Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

[slartibartfast]

I think the players will fkin love it as much as the fans and hit the ground running. This settling in shit is just that, media generated shit. I also think the disappointment of having to go back to Wembley and no new players coming in has played a part in our form lately. But we're still up there and we're still winning. I believe we'll have a strong 2nd half to the season once we finally get into our new home. Cant wait.

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

West Ham (A)
Man City
Wolves (A)
Crystal Palace (A)
Chelsea

Those are our next five league games to take us to December. We also have three must win Champions League games (PSV x2 and Inter) and a League Cup game at West Ham.

If we win all five league games that puts us on a points tally of 33/39. That would be amazing. A poster above showed the stats for the start of 2016/17 and it brought back the memories of those run of draws. This season we have won games we didn't deserve to and in previous years would have drawn. Once we start clicking hopefully a streak of big wins is on the cards.

Crikey those are seriously hard league games. I would have thought there would be juicy odds for us winning the lot of them...I reckon 80/1 for the fivefold?
We're not playing anywhere near well enough to win more than two of those. Hope I'm wrong. I usually am btw.

 

[greaves]

I think the players will fkin love it as much as the fans and hit the ground running. This settling in shit is just that, media generated shit. I also think the disappointment of having to go back to Wembley and no new players coming in has played a part in our form lately. But we're still up there and we're still winning. I believe we'll have a strong 2nd half to the season once we finally get into our new home. Cant wait.

Yep. I think fitness is the key. Insufficient pre-season combined with injuries. We will then be able to press harder and for longer and take command of many more games.

 

[dannythomas]

Crikey those are seriously hard league games. I would have thought there would be juicy odds for us winning the lot of them...I reckon 80/1 for the fivefold?
We're not playing anywhere near well enough to win more than two of those. Hope I'm wrong. I usually am btw.

Our

West Ham (A)
Man City
Wolves (A)
Crystal Palace (A)
Chelsea

Those are our next five league games to take us to December. We also have three must win Champions League games (PSV x2 and Inter) and a League Cup game at West Ham.

If we win all five league games that puts us on a points tally of 33/39. That would be amazing. A poster above showed the stats for the start of 2016/17 and it brought back the memories of those run of draws. This season we have won games we didn't deserve to and in previous years would have drawn. Once we start clicking hopefully a streak of big wins is on the cards.

And the first game in December is Arsenal away so let’s see where we are sitting after those 6 games. If we are still in the top 4 then we will be in good shape

 

[hellava_tough]

West Ham (A)
Man City
Wolves (A)
Crystal Palace (A)
Chelsea

Those are our next five league games to take us to December. We also have three must win Champions League games (PSV x2 and Inter) and a League Cup game at West Ham.

If we win all five league games that puts us on a points tally of 33/39. That would be amazing. A poster above showed the stats for the start of 2016/17 and it brought back the memories of those run of draws. This season we have won games we didn't deserve to and in previous years would have drawn. Once we start clicking hopefully a streak of big wins is on the cards.

December (and Jan 1st) is really key:

Arsenal (A)
Southampton (H)
Leicester (A)
Burnley (H)
Everton (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Wolves (H)
Cardiff (A)

After Arsenal, we're looking at 7 'winnable' (although not easy) games.

If we're still in and around the Top 4 come December 1st, then this run will be crucial. We've gone on long unbeaten streaks in the past, so we need to do it again to finish in the top spots.

 

[coys200]

We've been very fortunate with fixtures.

The next set of fixtures will tell us where we stand. Currently, the way we're playing means we're going to slide down the table.

Very fortunate ? We’ve played 2 of last season top 6. That’s more than United City or Liverpool have and same as Chelsea Arsenal. And played 5 of 8 away.

 

[hellava_tough]

Very fortunate ? We’ve played 2 of last season top 6. That’s more than United City or Liverpool have and same as Chelsea Arsenal. And played 5 of 8 away.

It also makes the Watford result even more annoying.

If we had beaten them (and we were leading!!!) then we'd be looking really good value, after that result at Old Trafford.

 

[coys200]

The next 8 PL games are certainly tricky. But Arsenal and united have just as difficult periods. And after this 8 we have 7 of following 10 at home all very winnable.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

The next 8 PL games are certainly tricky. But Arsenal and united have just as difficult periods. And after this 8 we have 7 of following 10 at home all very winnable.

got it, so over the next 18 matches, we can probably lose some and win some, and meet easy and hard teams, and other teams have to play their matches, too.

 

[Metalhead]

Poch had a good take on this improvement needed but with the WC and injuries no one out of the top group has had a tougher start so happy with where we are and room to improve - COYS!

Trouble is that we’ve been talking about the need for us to be more clinical in front of goal for a while now and we are still not doing it consistently enough.

 

[Metalhead]

But it's not really a "new stadium" is it? It's White Hart Lane on steroids. Liverpool and Man United didn't suffer when expanding their stadiums did they?

At least that's the attitude I'm taking

If the players see it that way then we’re laughing.

 

[piedpiper]

Trouble is that we’ve been talking about the need for us to be more clinical in front of goal for a while now and we are still not doing it consistently enough.

I also thought of this until i looked at goals scored by Chelsea/Dippers and United who will be our competition for a CL place and we all within a goal of each other at this stage.

We missed a beautiful opportunity yesterday to score a few against Cardiff. Especially as they had gone down to 10 men. We score 4 yesterday and we would have been around City on goals scored.

Dippers have been better defensively so far... And posters with "superior" knowledge told me VVD wouldn't make a difference for them. Other than that we've matched them for goals scored thus far.

 

[Yid-ol]

December (and Jan 1st) is really key:

Arsenal (A)
Southampton (H)
Leicester (A)
Burnley (H)
Everton (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Wolves (H)
Cardiff (A)

After Arsenal, we're looking at 7 'winnable' (although not easy) games.

If we're still in and around the Top 4 come December 1st, then this run will be crucial. We've gone on long unbeaten streaks in the past, so we need to do it again to finish in the top spots.

Why start after arsenal?!

 

[Metalhead]

Yeat

I also thought of this until i looked at goals scored by Chelsea/Dippers and United who will be our competition for a CL place and we all within a goal of each other at this stage.

We missed a beautiful opportunity yesterday to score a few against Cardiff. Especially as they had gone down to 10 men. We score 4 yesterday and we would have been around City on goals scored.

Dippers have been better defensively so far... And posters with "superior" knowledge told me VVD wouldn't make a difference for them. Other than that we've matched them for goals scored thus far.

Yeah Liverpool have definitely been better for signing VVD.

 

[shelfboy68]

I also thought of this until i looked at goals scored by Chelsea/Dippers and United who will be our competition for a CL place and we all within a goal of each other at this stage.

We missed a beautiful opportunity yesterday to score a few against Cardiff. Especially as they had gone down to 10 men. We score 4 yesterday and we would have been around City on goals scored.

Dippers have been better defensively so far... And posters with "superior" knowledge told me VVD wouldn't make a difference for them. Other than that we've matched them for goals scored thus far.

VVD was always going to make a difference he is quality so I can't imagine what posters would say that I suppose we can only guess but they certainly do not give away stupid goals so easily now, I still hope that poch can get the team sorted on this front our lack of ability in dealing with crosses into the box is disturbing so many silly goals conceded.

 

[piedpiper]

VVD was always going to make a difference he is quality so I can't imagine what posters would say that I suppose we can only guess but they certainly do not give away stupid goals so easily now, I still hope that poch can get the team sorted on this front our lack of ability in dealing with crosses into the box is disturbing so many silly goals conceded.

I think its never wanting to see the positives in the opposition. Happy we keeping up with them though.

Yeah we've at 6's & 7's defensively and that has been our strong point in the past. International break has come at the right time for our injured players. Some meaningful rest too. Hope those on international duty return injury free.

We get stronger in the 2nd half of the season..so we just need to be within touching distance by end of December. We have some "kinder" fixtures in December too.

 

[hellava_tough]

Why start after arsenal?!

good point!!

But realistically, it's a big derby game so anything could happen.

Not sure we've won there in a while.

 

[hellava_tough]

Btw, although we have some glaring weaknesses in our squad, it's a lot stronger than opposition fans (and some of our own) give it credit for.

The likes of Moura and Lamela have done well in recent weeks and we've managed to pick up points without Eriksen, Son or Dele either playing, or playing to their potential.

In some ways, this is why it's frustrating being a Spurs fan right now, since we're so close to a truly brilliant squad. Add in a really good CM and a really good attacking full-back (at a minimum), and we'd push City all the way to May.

But I guess that's for another thread...

 

[shelfboy68]

I think its never wanting to see the positives in the opposition. Happy we keeping up with them though.

Yeah we've at 6's & 7's defensively and that has been our strong point in the past. International break has come at the right time for our injured players. Some meaningful rest too. Hope those on international duty return injury free.

We get stronger in the 2nd half of the season..so we just need to be within touching distance by end of December. We have some "kinder" fixtures in December too.

Yes we have been all over the place this campaign but agree hopefully the team will pick up and get better I see no reason why not, in fairness the team have managed to get themselves into the top three for now whilst under performing so kudos to all of them at the club.

 

[shelfboy68]

Btw, although we have some glaring weaknesses in our squad, it's a lot stronger than opposition fans (and some of our own) give it credit for.

The likes of Moura and Lamela have done well in recent weeks and we've managed to pick up points without Eriksen, Son or Dele either playing, or playing to their potential.

In some ways, this is why it's frustrating being a Spurs fan right now, since we're so close to a truly brilliant squad. Add in a really good CM and a really good attacking full-back (at a minimum), and we'd push City all the way to May.

But I guess that's for another thread...

Think Moura and lamela have had to perform so well as none of the others have done so yet which is a plus point, not sure a CM and a FB gets us to challenge city but nonetheless that's another conversation.