Improvements

[Mick Cooper]

Have we improved. Yes, we are a better team than we were under Santini, Jol and AVB. However, we are worse than we were under Harry, Sherwood, and Sir Bill. If we are comparing with last season, I would say worse, as last year we were pressing a lot more, and the players appeared to be far more interested. The simple fact is that our only chance of winning anything this year is the FA cup, and as the manager shows a total disregard and lack of respect for it, we won't win that either

are you mad?
Like our current squads, the majority of Bill Nicholsons squads were always missing 1 or 2 vital players to elevate them to title winners again. If we had gotten Haynes and Moore we might have won 3 or 4 titles in the 60's - laying a platform for top level acquisitions further into the future.
If Poch got a consistent attacking midfielder (or just a really creative one) and another Greaves/Smith (scoring standard) forward maybe we would be writing history for the club right now.

We got Sissoko and Soldado

Perhaps we should ban footballers whose name begins with S and ends in O

 

[Totti]

We've only conceded 5 goals from open play. That's unreal.

 

[Totti]

I think I'll do something different and have a look at our improvement over Pochettino's 3 seasons and see how the league has changed:

2014/2015:
Played: 24
Won: 13
Drawn: 4
Lost: 7
Scored: 37
Conceded: 31

1. Chelsea - 56pts
2. Man City - 49pts
3. Southampton - 45pts
4. Man Utd - 44pts
-----------------------------------
5. SPURS - 43pts
6. Woolwich - 42pts


2015/2016:
Played: 24
Won: 12
Drawn: 9
Lost: 3
Scored: 44
Conceded: 19

1. Leicester - 50pts
2. Man City - 47pts
3. SPURS - 45pts
4. Woolwich - 45pts
-----------------------------------
5. Man Utd - 40pts
6. West Ham - 39pts


2016/2017:
Played: 24
Won: 14
Drawn: 8
Lost: 2
Scored: 46
Conceded: 16

1. Chelsea - 59pts
2. SPURS - 50pts
3. Woolwich - 47pts
4. Liverpool - 46pts
------------------------------
5. Man City - 46pts
6. Man Utd - 42pts

 

[VirginiaSpur]

Question is, how do we deal with all the damn draws?

 

[Totti]

This is where people who know fuck all about football ring up and say "none"

 

[Totti]

Amazingly, this ISN'T our best start to a Premier League season. (2011-12)

But a draw away at the Emirates (would equal) or a win would see us beat our best ever start to a Premier League season after 14 games.

 

[Airfixx]

Title race incoming.

 

[stuart3455]

Okay, just looked at our fixtures for next couple of weeks (in fact, till March and game against Chavs).
11 games, 7 at home, 4 away.
The only team from top 6 we're gonna face in next two months is United. Apart from that, hardest fixture is gonna be at Everton. Other than that, all games we SHOULD win. I know football doesn't work that way, but.. If there is still a small hope, we need to make a run in next two months.

COYS!

This may also give us quite a boost.

 

[Totti]

This really has been an incredible season for us so far.

After 17 games last season, we had 31 points.
After 17 games this season, we have 39 points.

We are also now 11 points better-off this season compared to the identical games played last season after beating Burnley.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Very well said Totti
Not one summer signing improved the starting XI. The clubs we rose above last season all have done that.

Part of why they're all top 4 and we're 5th at present.

 

[tbonepremier]

No, we have done the opposite. Just as expected. Some fans said towards the end of season that "Next season we'll walk the league!". I found that ridiculous.

You make some good points. I would like to add that last season took a hell of a toll on our players, both physically and mentally. You could witness the mental fatigue in the game against Chelsea, and in the following games. The physical fatigue presented itself particularly in the last game, in the Euros and in the injuries we've seen this season.

We are a young side. We were even younger last season. Being up there, fighting for the title, brings a lot of pressure. That's hard for a young side. Having literally everyone not a fan or member of the club side against you probably doesn't make it easier. Slipping up towards the end makes it even harder (see Liverpool's collapse after the Gerrard slip).

Alli and Dier got way too much attention last season. Bigger clubs tends to protect young, inexperienced players from the media circus. We made them our centre pieces. Alli started his decline towards the end of last season. Dier got it hard following the Euros.

Dembele can't really be accused for not playing like he did last season, as he's been injured.

All in all I think a drop in performances was to be expected. I do think, though, that we've made it a bit harder for ourselves by experimenting with formations that does not suit our players.

We've seen some very positive performances against the best teams, which in y opinion proves we still have the quality to match them when we manage to mobilize. Hopefully we can find the energy to mobilize against lesser teams as well, now that there will be a period without those annoying international breaks and CL games.

 

[imitationleather]

I think us analysing this exact same point every midweek is going to drive us all completely insane before the season is over.

 

[SchmoodSpur2013]

I bet her fanny smells like elderflower, fine willow and success.

 

[sammyspurs]

If we had spent our money more wisely, and spent more money, we would have been able to keep up with the pack. What we did is what we always do, sell some average players and replace them them with more average players.

Spend more money to not get injuries to key players? How does that work?
Or you mean buy first team standard top 4 players for 60 plus Mil and keep them on our bench, so when we get injuries, we have a Galactico in reserve for every position?

Or do you mean spend money on players like Di Maria, instead of on players like Dier and Alli?

 

[sammyspurs]

The frightening thing is, they could-even with an injury or two (they only play week to week) .-this is LC all over again.

I dont believe that for a second....WBA were right in that game until their defender had a brain freeze, and thats the key. Do that against Costa, its three points Chelsea.

Do it against us, and we patiently pass it back to the halfway line and build again.

No Costa yesterday, no win for them I feel. He's a game changer, and until they have 3 injuries in key areas and have to shuffle their defence, attack and CM from week to week, its not a fair comparison.

They have quality, but we certainly have a "Hazard and Costa" in our squad.....those two players were absolute garbage for two years, but they get a pass in most quarters and the world class talk starts.
Kane and Alli have been poor for five minutes and we suddenly dont have the squad.

 

[sammyspurs]

Season's a write-off for me, not expecting much. Hopefully in the future we'll spend our money better and not leave business so late in the transfer window

By Sunday we could be third.....and you've written off the season?

Spend our money better? You've just written off the new signings after 15 games, of which only Wanyama has featured heavily.

Lamela took two years to come good.

 

[NickPG]

The way i am choosing to look at it is yes, we have improved... slightly. Others have also improved. I think our position at the moment is confusing, Poch has actually managed an HUGE set of aggregate misfortune very well. Don't need to list all the things that went wrong, but suffice to say everything that could go wrong went wrong - at the same time. So yeah, we've improved, but not by a great deal. Thing is, anyone who wasn't expecting a hard fought battle for 5th\4th\3rd this season (which by the way, is still totally on) wasn't paying much attention to reasons the big teams suffered last season. Everything is compounded by the pain of losing yesterday, cos we lost to a.) a shit United b.) didn't play very well ourselves (lacked passion, always frustrating). and c.) mourinho reverted to type and went full-on old-school cynical yesterday, which is dull to watch (and therefore even more frustrating). Everything is proceeding as it was always going to proceed this season. Lets chill.

 

[El flaco]

Season's a write-off for me, not expecting much. Hopefully in the future we'll spend our money better and not leave business so late in the transfer window

how the fuck can the season be a write off? did you expect us to be 10 points clear and cruising in the champions league? you've clearly got no sense of where we've come from if you're saying this season has gone to shit when we're in 5th place and still in europe. A few years ago I'd have shoved my mum down a flight of stairs for that.

 

[sammyspurs]

Its all objective.
I agree, Costa (and others) are very important to them but he hasn't scored in every game. They could cope over a game or two without him- that goes for the others mentioned as well. They do not concede goals, thats the basis of a successful team.

Costas scored 12 goals....take them away, and they've scored the same amount as Watford. You say a game or two.....Kane was out for 7 weeks, and some of that overlapped with Lamela and Toby being injured.

So as I said, take out Costa, Hazard and Luis at the same time, and put Kante at CB, and see how many goals they "dont concede", or indeed score.

Its all objective.


Reverse what you are saying. Kane/Alli would not go into the Chelsea side and start looking world class? Both Costa, has an aggression that kane lacks and Hazard, has experience beyond Allis years and thats the fundamental difference. Chelsea's players are arrogant, annoying, in your face and play together because they know they are disliked by all (the seige mentality).

Yes, remove players from Chelseas and they may suffer.

And the flip side of that is that Hazard, Costa or any Chelsea player at all wouldnt have even seen our bench last season. So while Harry wouldnt get in their team at this second, he may well be up there again by the end of January as he's a proven 30 goal striker. You talk about Leicester....Vardy wouldnt get near their team either this year, yet he'd have walked in 8 months ago.

We are off form with injuries. They are in form, full strength....it doesnt mean that all their players are vastly superior to ours all of a sudden.

 

[Totti]

2015/2016:
Played: 17
Won: 7
Drawn: 8
Lost 2:
Goals for: 28
Goals against: 14

1st. Leicester - 38pts
2nd. Woolwich - 36pts
3rd. Man City - 32pts
4th. Tottenham - 29pts
--------------------------------
5th. Man Utd - 29pts
--------------------------------
6th. Crystal Palace - 29pts



2016/2017:
Played: 17
Won: 9
Drawn: 6
Lost: 2
Goals for: 29
Goals against: 12

1st. Chelsea - 43pts
2nd. Man City - 37pts
3rd. Liverpool - 34pts
4th. Woolwich - 34pts
--------------------------------
5th. Tottenham - 33pts
--------------------------------
6th. Man Utd - 30pts



Another home win. We've had a pretty damn good 2016 at White Hart Lane, I certainly don't remember too many losses besides Southampton at the end of last season. Still unbeaten at home this season and it would be great to go the whole season unbeaten in our last season at the Lane.

As you can see, offensively, defensively and points wise we have improved. Man City and Woolwich haven't - which only works out well for us over the course of the season. Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea have all obviously improved (more so Chelsea and Liverpool). There will be more points dropped from those above us and we'll drop points too but we must remember where out standing is when it comes to money spent as well as how YOUNG this time is. We are still learning.

COYS. Merry Christmas.