If we don't finish in the top 4...

[L.A. Yiddo]

I'll be a bit like this:-

 

[Flightrisker]

I'm less concerned about missing out on Cl and losing players than I am about missing out on potential players due to lack of CL/monies. Bale's form this season will have definitely increased our stock across Europe, as did the purchases of Vertonghen and Lloris. Having CL to offer and the money to buy players is a major factor in staying competitive with our rivals.

 

[nicdic]

a) we need to keep our best players
b) we need a striker (Benteke)
c) backup winger (Ince)
d) goalscoring midfielder (erikkson)

For someone who is so negative about our club I find it funny that you've picked out players like this to improve us.

 

[ShelfSide18]

If we don't finish in the top 4 we still have a very, very bright future.

New stadium coming, best training complex in the country, an academy which is fast becoming established as one of the best in Europe...

We're in good hands, CL next season is just a very nice cherry on top of a lovely looking cake.

 

[Joeyboey]

in 30 years we're going to be so fucking good and personally, I cannot wait!!!!

 

[RichSpur58]

For someone who is so negative about our club I find it funny that you've picked out players like this to improve us.

Your right, lets get Falcao, Messi and Ronaldo in. They will all be thrilled with 80k a week.

Who would you recommend then?

 

[RichSpur58]

Townsend can be the backup winger and Sigurdsson is a goalscoring midfielder. We could definitely use a striker of high quality though.

Ince has just scored 20 goals and is available for 6m. Hes a better prospect IMO.

 

[jonnyrotten]

Great OP post. With three games left in the season we are currently: -
6 goals off our current prem goals scored record
2 wins off our current prem total wins record
5 points off our current prem total points record
Already broken our away prem wins record

Lots to be proud about.

 

[RichSpur58]

Great OP post. With three games left in the season we are currently: -
6 goals off our current prem goals scored record
2 wins off our current prem total wins record
5 points off our current prem total points record
Already broken our away prem wins record

Lots to be proud about.

Opportunity missed for me if we dont get 4th. Nevrmind our previous records.

Goons have been poor, Chelsea have been poor. We had a chance to take 4th but now only a slim chance.

If we get it then great, but if we finish 5th the season is a failure

 

[TheGreenLily]

I would be disappointed if we don't get CL now, but hey I would be pretty damn happy with 5th. It is a transition year and AVB has done a great job overall, just to get us where we are now. Yes he has made some choices that you would like to bang your head against a brick wall to ease the mental strain, but all managers do this. It would by no means be a disaster for us finishing 5th, not by a long shot.

The overriding concern that I get from it all, is the lack of investment in key areas, the lack of guile in the final 3rd. Year after year it is the same old story of not getting key players in key areas when we needed them most, but rather hung around for last minute deals (Dempsey, Nelson, Saha to name a few), when ultimately in general they have provided very little worth to the squad and cost us CL football again (probably in all honesty).

It has been said a million times in this forum and until we get a balanced squad that can cope with injuries to players like Bale or invest in a few attacking players with more than a few braincells, then it is very likely we will never get a consistent CL place. Yes we have a great starting 11 when fully fit, but that is the point... when they are fully fit and we have no real cover for over half of them.

Walker - ? Naughton who a lot of people don't like or Smith who has not even anywhere near the first team
BAE - ? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I can only laugh
Lennon - ?
Bale - ?
Defoe or Ade - ?
Sandro - ? Really, we do have adequate cover for this guy and have seriously missed him more than anyone this season.

What is even more scary is that the majority of these players play a major part in our attacking threat and we got no cover for any of them...? Just insane.

P.S. Added Defoe and Ade together in an attempt to get one player out of the both them.

 

[RichSpur58]

I think if Kaboul returns to top fitness, our center back pairing has the potential to be the one of the best in the world. We already have a great GK. Get Sandro back to full fitness, and we will have quite the formidable defence. Another thing to note is that our squad is very young, so I expect us to improve each year, both at an individual level, and with overall team cohesion.

Why are we talking like these injuries a freak events?

Footballers get injured. Next year it could be Lennon or Bale out for the season. We are supposed to have a squad capable of carrying on in event of injury so cant use it as an excuse.

 

[RichSpur58]

I would be disappointed if we don't get CL now, but hey I would be pretty damn happy with 5th. It is a transition year and AVB has done a great job overall, just to get us where we are now. Yes he has made some choices that you would like to bang your head against a brick wall to ease the mental strain, but all managers do this. It would by no means be a disaster for us finishing 5th, not by a long shot.

The overriding concern that I get from it all, is the lack of investment in key areas, the lack of guile in the final 3rd. Year after year it is the same old story of not getting key players in key areas when we needed them most, but rather hung around for last minute deals (Dempsey, Nelson, Saha to name a few), when ultimately in general they have provided very little worth to the squad and cost us CL football again (probably in all honesty).

It has been said a million times in this forum and until we get a balanced squad that can cope with injuries to players like Bale or invest in a few attacking players with more than a few braincells, then it is very likely we will never get a consistent CL place. Yes we have a great starting 11 when fully fit, but that is the point... when they are fully fit and we have no real cover for over half of them.

Walker - ? Naughton who a lot of people don't like or Smith who has not even anywhere near the first team
BAE - ? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I can only laugh
Lennon - ?
Bale - ?
Defoe or Ade - ?
Sandro - ? Really, we do have adequate cover for this guy and have seriously missed him more than anyone this season.

What is even more scary is that the majority of these are all major players is the majority of our attacking threat and we got no cover for any of them.

P.S. Added Defoe and Ade together in an attempt to get one player out of the both them.

Agree 100% with this. Yet I'm just a suicidal naysayer so what do I know.

All I want is a balanced squad.

 

[formlesswater]

Why are we talking like these injuries a freak events?

Footballers get injured. Next year it could be Lennon or Bale out for the season. We are supposed to have a squad capable of carrying on in event of injury so cant use it as an excuse.

Not an excuse, but torn knee ligaments, which take a year to recover from, aren't exactly common enough to expect their occurrence each season. My post was just trying to inject some optimism to this thread, which I think is reasonable, since we will be getting back one of the best defenders and midfielders in the league next season, regardless of any other potential injuries.

 

[Yid121]

I'm not sure our team is really a top 4 team but I'd pose the same question about Arsenal I guess. AVB has just done a fantastic job.

If AVB leaves I'd be worried. I have an incredible amount of trust in our manager.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

Two things.

There will inevitably players out long term with injury so the return of Kaboul and Sandro does not necessarily mean we will be stronger.

Secondly, the Europa is a more gruelling journey compared to the CL, one which saps mentally and physically at attempts to cement top four or higher aspirations and less financially rewarding.

 

[Legacy]

Great OP post. With three games left in the season we are currently: -
6 goals off our current prem goals scored record
2 wins off our current prem total wins record
5 points off our current prem total points record
Already broken our away prem wins record

Lots to be proud about.

Woah, didn't believe that was true so I had to check it out. So even Harry Redknapp's "swash buckling" gung ho teams haven't managed to score many goals more than AVB's first squad. A big win against Sunderland or Stoke could see AVB set a new record for us.

 

[Legacy]

I'm not sure our team is really a top 4 team but I'd pose the same question about Arsenal I guess. AVB has just done a fantastic job.

If AVB leaves I'd be worried. I have an incredible amount of trust in our manager.

I think we have a top 4 team, but not a top 4 squad. Stick Kaboul, Sandro and an last season's Adebayor into our first 11 and you'd fancy your chances against anyone. Lose a couple of key players and we suddenly look far less threatening.

 

[TheGreenLily]

Two things.

There will inevitably players out long term with injury so the return of Kaboul and Sandro does not necessarily mean we will be stronger.

It is inevitable that players will get injured, so why not have a squad that can deal with this inevitability? Sounds like common sense to me and one of the basics of football.

Secondly, the Europa is a more gruelling journey compared to the CL, one which saps mentally and physically at attempts to cement top four or higher aspirations and less financially rewarding.

As with my answer above, with a balanced team you can rotate properly, so this really is not a problem in all honesty. All successful teams cope with this so why can't we...?

To me this is a non-argument.

It is about a balanced squad, I mean ffs, we started the season with 4 goalies and one fit striker.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

If we don't finish in the top 4 we still have a very, very bright future.

New stadium coming, best training complex in the country, an academy which is fast becoming established as one of the best in Europe...

We're in good hands, CL next season is just a very nice cherry on top of a lovely looking cake.

Agree largely but we must careful with statements like "best training complex in the country". It is it seems one of the best at this point but not necessarily the best. Big things going on elsewhere in that respect eg Citeh who are even including a small stadium in their revamp.

 

[HotspurFC1950]

It is about a balanced squad, I mean ffs, we started the season with 4 goalies and one fit striker.

Ok.