Race for the Top 4 - 2017/18

[lukespurs7]

Not this game tonight has cost us.

But draws against Burnley, Swansea, WBA and West Ham at home is just not good enough.

Completely agree.

 

[lukespurs7]

There are 14 games still to go... people are reacting like we’re 3 games from the end of the season.

Lots of ups and downs still to come and teams will drop a lot of points over the rest of the season. I know people like to knee jerk after a draw away from home but relax, we’re still in January...

True...BUT have you seen our next 3 games? We could be all but out the top4 race after them. It’s now a prettt big ask. Defiantly NOT over BUT we need to pick up some big big wins against top6 teams in the run in now. 2/3 wins in next 3 games is probably needed.

 

[Thewobbler]

Going to be playing utd who will have sanchez signed up by then. Im excited for these next 3 games. Lets see if the manager and players can rise to the occasion.

 

[Kiedis]

On course for 71 points at the moment, which most definitely wont be enough for top 4.

Going into the Christmas/January period, we were basically at the point where we could not afford slip ups. Unfortunately, we slipped up against West Ham and Southampton.

Barring some exceptional results in our remaining games against the top 6 sides (as well as not dropping more points against dross), it kind of looks like fifth is the best we can hope for. A bit annoying when we look back at the slip ups we've had so far, and how unlucky we've actually been in those games (Soton aside, it was a minor miracle that we got something from that).

 

[stevenurse]

At least 7 points required from our next three league games. Minimum.

If there's any kind of moisture in the air then Sanchez needs to be dropped, or at least given an umbrella.

This really is all or nothing in these next few games. Give our rivals more of an advantage and we might as well focus completely on the FA Cup.

 

[luptic]

Basically for me, we need 7 points from our next 3 games at the least, but what concerns me is when a key player is injured we look second rate.
We have only two games against those above us away from home, but we really need to win the remaining games to have a chance. But ideally we need better options from the bench as yesterday showed. One or two additions would be good, but i cant see it.
Hopefully Toby is back soon, we have missed him him since November, and getting Rose back would be good for the coming up games.

 

[spursfan77]

Still believe we can do it but we need to go on a run.

Last season we paced ourselves well and had a very strong end to the league campaign. Unfortunately I think participation in CL might help that falter.

14 games to go with a CL campaign, FA Cup to challenge for and top four in our sights means there is much to play for.

The thing is, we are on a run. Since losing to Leicester we have won 8, drawn 2 and lost 1. It seems it's not good enough though because the previous month was bad and we are still recovering from that. We are going to have to rely on other teams getting freak results against the other teams soon.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I think a lot depends on injuries.

We played yesterday's game without the spine of our first team (apart from Kane).

We need Alderweireld back. We need Lloris back. We need Eriksen back. And we need the old Wanyama back.

If we can do that, and maybe Winks as well as personally he'd be in my first team, then I'd be relatively confident that we can go on a good run.

But our depth behind those players isn't good enough for top 4 this year, and it doesn't look like we're going to do anything to address that transfer wise, so it's all going to be about whether they can get fit or not.

 

[SpartanSpur]

The thing is, we are on a run. Since losing to Leicester we have won 8, drawn 2 and lost 1. It seems it's not good enough though because the previous month was bad and we are still recovering from that. We are going to have to rely on other teams getting freak results against the other teams soon.

It's pretty scary the pace required. Looking back to the table that week (after losing to Leicester), we have earned exactly the same points in that strong spell as Chelsea and Utd, 3 less than Liverpool if they win tonight, 4 less than City.

Our only hope is to get big results in the next 3 and/or hope someone has a meltdown like we did Oct/Nov or Arsenal recently. We gained 7 points on Arsenal over this spell.

Edit: In the PL it was 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 Loss.

 

[SEANSPURS1975]

Like some people have said, we completely and utterly failed in strengthening our squad in the summer (not for the first time). Especially being at Wembley this season.
We won’t address those failings in January either. Still feel if we keep our best team fit we have a very outside chance of top four.
I think we’ll all look back at these last couple of seasons and think we had a chance to push on and really compete for major trophies and ultimately just let it slip away.

 

[thebenjamin]

So Sanchez makes his united debut against us? What a surprise

 

[eddiev14]

it's strange the obsession with top 4....getting top 4 seems to be more important than actually doing something in the CL!
We were top of our CL group and got the most points of any team in the group stage + have an amazing glamor tie against Juve but people are worried about top 4 for NEXT years CL....very strange to be honest

I think we’re all acutely aware that the majority of our first 11 players are at a level where they shouldn’t be playing in the Europa League, and they won’t want to be either.

It just adds fuel to the fire already burning due to our low wage structure.

It’s not, for example, Christian Eriksen’s fault that, if he misses a match with a cold, the drop off in quality in our squad is so dramatic that we suddenly can’t create decent chances to win a game against relegation fodder.

 

[WiganSpur]

We did some good things in the summer in bringing in Sanchez and Aurier to replace Walker but ultimately we didn't do enough and we could pay a heavy price for it.

We are definitely short of quality in midfield compared to our rivals.

 

[Shadydan]

So Sanchez makes his united debut against us? What a surprise

World against Spurs!

 

[tiger666]

Everyone hates us

 

[stevenurse]

Forgetting our lapses against the lesser teams this season, going forward we are going to need to address this historical failing against those around us, away from home at least. The league is effectively a mini league of 6 now and of the other games we've played against the 5 we've lost 4 and won 1. Yes 3 of those have been away but the top teams tend to find a way of getting at least a point.

 

[WiganSpur]

People will be concerned about losing players but the way they've been this season (Kane is unsellable) I don't think there's any chance whatsoever anyone is leaving even if finish 5th/6th. The market is now absurd, our price tags are a million miles above what anyone would value them at currently performance wise. I don't even think Rose will go, not sure how interested Utd are anymore, been injured, not in form, really not sure I can see them dropping £45m on him anymore.

We never sign the level of player that would care if we're in the CL so it won't affect incomings.

All it really means is we won't get to play the top European teams for a year which I can cope with.

So even if we didn't get top 4 we'll be going into new stadium with exactly same squad as this season, so let's not fuck up recruitment in summer and try to do it properly next season.

Let's win the FA cup though so this season can at least mean something (unless we're about to win the CL).

Rightly or wrongly we always sell players when they kick up a fuss. I'd say that's more likely to happen if we're playing EL football.

We will simply have to break the wage structure if we're going to keep our players. I think that's the only way we can maybe convince them to stay for the time being.

 

[tiger666]

Rightly or wrongly we always sell players when they kick up a fuss. I'd say that's more likely to happen if we're playing EL football.

We will simply have to break the wage structure if we're going to keep our players. I think that's the only way we can maybe convince them to stay for the time being.

Are we now saying players are going to leave if we don't get CL next season?

 

[Donki]

Honestly we still don't show enough killer instinct, and dare I say it we are still a tad "spursy" at times. Yesterday was a massive game, pressure was on us to keep the chase on, and quite frankly we bottled it. I hate using that word but its true. Not just the result but the manner of the result, the lack of urgency and basic body language of the entire team, such a depressing result and performance.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Good grief.

One result and it's back to the same old shite.

No wonder we're such a laughing stock.