Spurs Perceptions

[spurslenny]

I've been lurking on other fans forums (RAWK, Bluemoon, arsenalmania etc) to see what their views are on the current form/threat from the mighty THFC, and generally to see how they think their own teams will fair in their respective objectives for the season (CL, title push etc)

As far as spurs go, the view fluctuates between a genuine fear that we will get 4th or higher, to a dismissive 'they'll be back in mid-table when modric/bale/VDV/Ade get injured/sold/bored'

There's been squad comparisons, digs at Harry and our defence etc, and the usual bile and hatred.

So, ifs it's even possible, please tell me as honestly and as un-biased as possible.....

How good are we really? Are we all getting a bit carried away?

And, how good are our rivals? Is the rumour of their demise greatly exaggerated?


Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Hot-Spur]

We're the best in the world :grin:

I'm not biased at all

 

[Riandor]

Rule of thumb is usually that if your opponents are talking about you, especially in derogatory terms then you're a threat...

Trust me, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, they all know that they're in a real scrap for positions 3 & 4 and that we aren't going to drop off as easily as in previous years.

City and UTD are glancing over their shoulders as any respectful team at the top does, but until they see Spurs or anyone else start to seriously close the gap they're won't fear us just yet.

We are capable of 3rd, might "fluke" 2nd.

R.

 

[talkshowhost86]

It's a cliche but genuinely, on our day we can beat anyone and people realise that now. I truly believe that if we'd had Adebayor and Parker from day one of the season, we'd be second, if not top of the league at the moment.

What will really be worrying everyone though is our consistency at the moment. Although Spurs fans know that our performances have been a bit random (Fulham as a good example) other fans see us putting a run together which is something we have very rarely done in the past.

As soon as we drop any points we'll be written off again but for now we're riding a crest of positive opinion, and we deserve it.

 

[spurslenny]

My own point of view is that I quite like our rivals dismissing our chances of a top 4 finish so readily. To listen to what half of arsenal and Liverpool fans say, I should think we'll be lucky to finish 8th!!!

Keep on writing us off, tossers!!!

 

[Donki]

Our first team is good as anyone in the league IMO. The poblem comes if we lose a key player like Modric, Parker (although I would like to see how Sandro fairs playing regularly), VdV, Bale or Ade. We dont have anyone who makes the team tic and has the movement of Modric, the ability to win a game himself like VdV or any other striker than can play up front on his own.

We have players like Pienarr, Kranky, Hudd, Pav, Defoe who should have a point to prove if they are called on, untill they get thier chance I honestly dont know how they will cope. I dont know how the team will react and if they can scrap out a horrible win like a depleted Man U can. Time will tell, but our first team can compete with anyone, I would love us to be able to play Utd again with our first team squad.

 

[montylynch]

As it has always been, the game is about opinions.

I wouldn't say that the top teams are on the demise, it's just that their problems are highlighted so much that we tend to beleive they are on the demise. I've got no worries that Chelsea will come good again, City will continue to steamroll the PL and Man U will be as steady as ever. We've just got to take advantage of these weaknesses when they occur.

Chelsea and Arsenal getting thorough tonight would help us as that means they've got to continue playing strong teams in the CL, week in week out. Man City on the other hand, if they drop into the europa, will play their reserves.

What we must take this season are points away from from home, that's they key, i beleive, to our success, win your home games and don't lose your away games. Pick up the knack of getting something out the game when we are absolutely toilet.

As spurs fans all over the world we love this team at the moment, but we also know, as our rich history suggests, we have a tendency to blow it. Sure we'll have our downs this season, but we know we are a good side at the moment, we don't need to read press stories about how good we are. We're not unbeatable by any stretch, but good enough to keep this run going for a few more games yet.

 

[sunnydelight786]

This squad, team and manager (yes bear/Coyboy/Bomber/etc I just said that) are capable of getting 3rd this season. After seeing what is around us we really don't have much to fear. Keep believing in ourselves and come the end of the season we will 100% get 4th as a minimum. I really am getting more and more excited as the weeks go by. What a send off it will be for Harry and a fantastic base to start with for the new manager, if Harry does choose to go to England, if we could secure a CL spot and a trophy!!!

 

[StuckinPoland]

we've been lucky that, thanks to Newcastle staying unbeaten and always having that "game in hand" keeping us down the table, no-one's really been talking about us despite us winning 8 out of 9.

i hope they continue to underestimate us.

 

[Niko]

I think we are the 3rd best team in the division right now.

 

[worcestersauce]

I heard a caller to talksport on the way home from the match on Monday who said that Man Utd had Carrick and Giggs in central midfield against Swansea and he wouldn't swap either of them for our two or Sandro and I agreed with him and that goes for their alternatives too.
That is a fair way of gauging our worth, I'd say position for position City do compare well with us, Liverpool don't, arsenal don't barring RVP and I'll allow Wilshire, Chelsea, well, I am a fan of Essien and Torres but not on current form, other than that nope, and United have Rooney & I guess Nani on his day. Yes of course all of those clubs have terrific players however some are past their peak and some are not near it yet so all in all we are at least as good as if not better than all of them except City, I can't make my mind up about them and it'll be interesting to see how they take their ignominious exit from the CL.
It also remains to be seen how we do cope with injuries when they come.

 

[sweyid]

Spurs have been a threat for quite some time now, we've been beating better sides than our own and been beaten by teams we should just walk all over. It's been anarchy, basically, anything has been able to happen (the 3-5 and 5-2 games vs United for example). What we've got now is consistency, which we've been lacking for a long time. The spine of the team is much more stable nowadays and we're playing with confidence. I think that's what's making us a real threat now, but then again we've got to realize that neither Arsenal, United or Chelsea are the teams they used to be, so while we've been getting better they've been getting worse. Just a couple of years ago I'd never thought that we'd be able to finish above United, but right now, if we count the game against Everton as a win, we're 1 point behind them and they have not been impressive.

This season is really looking up. We've already played against our biggest threats, beating two of them, and by the looks of it we should beat Chelsea in December. If we can keep our stars free from injury we should at the very least finish in the top 4 with a 2nd or 3rd position not out of reach.

Arsenal and Chelsea are still threats, eventhough we're more level with them now (I'd say we're better than both sides, but there's a lot of football to be played before the end of the season). Our problem has been that we can't seem to beat lesser teams and last season our inability to score and the tendency to concede stupid goals really let us down. The amount of draws last season really fucked us over.

So, the conclusion... we're a good team, good enough to finish 2nd, 3rd or 4th. I reckon winning the league is out of reach cause City is just looking too good in the league. We're a force to be reckoned with and any team that takes us lightly will be sorry, that's for sure.

 

[StuckinPoland]

with regards to the other teams,

City should win the League. They rotate well and as long as Hart doesn't get injured, I think they should be fine.

Man Utd's season depends on their midfield. If they strengthen it in January they'll be hard to catch.

I think Liverpool are the ones we should be the most concerned about. They don't have Europe to worry about and they've already played all 3 major London teams away from home (winning 2). And they wont continue to drop points at home.

Arse**l will be there or thereabouts but they have a history of falling away as soon as Spring starts and I see no reason to think they wont do that again this year. Of course, an untimely van Persie injury would help us sleep a little easier.

Chelsea have had a rough few weeks and if they continue to play with such a suicidal high line then they will continue to drop points. And they're also considerably older than the other teams fighting for these places.

As for Newcastle, their squad is thinner and that should see their challenge fade.

All in, I think December and January will prove key to this season. Teams play TEN Premier League games during those two months (we have 11 with the rearranged Everton game) and crucially, teams get a chance to strengthen in the transfer window.

We can be sure Chelsea will strengthen. Liverpool will try to as well. Arse may not have the funds but City and Man Utd will do what they have to. We need a striker and another right sided winger as I still think Lennon needs competition down that flank. And crucially, we should have the funds to do it.

It's shaping up to be a great season.

 

[spurslenny]

I might be wide of the mark, but I'm not sure there's a huge difference squad wise between the top 6 sides (City the exception).

The difference will come down to what the managers of those side can produce when each team starts to struggle for form.

Man Utd - the fergie factor.
Spurs - Redknapp the motivator. But will that be enough?
Chelsea - AVB might struggle here. Egotistical players might derail them.
Arsenal - same as Utd IMO. Wenger somehow finds a way.
Liverpool - Dalgleish may have experience, but does he have a squad that can respond?

 

[Mr Pink]

I was thinking about who would get in our current eleven from the teams around us and taking form and injuries partly into consideration. I say partly because Rooney is a little off form at the moment and he would get in our first eleven, obviously, whereas Torres's lack of form has more a chronic feel to it :wink:

Anyway just for fun and this is highly subjective but I'll try and be objective :grin: (not thinking of formations necessarily either)

City (6)...Aguero, Silva, Yaya, Balotelli, Kompany, Hart

United (3)...Rooney, Nani, Vidic

Arsenal...(3)RVP, Vermaelen, Wilshere

Chelsea...(3)Cezh, Cole, Mata

Liverpool...(2) Suarez and Reina

If I could mould my own Spurs team out of that I would go with:

Hart

Walker
Kompany
King
Cole

Yaya
Modric

Suarez
Rooney
Silva

RVP

Subs...Bale, VDV, Aguero, Parker, Reina, Nani, Vidic

 

[CosmicHotspur]

I've been watching Spurs since the 1950s and this is without doubt the best team I've seen since the heady, halcyon days of the 1960s (I say team, although we now have a squad and football is a very different game in so many ways).

There are bound to be matches when we have an off day and things don't gel but right now the boys are on a high and any discontent with being a Spurs player seems to have melted away. The smell of pending and possible success is sweet and that kind of feeling affords true team spirit and everyone pulling together to be the best they can be.

We are bound to have disappointing performances sooner or later and drop points but so are the other teams up at the top when the pressure is on and I think, at our best, we can beat any of them. The belief is there now.

We don't just have eleven excellent players, we also have a solid, talented bench and injured players who can step in and step up once they are fit again so we've got all the angles covered.

What's more, we've got this far without billionaire (trillionaire?) owners dishing out huge transfer fees and wages which we can't afford to pay.

Levy, Harry and his coaching staff, the Board and the players all deserve a pat on the back and I'm confident we'll be back in the CL next season.

For those SCers still proclaiming doom and clutching half empty glasses in their sweaty hands, enjoy what's happening right now and forget about fear of failure. I'm loving every minute of it and know that we have a strong enough squad, both physically and mentally, to move on and up again when we have a bad game.

Dare to dream! Carpe diem!

 

[spurslenny]

Just had another thought.

It's the ACN this January, isn't it?

If so, then our rivals will lose a player or two....

Man Utd - none (iirc)
Spurs - Adebayor???
Arsenal - Song, Gervinho.
Chelsea - Mikel, Drogba, Kalou.
Liverpool - none?
Newcastle - Tiote, Ben Arfa?

 

[Donki]

I might be wide of the mark, but I'm not sure there's a huge difference squad wise between the top 6 sides (City the exception).

The difference will come down to what the managers of those side can produce when each team starts to struggle for form.

Man Utd - the fergie factor.
Spurs - Redknapp the motivator. But will that be enough?
Chelsea - AVB might struggle here. Egotistical players might derail them.
Arsenal - same as Utd IMO. Wenger somehow finds a way.
Liverpool - Dalgleish may have experience, but does he have a squad that can respond?

I have to say that this is emmese, he truely the best club manager ever to have lived IMO, how he can constantly keep performing to the level he does and have the passion and adaptability for he game must be applauded. He is their 12 man! I still hate the sight of him thou :grin:.

 

[sweyid]

Just had another thought.

It's the ACN this January, isn't it?

If so, then our rivals will lose a player or two....

Man Utd - none (iirc)
Spurs - Adebayor???
Arsenal - Song, Gervinho.
Chelsea - Mikel, Drogba, Kalou.
Liverpool - none?
Newcastle - Tiote, Ben Arfa?

I don't think Togo will qualify. They're 4th out of 5 in their group.

http://www.cafonline.com/competition/african-cup-of-nations_2012/qualifiers

 

[donny1013]

A midfield of Bale, Parker, Modric, Lennon with a bit of VdV thrown in is very special. If VdV picks up a knock here and there I also think JD and Ade can be a decent partnership. Defensively we are now able to use Ledders most EPL games, Kaboul has come on leaps and bounds, BAE is probably one of the most underrated players in the EPL. Also the emergence of Walker at RB, the sheer pace he and Lennon posses down that right hand side is frightening for any team. Consistency is key in terms of lineup but I would say this season we are the real deal.