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Poch has changed Spurs mentality, claims Dembele

1882andallthat

Well-Known Member
Feb 2, 2009
2,821
4,157
As much as I was delighted as any Spurs fan could be at the result and performance on Wednesday night I refuse to be conned into believing that we have finally shed the tag of having our mentality questioned when it really comes to the crunch. We have seen this too many times before, last season we had a phenomenal performance away to Man City and all the media claimed we were the real deal and look what happened in late April early May.

We should all refrain from being sucked into this as we all know that the Chavs and the Arsenal fans and the Spammers and the usual pundits will all be on the bandwagon in a quick flash joking and poking fun at us on mass and ramming those claims down our throats.

The true test will be in April / May when the usual challenge of overcoming the Arsenal hurdle or dare we all think it, the title may or may not be within our sights, like any other Spurs fan, I hope we finally overcome these almighty hurdles, but let's not pretend we might be even close to being there yet. Let's wait and see.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,388
What I liked most about the Chelsea game was that, against the form side in the EPL, we went ahead and never looked in any serious danger of letting them back in. We kept the pressure on, bagged a second and never retreated to the edge of our own penalty area. There's no doubt the Chavs have a very good team and they were at full strength, but we never gave them a sniff and made them look average.
 

browndchl

Well-Known Member
Oct 25, 2009
1,222
344
Lets see how we push on after this great performance and result? After the Man City game, we only managed 1 victory (West Ham) from the next 10 games (albeit some were CL).

Just seen a table on SSN showing the league after 20 games from this year and last. We've improved on our position, points and GD but we're a point further behind the leaders than we were last year (7 as opposed to 6 last year). Also there's a marked improvement for all the other top 6 sides, apart from Arsenal, who have a point less.

The crunch will be if we can continue this current good form into Feb and beyond when the EL starts again.

I'm very optimistic on us over achieving again in the league.
 

JimmyG2

SC Supporter
Dec 7, 2006
15,014
20,779
It's not just the pundits and our opponents
who perpetuate the lily-livered, faint hearted 'Spursy' tags:
it's ourselves as well.
Probably covering ourselves against disappointment.

I didn't doubt that we could and would beat them
as long as we kept our cool and concentrated on the football.
And we did.

Obviously we will see
and there are plenty of pressure points to come
but I have never been so confident
about Spurs making further progress.

My only worry is that we will go back
to eying up ready-made superstars
at the expense of developing our own
with genuine club loyalty, team spirit and extra effort to the fore.
I'm sure DL will back me on that one.
We have shown that the alternative system works
even in today's ridiculous wage and fee spiral.

Our own and youngsters only this window.
I'd take Zaha even though he's getting on a bit at 24
as I think Poch. could make his flair work for the team.
(see Lamela and Dele)
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
Yeah we knew that already but some fans still carry the mental scars of the past, still I think some are slowly being converted though.
 

spursbhoy67

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2006
1,316
1,475
What annoys me about the media is that we as a club should be lauded for the manner we have gone about our business in the last ten years.

The two best run clubs in the EPL are Spurs and Arsenal and yet the love in continues with the oligarch clubs, Man U and now Liverpool.

The mentality at the club has slowly changed over the years. The media has ignored it. Only winning trophies remains to convince them of our progress.

We are still seen as a club who underachieves and is inconsistent and yet we are one of the most consistent clubs in the league in the last 10 years.

We have achieved a level of consistency with home grown players, an English heartbeat and a sound business model.

Where would we be and what would we have accomplished had Chelsea and Man City not been bought by foreign money?
 

whitesocks

The past means nothing. This is a message for life
Jan 16, 2014
4,652
5,738
What MP may have done is found a system to accommodate our better players with the back 5. Alderweireld doesn't look that comfortable, Dier is much less influential, and Wanyama is having to play more positive balls than he is accustomed to, but we are a better team with these players all on the pitch.

The way the season is going, we will need a strong 2nd half just to stay in the top4 - as it is ManU could finish 6th on 75 points - a far higher prem total we have ever managed. Interesting times.
 

Dave-F

Amused, bemused and confused. Where's the coffee?
Feb 26, 2004
2,709
715
We've got the talent and mentality in one=off games to beat anyone in this league. But this is a marathon not a sprint and the concern still has to be the end of the season when minds and legs are tired and the pressure mounts up.

Dropping out of the CL may have helped on that account, as the squad players can be used in that competition.

But let's face it, to claw back the 7 pts from Chelsea now we would have to go unbeaten or nearly unbeaten run for the rest of the season or Chelsea will have to have a mini collapse. Possible, but unlikely.

Realistically, the goal should be a decent Cup run in either the UEFA or FA Cup (not both), 2 or 3rd and finishing above Arsenal...hopefully that will be the end of Wenger after their failure of last season.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
.

Where would we be and what would we have accomplished had Chelsea and Man City not been bought by foreign money?

I actually think to some degree their money made the league more competitive.
Without them i think Man United would have won at least 10 more titles and a few more European cups. The rest of us would just make up the numbers.
 
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UbeAstard

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2005
3,354
2,413
What I liked most about the Chelsea game was that, against the form side in the EPL, we went ahead and never looked in any serious danger of letting them back in. We kept the pressure on, bagged a second and never retreated to the edge of our own penalty area. There's no doubt the Chavs have a very good team and they were at full strength, but we never gave them a sniff and made them look average.

I saw Alderwereld end up as the centre forward at one point and thought 'we need to keep it tight, be sensible!''. I was ticking time down constantly.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
I was behind the goal we were defending in the 2nd half and to me, it seemed like we did drop deeper and resorted to more long clearances and a bit more "desperate" defending 2nd half.
 

Ausp

Well-Known Member
Sep 21, 2015
336
1,607
I actually think to some degree their money made the league more competitive.
Without them i think Man United would have won at least 10 more titles and a few more European cups. The rest of us would just make up the numbers.

Exactly.

The EPL would have likely been a one-team league, just as La Liga has been a two-team league.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
Exactly.

The EPL would have likely been a one-team league, just as La Liga has been a two-team league.

And you notice the billionaires don't seem as keen to buy in Spain as England and France. They can have all the billions they want but they'll still play 2nd fiddle to the big 2.
 
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