4th place good enough.

[Greenspur]

Now that Manchester United, and probably the Arse (please, please) are out of the Champions League, last year's scenario cannot rear its ugly head again. So NOW 4th place guarantees a CL spot.
I think that this reduces the pressure on Spurs - and hopefully leads to a more relaxed team, and better results.
What does anyone else think?

 

[CJMurray]

4th place guarantee's a Champions League quailifer. It doesn't guarantee a Champions League spot. Which is why at this point, we should be looking at 3rd.

United being out of the competition changes nothing anyway. They were never ever ever going to finish outside of the top four.

 

[KitKat]

Lets just finish 3rd and be done with it, ya dig!

 

[Greenspur]

4th place guarantee's a Champions League quailifer. It doesn't guarantee a Champions League spot. Which is why at this point, we should be looking at 3rd.

United being out of the competition changes nothing anyway. They were never ever ever going to finish outside of the top four.

You are correct, and I am a moron.

 

[ajspurs]

I personally don't think it will make a difference to how we will play. United winning it wouldn't create the same issue as last year anyway and I don't think anyone's worried about Arsenal potentially winning the CL, despite Chelsea surprising people last season.

 

[marvel]

Do you remember the transfer window & itk the year we had the Champion's League play off? That brings back bad memories. Weeks of 'we won't sign a striker until we know for sure if we qualify'. Then when we did and no striker was bought in (I think it was the Fabiano saga at the time). I don't want to go through all that again so hope we finish 3rd (or higher).

 

[3Dnata]

Second!

 

[stevespurs]

I think AVB is holding out for 2nd TBH.

I think we have momentum, City are in cruise control. Hopefully, (optimistically maybe) we are in a title contention drive for next season, knocking off the bigger teams along the way, setting up the ground work now. We have nothing to lose really, it cant be any worse than last season, even if the wheels fall off now!

In January I looked at the matches throughout March, I thought we had it tough, but now I'm thinking we have a chance to pick up points on our rivals, but more importantly gain the psychological dominance.

AVB is single-minded, and apart from a little spell early season, we have been pretty consistent. I think this form, plus another goal scorer, we will be vying for top spot next season.

Cue The Everley Brothers music .... Dream, dream dream!!

 

[gibbospurs]

Do you remember the transfer window & itk the year we had the Champion's League play off? That brings back bad memories. Weeks of 'we won't sign a striker until we know for sure if we qualify'. Then when we did and no striker was bought in (I think it was the Fabiano saga at the time). I don't want to go through all that again so hope we finish 3rd (or higher).

Buddy, that was just a spin!! like every transfer window excuse. You should know that by now.

 

[Mr Pink]

I'm confident, and I'm hoping for third and expecting fourth.

The only time we've been well beaten in the League this season was Chelsea at home, with no Dembele or Bale....and against the Scum where we went down to ten early doors.

Who else has really give us a bit of a hiding? No one.

We won't win all the toughies but we'll take some points off them - that's for sure.

 

[Francis Gibbs]

Would snatch anybody's hand off for 4th right now

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Yeh I'd take 4th. When you consider the negativity following both transfer windows you'd have thought we'd have absolutely no chance. Yet avb has done a great job and with a bit of luck we'll have a good window next time and push on.

 

[OmarsComing]

what will happen to our coefficient rankings next year? Will the EPL only get 3 ECL places?

 

[CJMurray]

what will happen to our coefficient rankings next year? Will the EPL only get 3 ECL places?

No, we're fine. All the English teams would probably have to go a few years without getting out of the group stage for us to lose a place.

 

[TheAmerican]

what will happen to our coefficient rankings next year? Will the EPL only get 3 ECL places?

It likely will still be the same, 3 + a qualifier. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_coefficient#Club_coefficient


The club coefficient rankings are determined by the results of clubs in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League over the previous five seasons, as well as by the coefficient of the clubs' association. The club coefficient is the sum of the points earned by the club over the five seasons plus 20% of the club's association coefficient.[14][15]
The clubs receive two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a defeat in games of the main stage of the Champions League and the Europa League (group stage). Qualifying round results are only taken into account if the team is eliminated in one of the rounds (see table below). Otherwise, the qualifying round results are taken into account only for the calculation of the association's coefficient and are halved.[14] The clubs do not receive any points for elimination in the Champions League third qualifying round or the play-off because those teams move to the Europa League and receive points from participation in that competition. In addition, results of penalty shoot-outs do not affect club coefficients.[15]
RoundPoints awarded
Champions LeagueEuropa League
First qualifying round elimination 0.5 0.25
Second qualifying round elimination 1 0.5
Third qualifying round elimination – 1
Play-off elimination – 1.5
Group stage participation 4 2
Group stage win 2 2
Group stage draw 1 1
Round of 16 participation 5 –
Quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals participation 1 1
This ranking is used by UEFA to determine a club's seeding in club competition draws, including the preliminary and first rounds of the Champions League, and the preliminary, first and second rounds of the Europa League.
Before 1999 a number of strong teams in the UEFA Cup were seeded such that those teams did not meet in the first two rounds. To determine these teams, the sum of, the ratio of the number of points achieved to the number of games played by each team, was calculated for the past five years.
UEFA Team Ranking

The top 25 clubs currently as of March 6, 2013 are as follows:
Rank
2013Rank
2012MvmtClubCountry2008–092009–102010–112011–122012–13Coeff.
1 1 — Barcelona Spain 28.662 30.586 36.643 34.171 21.085 151.147
2 4 +2 Bayern Munich Germany 22.537 30.617 24.133 33.050 23.014 133.351
3 5 +2 Real Madrid Spain 14.662 22.586 33.643 36.171 24.085 131.147
4 2 −2 Manchester United

England 28.000 28.586 36.671 16.050 20.571 129.878
5 3 −2 Chelsea

England 25.000 22.586 26.671 33.050 16.571 123.878
6 6 — Arsenal

England 22.000 25.586 22.671 22.050 18.571 110.878
7 9 +2 Porto Portugal 17.357 21.000 31.760 12.367 21.950 104.433
8 7 −1 Internazionale Italy 13.275 34.086 21.314 20.271 14.616 103.562
9 13 +4 Valencia Spain 13.662 19.586 21.643 25.171 22.085 102.147
10 8 −2 Atlético Madrid Spain 17.662 24.586 9.643 34.171 13.085 99.147
11 10 −1 Lyon France 15.200 28.000 19.150 19.100 14.283 95.733
12 16 +4 Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine 29.325 11.160 26.017 9.550 18.900 94.951
13 12 −1 Milan Italy 14.275 19.085 18.314 22.271 19.616 93.562
14 14 — Benfica Portugal 4.357 21.000 25.760 23.366 15.950 90.433
15 21 +6 Schalke 04 Germany 8.537 3.616 30.133 20.050 22.014 84.351
16 15 −1 Marseille France 14.200 17.000 20.150 21.100 6.283 78.733
17 11 −6 Liverpool

England 23.000 24.585 15.671 3.050 11.571 77.878
18 18 — CSKA Moscow Russia 18.950 21.233 16.183 17.950 3.150 77.466
19 43 +24 Juventus Italy 16.275 18.085 8.314 2.271 25.616 70.562
20 28 +8 Manchester City

England 20.000 3.586 16.671 20.050 9.571 69.878
21 48 +27 Paris Saint-Germain France 18.200 3.000 14.150 9.100 25.283 69.733
22 17 −5 Sporting CP Portugal 13.357 14.000 13.760 22.366 5.950 69.433
23 31 +8 Dynamo Kyiv Ukraine 22.325 9.160 19.017 7.550 10.900 68.951
24 20 −4 Zenit St. Petersburg Russia 14.950 2.733 18.183 19.950 12.650 68.466
25 19 −6 Villarreal Spain 18.662 10.585 26.642 8.171 3.085 67.147

​

Indicates teams still active in this year's UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League.

​

Indicates teams from active countries in this year's UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League."

 

[chinaman]

We'll get a place in the CL next season. Hope it doesn't involve the qualifying round.

 

[Flashspur]

you just have to aim for third or higher...we have the momentum so lets do it AVB

 

[ClintEastwould]

I'm confident, and I'm hoping for third and expecting fourth.

The only time we've been well beaten in the League this season was Chelsea at home, with no Dembele or Bale....and against the Scum where we went down to ten early doors.

Who else has really give us a bit of a hiding? No one.

We won't win all the toughies but we'll take some points off them - that's for sure.

I wouldn't even say we were comprehensively beaten by Chelsea. They scored an unstoppable screamer and an injury time goal off the back of some comical defending by walker

 

[tototoner]

Why would you want to finish 4th and go into the CL playoff than finish 3rd or higher and go straight in the CL group stage

3rd a minimum for me, don't want to take the playoff risk

 

[Gbspurs]

Why would you want to finish 4th and go into the CL playoff than finish 3rd or higher and go straight in the CL group stage

3rd a minimum for me, don't want to take the playoff risk

3rd minimum? Lets not get carried away. Target this season has always been top 4 and it still is. 4th would still be a great achievement given squad/ managerial changes.

Of course we should aim for as high as a we can get but is still reckon everyone on here would be happy if the season ended and we were in 4th (especially given that would mean either Chelsea or Arsenal miss out).