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Winners ... we need winners

mendesstormer

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2005
644
418
So two very mediocre teams, have ended the season with three trophies between them. Spurs, who according to most neutrals are a far superior team at the moment, have ended with none. Arsenal put in probably their best performance of the season, especially considering their missing players, just when they needed it most. Whereas we let our level drop against Chelsea at the crucial moment (in the semi). Man U pretty much strolled through the Europa League. Whereas we have notably failed to make any significant impact on the competition in, what, about 8 or 10 attempts?

Would I swap with either of them? Probably not. We have a far better squad and, crucially, a far better team spirit than either of the aforementioned. We also have a great manager, who is learning all the time. But that steep learning curve needs to continue. Next season we have to win silverware, if this team is not to go unremembered by history.

What will it take? Apart from Poch becoming a little bit cuter and knowing how and when to get a performance out of the team when it really matters? Probably the addition of a couple of 'winners' to the squad. Our young players are hungry, and they don't lack self-belief, but none of them have really won anything before, and it's beginning to show. I'd love to see someone like Danni Alves, and even more so, Isco or Iniesta (we can dream). I think it's highly unlikely we'd get any of them, but this is the calibre of player we need most at this point in our development. Any slightly more realistic suggestions?
 

Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
37,355
87,829
I would hesitate on calling these teams "very mediocre", etc. They finished 5th and 6th in a notoriously tough league, which until a couple of years ago was us. Just because we've finally pulled ourselves up to 2nd and 3rd recently, we shouldn't start forgetting that already.
 

absolute bobbins

Am Yisrael Chai
Feb 12, 2013
11,649
25,962
Huth, Morgan, Vardy, Drinkwater.

Oh and this winners thing, nonsense. It comes from journalists, it is based on their supposition and let's face it, if these people were psychologists, they would be sitting in the stands watching the match not having to write about it whilst getting paid peanuts.

Expand it out into any other sport or aspect of life and see if it holds true.
 

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
41,883
71,188
Huth, Morgan, Vardy, Drinkwater.

Oh and this winners thing, nonsense. It comes from journalists, it is based on their supposition and let's face it, if these people were psychologists, they would be sitting in the stands watching the match not having to write about it whilst getting paid peanuts.

Expand it out into any other sport or aspect of life and see if it holds true.
*insert needle emoji here*

Facts only*shurg emoji*
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,946
61,824
Nothing I saw at the end of the season suggested we Iacked winners.

The only issue we have is Poch's teams don't seem to hit their stride until Christmas.

That said this time last season we were bemoaning poor finishes from Poch's teams and he worked that one out so fingers crossed.
 
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eViL

Oliver Skipp's Dad
May 15, 2004
5,840
7,960
Oh and this winners thing, nonsense.

Bullshit. Top level sport is all about mentality - there's thousands of professional players with very similar physical attributes and abilities.

The thing that separates them is discipline with their diet and fitness and their ability to deliver quality under pressure, when it matters.

There were two things that stunted us this season - the Euros and our end of season collapse. We started slowly; obviously our confidence had been knocked by both mentioned scenarios.

We were literally flawless at the back-end of the season once we got over the hangover.

The Chelsea semi we outplayed them but were undone by some dubious refereeing and once in a career wonder goal. You need some luck along the way when it comes to knockout competition.

In the last 10 games of the season we literally looked the strongest and fittest team I've ever watched regularly. Poch has obviously been changing things from a conditioning point of view compared to the last year.

We also carry the momentum of some great wins into the start of next season.

I think we all agree we need to win something; we're on the edge of glory but there's no divine right to silverware.

Do you think the Arsenal fans think an FA cup will paper over the cracks? Nah fam! It'll be the same old shit for them next season and they all know it.

You all need to hold on just that little bit longer; glory is so close you can smell it.
 

Ironskullll

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2010
1,378
1,894
So two very mediocre teams, have ended the season with three trophies between them. Spurs, who according to most neutrals are a far superior team at the moment, have ended with none. Arsenal put in probably their best performance of the season, especially considering their missing players, just when they needed it most. Whereas we let our level drop against Chelsea at the crucial moment (in the semi). Man U pretty much strolled through the Europa League. Whereas we have notably failed to make any significant impact on the competition in, what, about 8 or 10 attempts?

Would I swap with either of them? Probably not. We have a far better squad and, crucially, a far better team spirit than either of the aforementioned. We also have a great manager, who is learning all the time. But that steep learning curve needs to continue. Next season we have to win silverware, if this team is not to go unremembered by history.

What will it take? Apart from Poch becoming a little bit cuter and knowing how and when to get a performance out of the team when it really matters? Probably the addition of a couple of 'winners' to the squad. Our young players are hungry, and they don't lack self-belief, but none of them have really won anything before, and it's beginning to show. I'd love to see someone like Danni Alves, and even more so, Isco or Iniesta (we can dream). I think it's highly unlikely we'd get any of them, but this is the calibre of player we need most at this point in our development. Any slightly more realistic suggestions?
Out of interest, who are the 'winners' in the Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd squads who have made the difference?
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Bullshit. Top level sport is all about mentality - there's thousands of professional players with very similar physical attributes and abilities.

The thing that separates them is discipline with their diet and fitness and their ability to deliver quality under pressure, when it matters.

There were two things that stunted us this season - the Euros and our end of season collapse. We started slowly; obviously our confidence had been knocked by both mentioned scenarios.

We were literally flawless at the back-end of the season once we got over the hangover.

The Chelsea semi we outplayed them but were undone by some dubious refereeing and once in a career wonder goal. You need some luck along the way when it comes to knockout competition.

In the last 10 games of the season we literally looked the strongest and fittest team I've ever watched regularly. Poch has obviously been changing things from a conditioning point of view compared to the last year.

We also carry the momentum of some great wins into the start of next season.

I think we all agree we need to win something; we're on the edge of glory but there's no divine right to silverware.

Do you think the Arsenal fans think an FA cup will paper over the cracks? Nah fam! It'll be the same old shit for them next season and they all know it.

You all need to hold on just that little bit longer; glory is so close you can smell it.

Forgive me if i'm wrong, but i thought we had the best start ever to a premier league campaign?
We stuttered in oct/nov when we had a lot of players injured and had to change formation.
 

eViL

Oliver Skipp's Dad
May 15, 2004
5,840
7,960
Forgive me if i'm wrong, but i thought we had the best start ever to a premier league campaign?
We stuttered in oct/nov when we had a lot of players injured and had to change formation.

We drew 5 games before Christmas - games that we would have won in back-end season form.

Yep it might have been our best ever start to a campaign, but we weren't playing particularly well. Yep, we had injuries, tired players. The change of formation actually kickstarted the season and got the wingbacks where they needed to be.
 

Ironskullll

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2010
1,378
1,894
We drew 5 games before Christmas - games that we would have won in back-end season form.

Yep it might have been our best ever start to a campaign, but we weren't playing particularly well. Yep, we had injuries, tired players. The change of formation actually kickstarted the season and got the wingbacks where they needed to be.
I agree. It's odd that the suggestion that we had a slow start is controversial. It gets rebutted by people pointing out that it was our best start for ages. But those starts were all starts to unsuccessful seasons. They might have been good starts by our club's standards over the past fifty years but they were starts that left us in the chasing pack, and, points aside, we weren't playing well.
 

eViL

Oliver Skipp's Dad
May 15, 2004
5,840
7,960
I agree. It's odd that the suggestion that we had a slow start is controversial. It gets rebutted by people pointing out that it was our best start for ages. But those starts were all starts to unsuccessful seasons. They might have been good starts by our club's standards over the past fifty years but they were starts that left us in the chasing pack, and, points aside, we weren't playing well.

It's a real concern for me, particularly when it comes to England players (including the youth teams) that they get brainwashed into playing a sterile, low risk style of football during the international breaks.

It definitely showed in our play at the beginning of the season. Kane, Dele, and Dier in particular lacked the thrust they were showing the season before.

Say what you want about Southgate; but I feel he is pushing the international side into a higher level of intensity and that can only be a good thing for us. It'll certainly be interesting to see how it develops.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
We drew 5 games before Christmas - games that we would have won in back-end season form.

Yep it might have been our best ever start to a campaign, but we weren't playing particularly well. Yep, we had injuries, tired players. The change of formation actually kickstarted the season and got the wingbacks where they needed to be.

We changed back from 343 to 4231 in oct/nov because rose was out (as was toby/kane/lamela etc...)

Agree that we were not playing as well as the second half of the season. If we can manage second half of the seasons form over the whole season we'd have over 100 points and walk the league. Hope we do but can't see it. Every teamhas a blip during the season.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,987
81,924
I don't think our superior team is through having the better players. We're hardly the fucking Spice Boys.

We have a hard-working,determined side that work really well as a team. Winners, or lack of, is not something we lack.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,987
81,924
There were two things that stunted us this season - the Euros and our end of season collapse. We started slowly; obviously our confidence had been knocked by both mentioned scenarios.

You all need to hold on just that little bit longer; glory is so close you can smell it.

We had a great start and won 12 of our last 13 games. How the fuck is that a collapse?
 
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