What the pundits & media are saying about us

[Good Doctor M]

Eh, Henry's right. The CL is going to have an impact on our league form. It's naive to think otherwise. Chelsea, with no European football are going to be the ones to beat this season I think. Happens all the time. Liverpool had no Europe when they pushed for 1st and came inr 2nd. The year we got 4th - no Europe. Leicester played the same 11 practically for the entire year because they didn't have to account for mid week jaunts around the continent.

We've been playing in the EL so we're in better shape but we're not going to field a Mason/Carrol midfield against anyone we play in Europe this year. It's a big step up.

 

[wrd]

Can't really have a go at any pundits unless they put us outside the top6 imo the league is anybodies guess at the moment and it's hard to really take an educated guess like in previous years with so much upheaval and so many different managers

 

[StartingPrice]

Can't really have a go at any pundits unless they put us outside the top6 imo the league is anybodies guess at the moment and it's hard to really take an educated guess like in previous years with so much upheaval and so many different managers

I would agree that it's a hugely unpredictable league, and it is easier to name six teams who are likely to be filling any one of the top six spots than it is to try and predict where those teams will finish (though there is always scope for unexpected challengers as well, of course). I wouldn't even mind if the pundits said that there were likely, in their opinion, to be two groups: 1 of United, Citeh and Chelsea who they could see finishing in the top three spots; 2 Us, the Goons and the Mickeys competing for fourth to sixth. I could make arguments against it, but I wouldn't necessarily be put out by it. I can even see why they would argue that the Goons would be favourites to finish above us - even though I think we will improve and have strengthened the squad but they have lost players, and players who usually do well in head-to-heads with us, without really strengthening the squad, other than one defensive player who may not be suited to the BPL. But Liverpool...in the name of Gawd, the way they are just dismissively predicting them to finish above us just really gets my goat.

I don't really want to repeat what I have said on the matter elsewhere, so I will just link to them and if you want to read you can:

What our opponents' fans are saying

 

[eddiev14]

Jamie Carragher is a big fan of our CBs:

"I think last season, the outstanding ones really were the Tottenham pair," said Carragher. "With Vertonghen, it's whether he's fit now having had a problem in the summer, as he gives you that nice balance on the left hand side. Alderweireld came in from Southampton and was a revelation as well, I think they had one of the best defensive records," he added.

 

[HobbitSpur]

Heres the thing we didnt get a high points total last season, for us to get top 4 this season imo if we emulate last season we wont do it

Last season was the statistical anomaly.

We have to improve to make top 4

I don't agree with the anomaly tbf.

As all the teams within the PL improve with the increased revenue and all the teams within the top 5/6 become closer there will naturally be more draws within a season which will naturally reduces the number of points required to win a league and/or finish in the top 4.

I think a common anomaly forward would be a team winning the team by 10/12 points with 4 or 5 games remaining

 

[beats1]

I don't agree with the anomaly tbf.

As all the teams within the PL improve with the increased revenue and all the teams within the top 5/6 become closer there will naturally be more draws within a season which will naturally reduces the number of points required to win a league and/or finish in the top 4.

I think a common anomaly forward would be a team winning the team by 10/12 points with 4 or 5 games remaining

At the moment the anomaly is last season

However if things go as you think then it will obviously change and no longer

I will however say that this season the top teams have spent more compared to the smaller teams as a percentage than last year

For example, last season we had this:

This season we have this

Despite TV money going up we are seeing less spending than last year and the big teams are spending even more than before.

Now spending doesnt guarantee good signings like Newcastle proved but this season the big 5 teams are spending more than last season to reestablish their dominance

 

[sloth]

I don't agree that 8-10 teams have a realistic chance, there is a top 6 above the rest, that doesn't look like changing.

Changing of manager causes change in league position and the turmoil that goes with it, consistent managers have meant consistent CL football. 3-5 is not a City expectation, not a United expectation, not a Chelsea expectation nor has it been an Arsenal expectation.

There haven't been 6 teams in with a shout of the title since the Premier League began, they aren't usually even 4 teams in with a shout. Arsenal haven't had a good enough squad for years for instance. They will be in your calculations but they haven't been real contenders for a title. Sir Alex Ferguson reinvented United several times, Wenger doesn't seem capable of doing the same.

I understand your point, but I disagree with your initial starting premise which knocks everything out of kilter.

Surely that's wrong? Just look at last year (I don't know where Chelsea finished but I assume they're in your top six):

1. Leicester
2. Arsenal
3. Spurs
4. City
5. Utd
6. Liverpool
7. Chelsea

 

[tototoner]

Premier League 2016-17 previews No17: Tottenham Hotspur

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/aug/11/premier-league-previews-tottenham-hotspur

Guardian writers’ predicted position 3rd (NB: this is not necessarily David Hytner’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position 3rd

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker) 8-1

 

[Spurs1960]

Surely that's wrong? Just look at last year (I don't know where Chelsea finished but I assume they're in your top six):

1. Leicester
2. Arsenal
3. Spurs
4. City
5. Utd
6. Liverpool
7. Chelsea

I don't put Leicester i the list, doesn't matter that they are champions, they haven't a chance of winning again or probably being in the top four. Unless they re going to play the second team in the Champions League? Six teams, the usual six.

 

[Spurs1960]

At the moment the anomaly is last season

However if things go as you think then it will obviously change and no longer

I will however say that this season the top teams have spent more compared to the smaller teams as a percentage than last year

For example, last season we had this:

This season we have this

Despite TV money going up we are seeing less spending than last year and the big teams are spending even more than before.

Now spending doesnt guarantee good signings like Newcastle proved but this season the big 5 teams are spending more than last season to reestablish their dominance

Or to repair the damage that has been done to them. Three teams have new managers who want teams of their own so that accounts for spending. Would they have spent the same amount if they retained the same managers to reassert their dominance?

 

[danielneeds]

Premier League 2016-17 previews No17: Tottenham Hotspur

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/aug/11/premier-league-previews-tottenham-hotspur

Guardian writers’ predicted position 3rd (NB: this is not necessarily David Hytner’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position 3rd

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker) 8-1

Nice positivity from Hytner - given his hatchet job one about Mitchell the other day. You can feel the respect and admiration for Poch pouring off the page.

 

[Air Jordan 3]

Premier League 2016-17 previews No17: Tottenham Hotspur

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/aug/11/premier-league-previews-tottenham-hotspur

Guardian writers’ predicted position 3rd (NB: this is not necessarily David Hytner’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position 3rd

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker) 8-1

Good article. Must admit I am loving the calmness around us for once.

Very excited for the season ahead.

 

[C0YS]

Nice positivity from Hytner - given his hatchet job one about Mitchell the other day. You can feel the respect and admiration for Poch pouring off the page.

Hytner is an interesting one, can't stand his writing but he does have contacts at Tottenham. If he writes about Mitchell it will not be guess work, it will be information given to him by someone at the club. Having said that the person giving that information may have their own agendas at play.

The guardian report is too positive, don't like it... Would rather low expectations myself.

 

[daveduvet]

Premier League 2016-17 previews No17: Tottenham Hotspur

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/aug/11/premier-league-previews-tottenham-hotspur

Guardian writers’ predicted position 3rd (NB: this is not necessarily David Hytner’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position 3rd

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker) 8-1

Read this just now - very upbeat and well written piece

 

[Bobbins]

Phil McNulty at the BBC has us 5th - with the caveat that you could throw a blanket over us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool as to where we'll finish this season, which I think is absolutely fair enough. He even says in his piece that he's only put Arsenal 4th above us because they do manage to do it every year!

I like McNulty's articles but he seems to be a real marmite figure for a lot of people, plenty of whom hate him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36962933

 

[Spurs1960]

Leicester had a freak season, they won't be in the Top 6 next season, indeed I doubt they will finish above West Ham or Southampton..

 

[Basil Brush]

The reason we will finish top 4 is because of our defence including Hugo. Add Eric (the wrecking machine) and Victor and every other side has nightmares.

P.S. I havent even added Harry, Erik, Christian and Dele.

 

[Chris Flynn]

Phil McNulty at the BBC has us 5th - with the caveat that you could throw a blanket over us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool as to where we'll finish this season, which I think is absolutely fair enough. He even says in his piece that he's only put Arsenal 4th above us because they do manage to do it every year!

I like McNulty's articles but he seems to be a real marmite figure for a lot of people, plenty of whom hate him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36962933

Yeah im not a fan to be honest and i disagree with pretty much every word in his prediction.....well not every word, more the order he put them in. But again, im happy for people to focus on the soap opra while we fly under the raidar until some time in april, under a banner headline and main article about Jose saying he didnt mean anything by saying if he was Guadiolas kids he would kill himself, there is a tiny side piece about how we have now won the title

 

[Maxtremist]

God I am loving being in the conversation for the title.

Last year we were barely mentioned for the top 4 and a lot of us as fans, whilst we had hopes of it, I think we can agree kind of saw it as a little bit a long shot/everything needed to fall into place for that to happen.

A year on and here we are, with a few pundits putting us in the top 3, top 2, challenging for the title etc... sure not every pundit but they're not all gonna agree.

It's just nice to take a little step back and kind of be glad that we're a little annoyed when pundits don't expect us to be in the top 4.

 

[Rout-Ledge]

Phil McNulty at the BBC has us 5th - with the caveat that you could throw a blanket over us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool as to where we'll finish this season, which I think is absolutely fair enough. He even says in his piece that he's only put Arsenal 4th above us because they do manage to do it every year!

I like McNulty's articles but he seems to be a real marmite figure for a lot of people, plenty of whom hate him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36962933

He's not the worst out there by a long way, but I find his take on things to be pretty basic, and he's not a particularly engaging writer...which he should be, considering he's the BBC's head football journo.