A Shelfy penned production.
On the back of a painful series of dropped points against Burnley, Chelsea and those who must not be mentioned I thought it about time to look forward.
We have a lot to look forward to, a winnable tie against Dortmund for a place in the last eight of Europes Elite competition this week, a new stadium, maybe next month and the summer transfer window where I am confident we will see some new faces.
I believe Poch has a genuine dilemma with the squad, and I am not talking about the restrictions on foreign players nor the homegrown quota, which do undoubtedly cause making acquisitions more difficult. The dilemma is where do you find better players than we have for a price we can afford (both transfer fee and wages). If you look at our results over the past few years we have been one of the best teams in the PL. Second and third place finishes each year behind a different champion shows a good level of consistency at a high level of performance, we have had more than our fair share of cup semi-finals too. Close but no cigar as they say.
The reason for mentioning recent performance is to highlight that there aren’t many teams doing much better than us. I think in the last three or four years only Man City have accrued more points than us. That means other teams don’t have better players (on the whole) than we do (again not including City), which makes it hard to pick up talented players that are definitely going to make an impact. Sure each team has a star or two (like Zaha at Palace) but realistically we are not going to get players like him in.
Younger players doing well in the lower leagues has been a good source of players for us e.g. Dele but it can be hit and miss. A cases in point that has been discussed recently is that of Ryan Sessengon, Fulham’s wonder kid and the next Gareth Bale, all based on tearing up trees in the championship. Fast forward to today and the poor kid looks just like Bale did when he first joined Spurs and now he can’t even make Fulham’s first team on a regular basis. For every great hope there are many great failures.
So Poch’s dilemma that I speak of is whether to stick or twist. Last Summer ‘stick’ seemed to be a good idea. We had a young but maturing squad who had played some fantastic football in patches and looked like they were developing into world beaters (games against Madrid fall into that category) but of course, as young teams often are, they were not quite consistent enough against the very best teams to pick up silverware. I suspect Poch believed in this group and this group probably believed in themselves and once the post World cup lack of preparation syndrome was out of the way the boys started to fire on all cylinders (6-2 against Everton and a couple of other good thrashings given out around that time and the 3-0 against Dortmund).
Then it went a flat, very flat and last week Poch conceded that we were out of the title race and that is where the dilemma comes in because even if the group is maturing and even if they are getting better as a squad as they spend more time together, I think the belief that they can win the league has gone. Unless we win the Champions league (a long shot that even I don’t really expect – though we have a chance!) then I don’t see how the same group of guys sitting in the locker room in August can believe that they can win the league. They will need to see a couple of new faces that they believe are upgrades on what we had this season or they will be defeated before they start.
Belief has been one of Poch’s mantras, ‘anything is possible in football if you believe’. I don’t I believe that, but I do believe that winning isn’t possible if you don’t believe. The players are not stupid. They have seen the evidence of how far short they are (not very far it is after all ‘fine margins’) and how much progress they have made and can easily figure out if the gap is too big to close next season. In my opinion they would have to ignore reality to believe they could win the league next year, they say doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So unless of course Poch’s can work his magic (he’s magic you know) and make them believe the new stadium is equivalent to a new signing (which I suppose it might be, after all look how we dominated in our last season at the Lane).
I’m not buying that however, because I think something else has to change if we are to win it all so sticking is not an option this Summer. Even if a couple of players that are really only a small upgrade in standard compared to the ones we already have come in – then the ability to believe, to have hope will be restored.
If we don’t refresh at least a little, we may go backwards because I believe a part of what has propelled us forward and had us punching above our weight is the very same belief that Poch instilled in this group a couple of years ago. Without that belief then that little bit of extra effort to grab a late winner might dissipate and we could be right back to mid table obscurity.
Beckinghambasterds.
Orpingtonorbust.
Marrrrrrrgatemunters.
Canterburycan’t.
Sevenoakssucks.
I’ve just left the Kent’s. they almost feel like cousins, if it weren’t for them being Kent’s.
Gee. Zarrrrr.
bale gone from the champs league,shudda stayed wiv us for the glory not the wedge.
that draw is a win win for them,at least 1 english club goes out,hedging their bets
It was as close to resurrection as you can get. Pochettino walks on water. Levy loves him.
They’ll be able to neutralise the English threat by drawing us with City in the quarters. They don’t want to risk us both reaching the semis.
The germans are great engineers but they couldn’t kick it up a notch or three….that’s what they lack
What did you say Mel ooops sorry its the Group of Deaf
we already emerged from their group of death.
Decided to watch American Gods. Had no idea what it was about, turned out to be a very sharp satire on the American Dream.
we will find out soon who FIFA thinks can knock us out
Mr Peter said that it was clear it was unclear. Shit no.
The VAR in the Madrid game was criminal . The 3rd goal taking 4 mins to look at and explained that ‘everyone can see ‘ was so over the line you could fit a carton of fag papers between. WTF, couldn’t have happened to a nicer lot , hahaha
Now please treat Soton like a Final. Take it to them, and go into the break on the high note.
COYS.
Masterclass in patient counter play. Dortmund gave Spurs the perfect match to find their organisation, absorb their pressure, and patiently feel out the gaps.
I turned over to the other game, Ajax were superb.
Tottenham are the first North London club to qualify for a Champions League quarter final since Tottenham in 2011.
We should play these 9 man defences against teams like er.. Burnley
Sissoko played a lovely ball to Kane for the goal. Assist plus tireless work rate. Can’t fault him tonight, and won’t.
Verts and Hugo were tremendous and have to say Aurier and Davies played their parts
Sissoko is fantastic and getting better.
What a satisfying game. Kept a desperate Dortmund locked out all first half, then rammed the knife home in the second. It was the way we should have played last season vs Juve.
Lloris had one of his best games of the season, Super Jan lived up to his moniker today and Sissy was tireless again (never thought I’d ever say he looks worth the money we paid now). Any word on Winks? Seemed like he was taken off as a precaution. Anyhoo, onwards to the QF COYS!
Apologies for my previous post, tried to provide a link to video of our supporters singing aufweidersan to the Dortmund supporters and it went horribly wrong.
Great night at Dirtmound and in the Flying Horse with Flatty, Bruxie, Cas, FoFty, Spoz and Steve (Bruxie’s mate). Top lads at both venues, COYS!
I missed this but it seems Serge produced another foul throw tonight. Jeez.
We need a special relationship. Pay them whatever they want
https://Twitter.com/spurs songs/status/1103049561361272834?s=09
Daniel, just go to Ajax and buy youngsters in bulk. You might get a discount.
Tomorrow, Real Madrid will be linked with Pochettino in all the facky news outlets again.
Every silver lining has a cloud.
Lloris gets his 100th clean sheet for the club
I hear Gareth Bale came off the bench and got himself injured yet again.
No way do we want the world’s most expensive passenger at Spurs.
Amazing need a lie down in a darkerned room after that did nothing for my nerves replica retro shirt for work tomorrow I think
Surely Taff will come out now!
No, shattered after a days work which I really shouldn’t be doing.
Spurs v Ajax would be two cracking games.
Kane’s finish was sublime.
Come on Levy, get the bloody stadium open!!
Yeehah!
Mauricio Pochettino makes it to the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in his managerial career. 👍
Flipping massive effort. Jekyll and Hyde team sometimes.
Now beat Southampton, don’t do what I fully expect and draw it.
Our shape is the best shape I’ve ever seen. Really great Management.
Who wants flow when you have boredom
HOOOOORRRRRAAAAAHHHHH,we won