Another finish in the top 4 would be nice, means that our 3rd from last season isn't a fluke or down to anyone else not turning up. Would be nice to win a cup as it's been a long time.
This article a change from the normal....
Premier League 2016-17 previews No17: Tottenham Hotspur | David Hytner
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
Mauricio Pochettino wanted to sign Victor Wanyama from his former club Southampton in the summer of last year. It did not happen. Southampton made it plain that they would not countenance it. Above all, the timing was wrong.
Pochettino shrugged and he told Daniel Levy, his chairman at Tottenham Hotspur, not to worry. He had a backup plan, which was to turn the defender Eric Dier into a high-calibre defensive midfielder. There was external scepticism at the time but it proved to be a masterstroke. Dier was one of the stand-out players in what was a stellar season for the club.
Job done? Position locked down? Apparently not. Pochettino moved again for Wanyama this summer and, this time, the timing was right. The commanding Kenyan became his first signing of the close season and, at £11m, it felt like value, too.
Pochettino was in a position of strength but he wanted to build; he wanted more. The manager knew that he would be without Mousa Dembélé, his other starting central midfielder, for the first four games of the season because of the punishment for his eye gouge on Chelsea’s Diego Costa last May. But, also, he wanted greater competition, options and flexibility. Dier and Dembélé will not be able to play all of the time, particularly as there is a campaign in the more gruelling Champions League to factor in.
The move for Wanyama cut to the heart of Pochettino’s approach; how he is seeking to grow the club and why there are credible reasons for optimism at Tottenham regarding the short and longer term.
Pochettino is obsessed by profiling, and it takes in data that relates to conditioning, nutrition and sports science. In terms of recruitment, his signings must tick specific boxes, physically and mentally. Wanyama, whom Pochettino brought to Southampton from Celtic in July 2013 for £12.5m, ticks them all.
Pochettino’s players are imposing – almost all of his favoured starting XI from last season stood at six feet or higher – and they have tremendous stamina. Moreover, they must be tactically flexible and able to play in at least two positions. Wanyama offers an option in central defence. One of Pochettino’s reasons for selling Andros Townsend to Newcastle United last January was that the winger shone on only one flank.
Pochettino also insists upon good characters and there are no big-time Charlies in his squad these days. One small example from last week shone a light on the collective attitude. It was the day for the broadcasters to film their walk-up shots and take other assorted photographs, and players can consider it a pain and behave as such. At Tottenham, it went smoothly and professionally.
The clincher on the Wanyama deal was the fee, which was relatively low because he had only one year to run on his contract. With the stadium rebuild to finance, these things matter at Tottenham; largesse over the next two years is a nonstarter. They intend to enter the 61,000-capacity arena in 2018-19.
The note of worry at Tottenham concerns the manner in which their rivals have attacked the transfer market. It is difficult to quantify how greatly the other top clubs will be improved by their signings but it is clear that when two of them (and counting?) have lavished nine-figure sums on fees alone, it represents a shake-up. Tottenham cannot compete on these terms at present and they have felt the tremors, which have emanated most strongly from Manchester. This Premier League is going to be so tough.
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Harry Kane during pre-season training with Tottenham. Photograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I
But the glass feels half-full, primarily because of Pochettino and the precision and vigour of his methods. In so many ways, he is the ideal manager for Tottenham, as they plot the transition into the new stadium. The Argentinian is determined to make stars, rather than buy them, and he leads from the front with his work ethic and attention to detail.
This article a change from the normal....
Premier League 2016-17 previews No17: Tottenham Hotspur | David Hytner
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
Mauricio Pochettino wanted to sign Victor Wanyama from his former club Southampton in the summer of last year. It did not happen. Southampton made it plain that they would not countenance it. Above all, the timing was wrong.
Pochettino shrugged and he told Daniel Levy, his chairman at Tottenham Hotspur, not to worry. He had a backup plan, which was to turn the defender Eric Dier into a high-calibre defensive midfielder. There was external scepticism at the time but it proved to be a masterstroke. Dier was one of the stand-out players in what was a stellar season for the club.
Job done? Position locked down? Apparently not. Pochettino moved again for Wanyama this summer and, this time, the timing was right. The commanding Kenyan became his first signing of the close season and, at £11m, it felt like value, too.
Pochettino was in a position of strength but he wanted to build; he wanted more. The manager knew that he would be without Mousa Dembélé, his other starting central midfielder, for the first four games of the season because of the punishment for his eye gouge on Chelsea’s Diego Costa last May. But, also, he wanted greater competition, options and flexibility. Dier and Dembélé will not be able to play all of the time, particularly as there is a campaign in the more gruelling Champions League to factor in.
The move for Wanyama cut to the heart of Pochettino’s approach; how he is seeking to grow the club and why there are credible reasons for optimism at Tottenham regarding the short and longer term.
Pochettino is obsessed by profiling, and it takes in data that relates to conditioning, nutrition and sports science. In terms of recruitment, his signings must tick specific boxes, physically and mentally. Wanyama, whom Pochettino brought to Southampton from Celtic in July 2013 for £12.5m, ticks them all.
Pochettino’s players are imposing – almost all of his favoured starting XI from last season stood at six feet or higher – and they have tremendous stamina. Moreover, they must be tactically flexible and able to play in at least two positions. Wanyama offers an option in central defence. One of Pochettino’s reasons for selling Andros Townsend to Newcastle United last January was that the winger shone on only one flank.
Pochettino also insists upon good characters and there are no big-time Charlies in his squad these days. One small example from last week shone a light on the collective attitude. It was the day for the broadcasters to film their walk-up shots and take other assorted photographs, and players can consider it a pain and behave as such. At Tottenham, it went smoothly and professionally.
The clincher on the Wanyama deal was the fee, which was relatively low because he had only one year to run on his contract. With the stadium rebuild to finance, these things matter at Tottenham; largesse over the next two years is a nonstarter. They intend to enter the 61,000-capacity arena in 2018-19.
The note of worry at Tottenham concerns the manner in which their rivals have attacked the transfer market. It is difficult to quantify how greatly the other top clubs will be improved by their signings but it is clear that when two of them (and counting?) have lavished nine-figure sums on fees alone, it represents a shake-up. Tottenham cannot compete on these terms at present and they have felt the tremors, which have emanated most strongly from Manchester. This Premier League is going to be so tough.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Harry Kane during pre-season training with Tottenham. Photograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I
But the glass feels half-full, primarily because of Pochettino and the precision and vigour of his methods. In so many ways, he is the ideal manager for Tottenham, as they plot the transition into the new stadium. The Argentinian is determined to make stars, rather than buy them, and he leads from the front with his work ethic and attention to detail.
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