The Race for the Title, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or even 6th Thread.

[mark87]

I don't think we'll be finishing higher than 7th, which is just turgid.

 

[rossdapep]

Yeah it’s the performance today that is the real killer. If we had played like we have done in recent weeks and peppered their goal with shots and been unlucky then you’d put it down as one of those days and be hopeful that we could claw back the points.

The real difference between us and Chelsea right now is not just the points gap, it’s the performances. Chelsea look well drilled and look like they can get a big result when they need it.

Even if we caught them on points in the next couple of weeks I just can’t see us getting results against Utd, Leicester and Everton based on today’s evidence. It was back to the stuff we saw a month ago. That’s why today is so damaging.

All eggs in the cups now.

If Tuchel had Bale, Kane and Son at his disposal, Chelsea would be pushing United for second.

 

[rossdapep]

Yeah, I was full of optimism before as I thought we were moving forward with our football but this performance shows that we're still just as capable of serving up crap too.

Going into the Villa game I just don't know if we're going to play good football on the front-foot and score a few, score one and sit back on just that, sit back for the whole game and barely impose ourselves or play well the first half and shit the second, it could really be any one of them.

I really can't remember seeing us so mentally unsure of ourselves. Even under Poch in the last year or so, ok we were good in Europe and not so good in the league, but our performances didn't seem to fluctuate as they are now and especially not as much throughout a single game. It's almost more frustrating that we're just not consistently shit because it leaves you pulling your hair out when you see us in the game against Palace and then go on to see us today. I'm honestly so baffled by this team at the moment.

We did fluctuate under Poch at times. Remember Watford? We'd won our first three games and went 1 up, we then completely went off the boil and ended up losin. Later we hammered Bournemouth and Everton and started strongly vs Wolves then completely collapsed against Wolves. Hammered Cardiff and then failed to show up in our next game.

The one thing you could say about Poch though was we always kinda kept the attacking system to fall back on, it just started to chug and stutter. Although I thought we were awful vs Ajax first leg and City away we didn't seem to have a real pattern of play.

In his last season though, his introduction of the diamond completely threw every one and our performances became incredibly patchy. I mean we were great for 30 mins vs Bayern and then.....

 

[IamSpurtacus]

If Tuchel had Bale, Kane and Son at his disposal, Chelsea would be pushing United for second.

if Jose had Rudiger, Silva and Kante...

 

[DiscoD1882]

how many chances do we want to capitalise and make a push. We haven’t got the mentality.

 

[hellava_tough]

I've spoken about 'passing tests' this season and we failed another one today.

As soon as we're tested in the Europa League, we'll probably be knocked out, if the previous 6 months is anything to go by.

Really disappointing season.

Need to dust ourselves off and start the rebuild in the summer. Hopefully Levy's got a plan.

Hopefully we can put any of wins together before the NLD to build some confidence; all winnable games.

As I've said previously, our main issue this season is beating decent teams, especially our rivals.

That has yet to change, but at least we've got the talent in the squad to do something.

Arsenal and Villa away in a few weeks time are the tests; have we turned a corner?

Another failed 'test', I'm sad to say.

Basically, we're not winning the 'crunch' games, where we have a chance to lay down a marker of sorts.

It's really disappointing, especially considering the talent we have in our side.

I was optimistic that perhaps we had turned a corner and certainly a string of wins would have given us confidence.

But to go out and look nervous against a middle of the road Arsenal side, and to lose in the manner we did was really frustrating.

I think it's pretty obvious that we have Mourniho now until the end of the season, so we should get behind him. But I highly doubt he'll be here for 21/22.

I hate to say it, but Jose has done absolutley nothing at the club so far

 

[faymantaray]

Changing my vote for the 637th time to ‘I don’t give a fuck’.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

if Jose had Rudiger, Silva and Kante...

Then he’d still set up v anyone half decent with the intention of just hoping the ball falls to one of our attackers in a dangerous area, rather than setting up in a way that actually empowers them to play,

 

[ajspurs]

We did fluctuate under Poch at times. Remember Watford? We'd won our first three games and went 1 up, we then completely went off the boil and ended up losin. Later we hammered Bournemouth and Everton and started strongly vs Wolves then completely collapsed against Wolves. Hammered Cardiff and then failed to show up in our next game.

The one thing you could say about Poch though was we always kinda kept the attacking system to fall back on, it just started to chug and stutter. Although I thought we were awful vs Ajax first leg and City away we didn't seem to have a real pattern of play.

In his last season though, his introduction of the diamond completely threw every one and our performances became incredibly patchy. I mean we were great for 30 mins vs Bayern and then.....

I'm just not sure if the drop off in individual matches were ever as drastic as they are now. I don't greatly remember the Watford game, but if I remember correctly, the period of the Bournemouth and Everton games which (without double checking) I think were in the same month or very close together but also was the actual start of our somewhat demise of our league form, around the turn of the year. I mean teams are most likely always going to fluctuate a bit, I just can't remember it ever feeling like how it does currently.

Under Poch to me it more so felt like we were incapable and a bit shit, for whatever reason but now under Jose the either conscious decision to just drop back and concede all possession or to shit ourselves I find to be so odd. The Crystal Palace away and Wolves games for example were just not normal.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

if Jose had Rudiger, Silva and Kante...

ShawZé has the necessary quality for this season. There is no issue with the balance between the squad quality and the club targets for the season. That's entirely in an equilibrium. Yes, the squad has weaknesses, but there is no need for three players like these you mention here in order to reach the simple goal of a CL spot.

 

[homer hotspur]

Changing my vote for the 637th time to ‘I don’t give a fuck’.

2 more people have also decided we will not be champions.

 

[duffman22]

We did fluctuate under Poch at times. Remember Watford? We'd won our first three games and went 1 up, we then completely went off the boil and ended up losin. Later we hammered Bournemouth and Everton and started strongly vs Wolves then completely collapsed against Wolves. Hammered Cardiff and then failed to show up in our next game.

The one thing you could say about Poch though was we always kinda kept the attacking system to fall back on, it just started to chug and stutter. Although I thought we were awful vs Ajax first leg and City away we didn't seem to have a real pattern of play.

In his last season though, his introduction of the diamond completely threw every one and our performances became incredibly patchy. I mean we were great for 30 mins vs Bayern and then.....

The problem was that a lot of Poch’s success was built around Dembele’s role. Failing to replace Dembele was the end of the Poch side really. He managed to get a tune out of Sissoko for part of the 2018/19 season but this only worked for so long and then we ran out of ideas.

I think Poch had checked out mentally and tactically by the time we got to 19/20. The midfield was a mess.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

I don't think we'll be finishing higher than 7th, which is just turgid.

Yet, somehow, 4th place is winning the poll.

Clearly the herb I get down here in Cornwall is nowhere near as good as the shit that the people who have voted 4th place are smoking.

 

[IamSpurtacus]

Then he’d still set up v anyone half decent with the intention of just hoping the ball falls to one of our attackers in a dangerous area, rather than setting up in a way that actually empowers them to play,

Maybe. But he’d at least have a solid base to empower those players

point is - if my auntie had balls she’s be my uncle...

 

[homer hotspur]

Yet, somehow, 4th place is winning the poll.

Clearly the herb I get down here in Cornwall is nowhere near as good as the shit that the people who have voted 4th place are smoking.

The poll should have closed months ago as it is now rendered meaningless, with the vast majority of people unaware it is still open to change, which I presume is an oversight.

 

[onthetwo]

One can argue the details (penalties, red cards etc) but in a NLD, playing for CL qualification (and probably the loyalty of our best players for another few seasons) we curled out the biggest steaming turd of a performance season to date so sadly, i fear the season and Josés job are both done.
Cant fault Levy for the gamble at the time under the circumstances but it hasnt worked and i think we need to cut our losses now before they get worse.

 

[Aphex]

I'd love to know how Levy feels about Jose and the job he has done so far.

Looking at two successive seasons out of the CL. Massive drop in revenue. World class stadium may not even have european football next season.

Does Levy stick or twist?

 

[dbspurs]

The poll should have closed months ago as it is now rendered meaningless, with the vast majority of people unaware it is still open to change, which I presume is an oversight.

It's funny because I put 7th to 12th before the start of the season then got carried away in early December and changed to 3rd.

Think I'll be proved right with my original prediction unfortunately.

 

[Tiberius Gracchus]

Guess it's finally time to change my pre-season vote for 2nd, to something a bit less 2017

 

[Doctor Dinkey]

I'd love to know how Levy feels about Jose and the job he has done so far.

Looking at two successive seasons out of the CL. Massive drop in revenue. World class stadium may not even have european football next season.

Does Levy stick or twist?

Mourinho is the second most highly paid manager in the Prem, and it is widely accepted our attack is the best in the league.
However it looks like his second season is going to be worse than his first, and it is quite likely we won't make European qualification in any form. This is clearly unacceptable and although I think we should keep him until the end of the season it is pretty clear the team is not going to be successful under his stewardship. Big questions for Levy.