Has the squad improved since last season?

[Norwegian Jim]

Looking strictly at Spurs I think our squad has improved slightly. Compared to the other teams we're no closer to top 4 and might even be worse off than last year imo. I was hoping for us to fill the gaps and actually have a great team this season, but it still looks unbalanced. If Son/N'Jie/Alli are amazing that could change of course ochbye:

 

[Dannyboy]

It's only an answer that can be guessed at really. The question is also how much have others improved - and the early evidence is they've improved substantially.

 

[WookieD]

Big question sits with the youth imo. If Ali and Pritchard can be serious competition and if we get some proper pace from Son and N'Jie then we might actually look like scoring team goals which is improvement.

Defence has definitely improved, without question.

 

[Smoked Salmon]

It's only an answer that can be guessed at really. The question is also how much have others improved - and the early evidence is they've improved substantially.

Which is why I voted no. I'd add that it's also a question of squad balance. When people look at questions like this then tend to focus on whether or not the individual parts (i.e. players) are better, and also tend to assume that new signings are the business and don't need to adjust to the PL. This same question was asked when the Super Bale Seven came in and the general view was that the squad had improved. Why? Because they assumed that we had filled a lot of key areas in exchange for just one special player. But we now how this has turned out, with five of those players having gone and been deemed by many fans to be a waste of space.

We have cleared the deadwood, and that is good because it allows Levy to out the money into the new players (although while there is a positive net spend this year, those figures don't account for wages so it may be that in the longer term more cash has been saved than spent). But this in of itself isn't something that brings an immediate on-field benefit. When you look at the problems from last year, the only true area of the squad to be strengthened is the defence. We still have the same problem in midfield and the same crucial striker problem, the latter of which has arguably made the difference so far this season with our performances being heavy on possession but with little end product. We have brought in two players who are both wingers who are going to have to both provide width to the side and also double as strikers....and that's if they adjust to the PL. What's more, there is the obvious elephant in the room of us failing to win a game yet.

Are some players better than last year? Yes. Are some areas of the team better than last year? Yes, in part. Are we saving on wages? Yes. Are we now a much more balanced side? Not unless Son & N'Jie are the business, and even then we have the midfield issue.

I'd be inclined to say that on the sum of its parts we haven't improved as of today. If the new signings hit the ground running then it's a question that can be revisited.

 

[Arthur Wensleydale]

"Ask not what your club can do for you...." Shit, Kennedy signed for the Chavs.

 

[Spurbanite]

Why does everyone think that improvement can only come from outside players? Spurs improved DM with an INTERNAL player. Dier. Not all improvement has to come from the outside.

 

[Smogz]

On one hand most of de dead wood has been dumped. Maybee this has made the depth in some positions a bit less. And we have filled up with some new players. On the other hand we haven´t seen the new guys in competitive matches.

Hopefully the in´s are better than the outs and thereby we are stronger. But it´s hard to say at the moment.