot after today, barring a meltdown from one of the teams above us.

Need to hope this disappointment fires them up for the Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal games.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Above average in terms of finances yes but we've not been over performing in terms of what we have player wise. Yes we need to improve the bench massively but we have a fantastic first 11 filled with fantastic players who despite us not spending much collectively are one of the most valuable teams in Europe. I don't blame Wembley, transfers, depth of squad I think as a team we simply have not played anywhere near our capabilities this season.

I think you've literally named three very good reasons why we're not where you want us to be.

To say you are ignoring those factors is odd.

 

[ajspurs]

Also, a lot of the time unfortunately when we have played pretty crap we've suffered from it whereas United for instance on the other hand seem to scrape out wins still when playing very mediocre. We've dropped a lot of points where we shouldn't have, West Brom, Burnley, West Ham, Swansea at home, Leicester and Watford away but it's even more frustrating to think that had we even just won 3 of those games we'd be in a much better position. When you look at that we've maybe done well to even be where we are now.

 

[Davo99]

I think it’s still attainable. Admittedly, we are probably an injury or two away from being completely out of it which is kinda scary.

We really do need to add at least one more capable attack minded player or we will continue to have the same problems. With Wanyama and Toby to come back in defensive areas, I still think we can be more consistent and still make it.

We don’t make it easy for ourselves though do we?

 

[Mr Pink]

We're going to have to beat United and Arsenal now, no doubt.

 

[Davo99]

We're going to have to beat United and Arsenal now, no doubt.

Are both games at Wembley? Definitely do-able, though Arsenal at good at Wembley aren’t they? We should be looking to beat both regardless though. And as you pointed out, we will probably have to.