Race for the Top 4 - 2018/19

[worcestersauce]

In terms of matches against the top 6, we have by far the toughest run in than any of the others. We have Chelsea, Liverpool and City A Arsenal H
Arsenal have only us away and United H
United have Liverpool, City and Chelsea H and Arsenal A
Chelsea have us H and Liverpoool and Man U A

If we lose to Chelsea and Arsenal our 10 point gap will probably be only 1 point. With City and Liverpool away still to come. Today was a massive setback.

So according to your table, other than us Chelsea have to play Liverpool and Man Utd so they will either lose points or take points of of our other challengers.
United have Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Arsenal so they will either lose points or take points from our challengers.
Other than us Arsenal have United so they will either lose points or take points from our challengers.
One way or the other an awful lot of points are going to be lost by our challengers whatever else happens.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Definitely in the top 4 race, firmly establishing ourselves as a team that should not feel entitled to talk about trophies except for as a very strange fluke.

 

[Mr Pink]

I think we'll see a big response in the next two games.

All top teams can lose a game, it's the response that's vital.

Obviously we can forget title talk, for now at least, and just get back to amassing points that keep us at least third.

Poch's job now is to get the team ready to bounce back.

I'm glad it's two big gamea coming up.

 

[StevePil]

Response is vital
The players must realise we are in a fight for CL football and that's their fault for once again bottling it when we have a chance

 

[mrbrightside73]

The thing that gets me is, why is it referred to as ‘bottling it’ if we lose a game? Any team can beat any team in the Premiership on any given day.Lots of points will be won and lost by all teams around us before the season finishes, deal with it.

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

Response is vital
The players must realise we are in a fight for CL football and that's their fault for once again bottling it when we have a chance

I don’t think we bottled it. We just didn’t play well enough against a well-drilled and in-form Burnley side. At least we didn’t lose in the manner that Chelsea lost to Bournemouth and City- now that’s bottling it.
We’ve had some really disappointing defeats this year- Wolves (notably) and Burnley, Watford, and Palace away. But all these defeats are because we haven’t been good enough, either in terms of individual player performance, or tactics, not because we were scared, panicky, frightened, or whatever else that catch-all phrase ‘bottled it’ is supposed to mean.
Actually while writing this post I’ve realised I really have no idea what ‘bottled it’ means and would appreciate someone letting me know.

 

[n17er]

The thing that gets me is, why is it referred to as ‘bottling it’ if we lose a game? Any team can beat any team in the Premiership on any given day.Lots of points will be won and lost by all teams around us before the season finishes, deal with it.

It’s a media narrative directed at Spurs. As soon as the game ended Talksport labelled us legends, we were never really in the race and we choked when Leicester won the league. It’s lazy from commentators and pundits. When Man U were losing games under Mourinho not once were they labelled legends. That said we do have an unfortunate habit of not delivering a result just at the moment it would have momentous significance....i.e potentially going 2 points behind City and Liverpool.

 

[dannythomas]

So according to your table, other than us Chelsea have to play Liverpool and Man Utd so they will either lose points or take points of of our other challengers.
United have Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Arsenal so they will either lose points or take points from our challengers.
Other than us Arsenal have United so they will either lose points or take points from our challengers.
One way or the other an awful lot of points are going to be lost by our challengers whatever else happens.

I don’t include Liverpool or Man City as our challengers. They are competing for the League. We are competing for 3rd or 4 th place. Unless of course we win at Chelsea, Liverpool and City and beat Arsenal too. Or at least win 3 of those 4 matches.
Arsenal have an easy run in. The only matches that are swing matches between the other clubs chasing positions 3 and 4 are United v Chelsea and Arsenal v United.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

Question (because I'm to thick to know & too lazy to check for myself)..

When was the last time we lost 2 PL games in succession? We've pretty much bounced back after a defeat, haven't we?

 

[Spinders]

Question (because I'm to thick to know & too lazy to check for myself)..

When was the last time we lost 2 PL games in succession? We've pretty much bounced back after a defeat, haven't we?

Watford and Liverpool at the start of the season. But that was the first in awhile and I think there was an international in between. We have generally been good on this front under Poch though, so no need to panic yet.

 

[Saoirse]

The thing that gets me is, why is it referred to as ‘bottling it’ if we lose a game? Any team can beat any team in the Premiership on any given day.Lots of points will be won and lost by all teams around us before the season finishes, deal with it.

Probably because while the other sides around us have had at least some success, it's now been eleven years since we've won a trophy, and barring something very unlikely it'll now be twelve. You're always going to be under more pressure and scrutiny when that's the case, especially as a traditionally big club with big expectations, whether that's fair or not.

 

[SirNiNyHotspur]

If we beat chelsea, arsenal, man city and liverpool we still have a chance for the title...

Seriously though was always going to be a massive ask, our squad has been stretched to limits and then some, in truth we’ve been fortunate many matches to scrap through but to counter that i can’t remember a season where it seems every week we’re up against 12, none of the refs seem to like us. Overall as long as we don’t screw up CL qualification can’t complain too much this season, but it’s quite obvious to get to the next level and win titles we need squad investment.

 

[jurgen]

It’s a media narrative directed at Spurs. As soon as the game ended Talksport labelled us legends, we were never really in the race and we choked when Leicester won the league. It’s lazy from commentators and pundits. When Man U were losing games under Mourinho not once were they labelled legends. That said we do have an unfortunate habit of not delivering a result just at the moment it would have momentous significance....i.e potentially going 2 points behind City and Liverpool.

Pretty much every club around us, bar Liverpool ironically, has won something pretty recently. Even Mourinho’s crappy Utd. We have 2 League Cups in 28 years, last one a decade ago. I’m definitely of the mind that the sports press is idiotic but we’re an easy target as we simply don’t win things. Now you and I know for us even to be in the conversation is a big thing given our budget and so on but I can’t see the narrative changing until we deliver something shiny...

 

[coys200]

If Chelsea get their arses whipped again by City I just can’t see them being in a fit state on Wednesday. Plus they will have had 4 games in 10 days. If they do get spanked tomorrow we literally couldn’t pick a better time to play them. Knowing our luck Sarri will get sacked they’ll appoint Holland and a tactical masterclass.

 

[djee]

If this defeat tells you anything, it shows that it is still incredibly hard to pick up victories - especially at this time of year. People comparing our run to that of our rivals is interesting but rather misleading. It is easy to just assume that Arsenal, for example, are suddenly going to go on a ten-match winning streak. Arguably they have kinder fixtures on paper, but aside from trips to us and Old Trafford, they still need to win away at Wolves, Watford, Everton, LCFC and Burnley; I wouldn't say that is too straightforward.

CFC go away to Utd and LFC and have several other tricky games.

I would be utterly shocked if 77 points isn't enough and whilst it will still be tight, 6 wins is achievable (still assuming, at least 2 of Utd, CFC and AFC go on a title-winning form in the last 12 games).

 

[spursfan77]

Yeah because Chelsea are in such great form too.

Yet again here we are on SC. The other side of 90 mins we were title contenders and talking about how we're gunna be in and around there. Now we're suddenly going to start constantly losing and our rivals will win every game. Arsenal and Chelsea have only strung a streak of 3+ wins together twice all season. 12 games to go for those sides, we're 10 points ahead of 5th. If we only won 7 games until the end of the season, our rivals would have to win at least 11 out of 12

Exactly. I can see the first draw of the season in one of the next two games with us winning the other. I always thought we’d struggle against Burnley because that’s just what happens with us. I actually bizarrely feared them more than the next two encounters.

No, but we have been lucky lately. A late goal against Newcastle, lucky against Leicester. I can see us dropping some more points apart from the expected ones against Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City. And I have never seen us as title contenders. We can't the league with wing backs like Rose, Aurier and Trippier.

Agree on the right backs but we haven’t been lucky. It’s what good teams do and we’ve been doing the same for years under Pochettino. It’s refreshing to win when playing badly.

 

[spursfan77]

The thing that gets me is, why is it referred to as ‘bottling it’ if we lose a game? Any team can beat any team in the Premiership on any given day.Lots of points will be won and lost by all teams around us before the season finishes, deal with it.

Because people are idiots

 

[Mr Pink]

Exactly. I can see the first draw of the season in one of the next two games with us winning the other. I always thought we’d struggle against Burnley because that’s just what happens with us. I actually bizarrely feared them more than the next two encounters.



Agree on the right backs but we haven’t been lucky. It’s what good teams do and we’ve been doing the same for years under Pochettino. It’s refreshing to win when playing badly.

Think we might draw at Chelsea but I think we'll win the NLD.

 

[spursfan77]

Think we might draw at Chelsea but I think we'll win the NLD.

Yeah I’m confident about Saturday I just don’t think arsenal are very good.

Shame we are missing Dele for both games though. He loves these games almost as much as Kane.

 

[coys200]

I wouldn’t be banking on Arsenal winning today. This is massive for Southampton way results went yesterday. They will definitely feel they’ve got a chance against that Arsenal defence. And if Liverpool lose we are in exactly same position re the title as we were on Friday night. All be it having missed a great chance to close. But beat Chelsea and Arsenal and 5 pts(max) with 9 to play it would very much still be on with the boost of having won 2 big games. Could all look very different this time next week or not.