Realistic expectations for 2020-21?

[spurs mental]

I believe we can finish third and get closer to the top 2.

Looking at it realistically, Liverpool haven't been the same since January, they won the league at a canter but they really weren't that great after Christmas. I know I've said it in the Liverpool thread a few times but they look to be coming towards the end of their shelf life with that team. It only really lasts 18-24 months. The defeat to Atletico in CL showed they are vulnerable and theyve been very fortuitous with injuries too. Salah and Mane must have only missed 10-15 games between them over the last 3 seasons, and some of them were probably down to rotation.

City are light at CB and their full back options aren't great, Jesus isnt really very good in place of Aguero but when they have KDB supplying 20 assists a season he is bound to score a few goals.

If we manage to get DM sorted and are able to field of CM 3 of DM, GLC and Ndombele/AN other (not Sissoko and Winks) and upgrade at least one FB option I think Jose and the team have shown they can get the results. We are going to be hard to beat regardless of new additions anyway, so it's about turning the sloppy draws into wins. With Kane firing, Son and Bergwijn that's one frightening attack, Moura a capable back up along with Sessegnon I think we can be right up there again.

We should be capable of doing well in Europa too with the back ups, certainly in the early stages.

 

[KikoSpurs]

My expectations will depend on who and when we are bringing during this transfer window. If we bring our targets early in the season and they have time to adapt and understand Mourinho's philosophy and tactics then maybe we can do well.

I can see Liverpool starting to drop their performance. And if they don't do business we are gonna see them falling just like we did under Poch.

Manchester City are a strange team atm. Everything suggests about the eminent end of the Guardiola cycle there. But sometimes they still bang some really good results and performances. I literally don't know what to expect from them. Let's see what kind of business they do in the market. I think the Champions League performance will define what Manchester City will be next season.

My main fear is Chelsea. Chelsea are buying two of the top attacking prospect in Germany and that guy Pulisic is really good and I really thought he would flop in the Premier League. Also Lampard is showing that he's a clever guy and can bring some tactical cleverness even thou most of what he did during the first half of the season was copying Antonio Conte tactics and/or Sarri circuits.

Manchester United don't scare me at all. They will spend loads and I still can't see them being that competitive as they were under SAF. Ole is not the guy. Even thou they are looking better they are still bad. Solskjaer uses the same tactics and approach Mourinho uses in big games but he has no clue to break mid to low block opposition. But my main fear about them is how they always get a fuck*** decision when they are struggling. There is always an odd penalty to help them.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Plenty of 'ifs' in there

If we manage to get DM sorted

We should be able to get PEH. Mou knows a DM. If he comes in and does well, then that would make a big difference.

I believe we can get him. No idea how good he'd be

and are able to field of CM 3 of DM, GLC and Ndombele

This is a massive "if" for me. We're all clinging to the idea that Ndombele will stay and fulfill his potential, because we are very unlikely to be able to bring anyone in with his incredible talent. But right now, objectively, what do you think the most likely scenario is around his involvement? Because I'm guess it's that he either (i) leaves; or (ii) struggles. Of all the outcomes, (iii) staying and flourishing is (IMO) the least likely

upgrade at least one FB option I think Jose

We'll see here, not really sure who we're after. I happen to think we need sort LB and RB. I admit the LB could be found within the squad (Sess?) and Tanganga could do a job, but if we're talking top 4, then they need to be improved.

I also think we're missing a really good CB

That's a shed load of work and money, and every signing needs to work out.

I think it's optimistic to think all the above happens and goes well

 

[stormfly]

I want it to be like waiting for a bus.

League
Europa
FA Cup

Let the good times roll!

Oh, and also to win the Audi Cup again! That’s first priority.

 

[carmeldevil]

Need to wait for transfer window to close before setting up expectations. Right now, have no idea if anyone is coming in and who is leaving other than those with expired contracts.

 

[danielneeds]

I believe we can finish third and get closer to the top 2.

Looking at it realistically, Liverpool haven't been the same since January, they won the league at a canter but they really weren't that great after Christmas. I know I've said it in the Liverpool thread a few times but they look to be coming towards the end of their shelf life with that team. It only really lasts 18-24 months. The defeat to Atletico in CL showed they are vulnerable and theyve been very fortuitous with injuries too. Salah and Mane must have only missed 10-15 games between them over the last 3 seasons, and some of them were probably down to rotation.

City are light at CB and their full back options aren't great, Jesus isnt really very good in place of Aguero but when they have KDB supplying 20 assists a season he is bound to score a few goals.

If we manage to get DM sorted and are able to field of CM 3 of DM, GLC and Ndombele/AN other (not Sissoko and Winks) and upgrade at least one FB option I think Jose and the team have shown they can get the results. We are going to be hard to beat regardless of new additions anyway, so it's about turning the sloppy draws into wins. With Kane firing, Son and Bergwijn that's one frightening attack, Moura a capable back up along with Sessegnon I think we can be right up there again.

We should be capable of doing well in Europa too with the back ups, certainly in the early stages.

This is a very positive spin on it. But on the other hand do you really think a team who mustered two shots against Bournemouth and three against Palace, and who haven’t got a pot to piss in in the transfer market are gonna finish close to the current top two???

 

[wrd]

Getting Champions League is all I care about. I'm more concerned with top4 because I think league really shows how your team is doing over the course of the season but Europa would mean a trophy.

I just want to see us play with a line up where there's no glaring holes. I can live with the fact we aren't as good as Liverpool and City next season but I don't want to see us suffer because we're missing a DM, a RB or none of our CB's are any good. I want a strong 11.

 

[Mouse!]

3rd/4th and winning the Europa League would be a good first full season under Jose.

 

[Cochise]

Europa League would be nice. I think that we must make a push to qualify for UCL as next season could be the last one Kane gives us. I reckon Jose can talk him into staying for this coming season, but after that we may be looking at needing replacements for Kane and even Son.

Having UCL football will make it easier to sign the right quality imo.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Lol... Top 4 and trophy. Like we haven't been saying that for about forever.

I imagine it'll be a bit like this season, only less mad. Floating around top 6 and getting knocked out of competitions at the last 16.

 

[dontcallme]

Win the title.

"It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."

Thanks, for a moment there I thought we were going to go a whole day without that quote being posted.

 

[dontcallme]

Top 4 has to be the aim.

Trophies is a difficult aim. Would love to win a domestic trophy but if we draw Liverpool, Man City, Utd, Chelsea etc away in the early rounds then chances are we'll go out even if we prioritise the tournament and play well.

Essentially on the cups I want to see us competing and if things go our way we could win one.

We still have young players on our books with some potential so I would love to see Jose successfully rotate the squad so the players deserving of time on the pitch get it.

 

[Saoirse]

Thanks, for a moment there I thought we were going to go a whole day without that quote being posted.

It's true though. Better to aim for the title even if you don't win the race and only come 3rd, than to aim for 4th and still be in a fight to even get that at the end of the season. It's an attitude that should be resonating throughout the club - we are competing with Liverpool off the pitch so it's time to match their recent achievements on it too. Even in the modern era, Poch told us how we should always be ambitious and always looking forward - and he was right.

 

[buckley]

Martin Jol said that teams really play in one of the following ways
6 defenders 4 attackers =defensive
5 defenders 5 attackers =fluid
4 defenders 6 attackers =attacking
of course there are variations but basically teams are set up to play in one of these ways .
Jose won titles at Porto Real Chelsea twice and Inter the one thing they had in common was two holding midfielders .
Also the last two champions Liverpool with Henderson and Rodri and city with Fernandinho and Robhino played with two holding midfielders. It must be said not always the same holding midfielders but the same system .
As of this moment we have no body in holding midfield and I am almost certain that Jose will go for Hoijberg plus one other in the same position . And if he gets them we will play 6 to 4 and the whole team will be better for it the defence would not be under as much pressure and the same could be said of the attack because of the security of two holding midfielders lessens the need to help out the defence thats not to say less work just not so much defensive work
At this moment because of personnel we are playing 4 to 6 because of the players we have who are trying to play a roll that they are not equipped for namely defensive midfield .
Probably all nonsense but my opinion nevertheless .

 

[dontcallme]

It's true though. Better to aim for the title even if you don't win the race and only come 3rd, than to aim for 4th and still be in a fight to even get that at the end of the season. It's an attitude that should be resonating throughout the club - we are competing with Liverpool off the pitch so it's time to match their recent achievements on it too. Even in the modern era, Poch told us how we should always be ambitious and always looking forward - and he was right.

Yep, to dare is to do. Impossible is nothing, just do it.

 

[dbspurs]

Upgrade Aurier, Davies, Winks and Sissoko plus a backup for Kane and we should give top 4 a good go and maybe pick up a trophy.

If we don't address these areas then 5th is best we can hope for.

 

[Fittster]

Hoping for 70 points, expecting 65 points, less than 60 would be very, very disappointing.

 

[spids]

Unless our investment strategy for the first team changes dramatically this summer there is no way we are competing with Liverpool or Man City for the title next season. At best we are competing for 3rd / 4th with Chelsea, Man U, Leicester, Arsenal and Wolves. I would say the optimistic end of realistic expectations are to qualify for the CL and potentially win one of the domestic cups or the Europa league *if* we can address the glaring problems with our squad (RB, DCM, back up CF). I actually expect Tanganga to play at RB next season, and for our full backs not to attack much, with JM favouring the low-block, counter attacking style we have seen the last 6 games

 

[JayB]

It'll depend entirely on the business we do this summer.

We're still reeling from years of piss-poor recruitment that resulted in a huge decline, with key players of the Poch era either being sold outright, becoming ineffective due to age or injury, or becoming disillusioned with the club and forcing their way out. The likes of Eriksen, Dembele, Vertonghen, Wanyama, Walker, and Rose were absolutely essential to our success when we were at our best under Poch and have all moved on, with virtually none of them being adequately replaced as yet. Not to mention the Kane backup that was never adequately sorted in the first place.

Poch had it absolutely right when he said we were in a painful rebuilding mode, but we didn't really act accordingly last summer. We started the process of the rebuild but there seems to have been an attitude at that time that if we could just replace Dembele and Eriksen with Ndombele and Lo Celso we'd be flying again. That has now conclusively been shown to have been incorrect, and it can't be ignored that there remains a long list of areas that must be addressed if we want to get anywhere near the clubs above us.

If we can manage to bring in a genuine first-choice DM, upgrade the fullbacks, and bring in a Kane rotation option of sufficient quality I think we can realistically hope to compete for top four and make a real tilt at a cup trophy. If on the other hand it's another summer of substandard bargain basement punts who don't make the grade we will continue to languish in mediocrity and it would be unfair to expect anything else.

 

[Frozen_Waffles]

To be honest I am willing to accept almost anything but one more season with sissoko as first choice CM will break me.