Top four finish?

[tommo84]

Every 2 or 3 years one of the previous season's Top 4 seems to completely implode in the league (2009/10 - Liverpool, 2011/12 - Chelsea, 2013/14 - Man United) and that opens up the possibility of a Top 4 finish.

At the moment Chelsea look like they could be facing a similar season of hardship and inconsistency but it is way too early to tell and I think everyone expects them to sort themselves quickly enough to still finish Top 3. United on the other hand have amassed a lot of points but from favourable fixtures and haven't really looked impressive for more than a few minutes this season. They now have 4 horrible fixtures which could transform the mood around that team.

I'm optimistic about how our very young team is developing but in truth we probably need one of the expected Top 4 to have a wobble that lasts all the way until May in order to finish in the CL spots.

 

[Nebby]

Nah, can't see it. The odd home win against a top four side is all well and good, but can we sustain it - home and away - all season? Quality wins through in the end, and I think we'll come up short.

 

[shelfmonkey]

Nah, can't see it. The odd home win against a top four side is all well and good, but can we sustain it - home and away - all season? Quality wins through in the end, and I think we'll come up short.

Agree, these young lads made a lot of mistakes against City and got away with it and they'll continue to make mistakes because they are young and relatively inexperienced, that's not a dig by the way, I have seen enough so far to be genuinely excited by the current crop, but top 4 I feel will a step too far for the boys this season. COYS

 

[cliff jones]

Really ? Are they ?

Chelsea have given away 14 goals this season - Its not like they are scoring freely as well. Of the 7 games played, Chelsea & Spurs faced 3 same opponents - City, Palace & Everton. Chelsea lost all 3 games, while we beat City & Palace & drew with Everton. If Chelsea's current form anything to go by that's the team we need to target. Even though they won the league last time, fact is spine of the same team finished 6th couple of seasons ago. If Hazard, Costa, Ivanovic, Matic & Terry don't get back to their best, they are in big trouble....

United & City have improved. Arsenal have same squad literally. Liverpool have lost their last season best players Gerrard & Sterling and they are solely dependent on Sturidge.

IMO, Everton are more of a threat than Liverpool.

On our side, we have improved not only the squad but also the XI. Dier & Lamela looks like a new signing this season -almost transferred their squad role to XI role.

You seem to have answered your own question in respect of the cl clubs bar chelsea, who you think because of their start will be the ones we or lfc or efc could pick off. Im surprised chelsea didnt freshen their squad up but would still back them to finish ten points above us. If we are lucky again with injuries maybe the margin will be tighter. weve not managed that risk up front though imo.

 

[npearl4spurs]

To summarize my POV, I was on a high after Chelsea and Arsenal last season, too. It feels great to thump a good team and get some good press.

I won't allow that high to turn into a hint of excitement or expectation until after the next three fixtures Swansea (A), Pool (H), Bournemouth (A). If we were to somehow win all those three, then things would be very, very interesting for us, even only 10 matches in.

 

[spurs9]

Heard it in talksport or BBC

If they mean, it will only effect the amount of entering clubs in the CL in 2017/18 they are correct, but that means that the team that finishes 4th in 2016/17 (next season) could miss out. If they meant 4th place will definitely qualify in 2016/17 and it will only effect the 4th place team in 2017/18, then they are wrong.

 

[arunspurs]

You seem to have answered your own question in respect of the cl clubs bar chelsea, who you think because of their start will be the ones we or lfc or efc could pick off. Im surprised chelsea didnt freshen their squad up but would still back them to finish ten points above us. If we are lucky again with injuries maybe the margin will be tighter. we ve not managed that risk up front though imo.

We don't need every club to under perform, We need one club to under perform from last year top4.. Everything Chelsea has done this season (preseason defeats, of-field issue with doctors, Terry-Mourinho stand off, Ivanovic being handed captain in spite of him being their worst player, dip in form of Hazard, Costa & Matic) suggests that Chelsea are not the last year champions but more like team that finished 6th 2 years back . Infact Chelsea have had dip in form end of last season too.

I don't know if Chelsea will come back, but its hard to see how they will finish 10 points ahead of us.

 

[Dillspur]

Next five games

Swansea (a)
Liverpool (h)
Bournemouth (a)
Villa (h)
Arsenal (a)

If we can get a minimum of 10 points from that, then I'll start to believe we can get a top 4 finish

 

[Matrix]

We don't need every club to under perform, We need one club to under perform from last year top4.. Everything Chelsea has done this season (preseason defeats, of-field issue with doctors, Terry-Mourinho stand off, Ivanovic being handed captain in spite of him being their worst player, dip in form of Hazard, Costa & Matic) suggests that Chelsea are not the last year champions but more like team that finished 6th 2 years back . Infact Chelsea have had dip in form end of last season too.

I don't know if Chelsea will come back, but its hard to see how they will finish 10 points ahead of us.

We are Tottenham Hotspur. We always manage to shaft ourselves somehow.

 

[yankspurs]

Next five games

Swansea (a)
Liverpool (h)
Bournemouth (a)
Villa (h)
Arsenal (a)

If we can get a minimum of 10 points from that, then I'll start to believe we can get a top 4 finish

We are Tottenham Hotspur. We always manage to shaft ourselves somehow.

I wont believe we can finish top 4 even if we're 8 points up with 3 matches remaining. We're Spurs. We always find ways shoot ourselves in the foot. It's what we're known for

 

[ItsBoris]

I think our team has good balance and workrate, which gives us a chance even with players that probably aren't as good. I think Man United, City, and Chelsea will all be in the top 3, which means we'd have to finish above Arsenal to be top 4.

 

[barry]

Say it quietly but we're the form team in the league atm.
Top 4 is a definite possibility, but we need to keep consistent second half of the season when our high pressing style will starts to take its toll.
We'll do it.

 

[jurgen]

Son injury could put the brakes on our decent run, unless NJie is ready to come in and work his knackers off, or Townsend proves finally to be a changed man. Its been pleasantly surprising how we've ridden through midfield injuries so maybe someone will step up to the plate. I think our squad deficiencies will likely cost us, as they always do, but finally we're seeing more of a team playing Poch's way and it looks good.. Other big clubs look shite but maybe they can bumble their way through.. Could just be the year that Chelsea's age catches up with them.

 

[13VanDerBale13]

no team has finished higher then 5th in Chelsea's current position

is 4th place on

 

[chinaman]

We're likely to be in 3rd or 4th position if we win tomorrow. Happy to see Chelscum lose again. What are the odds that Maureen will be gone from the EPL for good by Christmas?

 

[newbie]

Every 2 or 3 years one of the previous season's Top 4 seems to completely implode in the league (2009/10 - Liverpool, 2011/12 - Chelsea, 2013/14 - Man United) and that opens up the possibility of a Top 4 finish.

At the moment Chelsea look like they could be facing a similar season of hardship and inconsistency but it is way too early to tell and I think everyone expects them to sort themselves quickly enough to still finish Top 3. United on the other hand have amassed a lot of points but from favourable fixtures and haven't really looked impressive for more than a few minutes this season. They now have 4 horrible fixtures which could transform the mood around that team.

I'm optimistic about how our very young team is developing but in truth we probably need one of the expected Top 4 to have a wobble that lasts all the way until May in order to finish in the CL spots.

I think today's performance by Chelsea counters your theory lol oh shit what they got beaten 3-1 at home, a team which does not loose at home, could be a long season.

 

[Misfit]

If, if, we win tomorrow we'll still only be 7 pts ahead of Chelsea. Let's keep our feet on the ground. It's a long season and we've blown much bigger advantages in less time with more experienced squads.

 

[chinaman]

If, if, we win tomorrow we'll still only be 7 pts ahead of Chelsea. Let's keep our feet on the ground. It's a long season and we've blown much bigger advantages in less time with more experienced squads.

But we could be in 3rd or 4th for at least one day.

 

[thfc1973]

When you're talking about getting top 4 you have to talk consistency, and to start talking about consistency you need to appreciate that it means for a very long part of the season. You can be consistent for 2/3 of the season and mess up the last 3rd and still not make top 4 - such is the importance of keeping it for a very long part of the season.
I cannot say at this time if we have consistency as we're still a team that's work in progress. Only time will tell but what you can look at for consistency are teams like City, Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea, year in year out they make it - somehow. I still think CFC will make top 4 as if they don't Mou could actually leave and never go back, and the players respect him and their fan base too much to allow the team to collapse. That being said I think Mou took the current team as high as they could go in last season and I think they needed ripping apart rather than adding a few here and there. CFC are much like Utd were in the season after they won the league and Fergie left.

The other thing that needs to be appreciated is that the game has changed. What we're seeing now is a change in philosophy in managers' thinking to progress into high pressing fast attacking. Something that wasn't the norm until Poch went to Southampton.
Since then a lot more teams are doing that which means its putting a lot more pressure on teams that don't have young fast energetic players who can press for the whole match. Something CFC never really did much, something Utd haven't done much over the years and something even Arse don't do much.
This imo has changed the face of how football is played nowadays in the PL. This is what is being evidenced in seeing the likes of the traditional top 4 losing games they didn't generally lose. So in as much as one could say CFC have lost it or they're past it now in the players they have, one must also appreciate its the other teams' that have gotten better and improved too, which is what is highlighting this very 'flux' we're seeing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Palace, Saints and Leicester along with ourselves do well this season but that doesn't mean any of the top 4 would necessarily drop out, its just that the PL is getting harder and harder.
So in short will we get top 4 this season? If we had got a couple more we really needed such as a good striker and another CM, maybe, but as things stand I don't think we will get top 4 due to the lack of strength in depth of our squad, but what is good is seeing we have the youngest squad age which will help us get there eventually and possibly win a trophy or 2 along the way.

 

[Misfit]

But we could be in 3rd or 4th for at least one day.

And I'd happily take that.