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Team togetherness ... !

Roynie

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
3,116
3,882
This is just something that occurred to me just now, but looking at the Front Page News Thread, there are a number of articles which hint at a more cohesive attitude amongst the first team squad.

Firstly Vertonghen is saying "We must beat more big teams", then "We can cope with the injury crisis" then "Dembele is a joy to play with". Next up Dembele who is saying "It took a year to understand what the boss wants" and "How he can be most effective at Tottenham". Thirdly there is Lamela "My future at Tottenham", saying it was never on the cards that he was going to leave. There was also a couple of articles by Hugo talking about "the team's work ethic" and "Tottenham's weak point". I'm sure there were more along similar lines.

We have heard how last year there was the gang of three, or maybe four, resulting in some players being ostracised. All of those players are no longer at the club.

Now the club, obviously, would not allow negative stories to be put out, but I don't recall so many positives coming out before at such a short space of time so early in the season. It should also be remembered that we have only lost one premiership game this season, SO FAR. My point is that I don't recall there being so much evident team spirit in the first team squad. Over the last number of seasons there seems to have been rumours about at least one or more players being a fly in the ointment.

Has Poch actually achieved a real togetherness in the squad so that they will all work and fight for each other on the pitch because they all like and/or respect each other off the pitch? Or is it a case of smoke and mirrors? Could such a cohesiveness, if true, make a real difference at the end of the season?

Your thoughts would be welcome, even if you think I'm off the mark!
 

kr1978

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
5,322
8,463
I tend to take most of the happy clappy articles on the OS with a pinch of salt in general but saying that there does seem to be a much better atmosphere around the team. Obviously we never know what is truly going on behind the scenes but overall it just seems a bit different to the last few years and slowly but surely it's working IMO. It didn't feel like most of the players gave a shit in the last couple of seasons, where as now I like the squad and where we are going now.

Futures bright (y)
 

Roynie

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
3,116
3,882
I tend to take most of the happy clappy articles on the OS with a pinch of salt in general but saying that there does seem to be a much better atmosphere around the team. Obviously we never know what is truly going on behind the scenes but overall it just seems a bit different to the last few years and slowly but surely it's working IMO. It didn't feel like most of the players gave a shit in the last couple of seasons, where as now I like the squad and where we are going now.

Futures bright (y)

Agreed, Verts especially seems much happier and with our defence conceding the least goals in the league, along with Le Arse, that can only be good. I do feel that a couple of good wins now, followed by our injured players coming back to full fitness, could see us go on a really good run of results in the forthcoming London derby matches.
 

Redfap

Active Member
Nov 8, 2011
557
791
This is just something that occurred to me just now, but looking at the Front Page News Thread, there are a number of articles which hint at a more cohesive attitude amongst the first team squad.

Firstly Vertonghen is saying "We must beat more big teams", then "We can cope with the injury crisis" then "Dembele is a joy to play with". Next up Dembele who is saying "It took a year to understand what the boss wants" and "How he can be most effective at Tottenham". Thirdly there is Lamela "My future at Tottenham", saying it was never on the cards that he was going to leave. There was also a couple of articles by Hugo talking about "the team's work ethic" and "Tottenham's weak point". I'm sure there were more along similar lines.

We have heard how last year there was the gang of three, or maybe four, resulting in some players being ostracised. All of those players are no longer at the club.

Now the club, obviously, would not allow negative stories to be put out, but I don't recall so many positives coming out before at such a short space of time so early in the season. It should also be remembered that we have only lost one premiership game this season, SO FAR. My point is that I don't recall there being so much evident team spirit in the first team squad. Over the last number of seasons there seems to have been rumours about at least one or more players being a fly in the ointment.

Has Poch actually achieved a real togetherness in the squad so that they will all work and fight for each other on the pitch because they all like and/or respect each other off the pitch? Or is it a case of smoke and mirrors? Could such a cohesiveness, if true, make a real difference at the end of the season?

Your thoughts would be welcome, even if you think I'm off the mark!

I agree with you, the squad harmony seems to be excellent, I think part of this is that Poch/Injuries has meant that most of the players have been given game time. There was an article (not sure if allowed to post links) where Trippier was discussing how much he enjoyed the battle for the RB position with Walker (a good friend).

I think this also shows that the players have bought into Poch philosophy about fitness, pressuring the opposition etc. I know we aren't there yet with the finishing or closing down of the opponents, but we have improved and the players can definitely see that if they listen wholeheartedly to Poch there can be success.
 

TheHoddleWaddle

Well-Known Member
Dec 13, 2013
11,289
20,289
The absence of discontented player stories is long over due. There will always be personality clashes, but you need a good team ethic, which seems evident at spurs these days.

That said, talk is cheap. The likes of Tripper is hardly going to say "walker is a @%! I should have his place".

But yes, overall it's good to hear.
 

Roynie

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
3,116
3,882
The absence of discontented player stories is long over due. There will always be personality clashes, but you need a good team ethic, which seems evident at spurs these days.

That said, talk is cheap. The likes of Tripper is hardly going to say "walker is a @%! I should have his place".

But yes, overall it's good to hear.

I think that is exactly the point. Players may disagree but if they are all aiming at the same objective on the pitch, and that is their prirority, the disagreements off it are of no real importance. It makes me wonder if this is where Poch's real strength lays, in fostering good relationships within the squad so that there is real synergy; the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
 

thinktank

Hmmm...
Sep 28, 2004
45,893
68,893
This is just something that occurred to me just now, but looking at the Front Page News Thread, there are a number of articles which hint at a more cohesive attitude amongst the first team squad.

Firstly Vertonghen is saying "We must beat more big teams", then "We can cope with the injury crisis" then "Dembele is a joy to play with". Next up Dembele who is saying "It took a year to understand what the boss wants" and "How he can be most effective at Tottenham". Thirdly there is Lamela "My future at Tottenham", saying it was never on the cards that he was going to leave. There was also a couple of articles by Hugo talking about "the team's work ethic" and "Tottenham's weak point". I'm sure there were more along similar lines.

We have heard how last year there was the gang of three, or maybe four, resulting in some players being ostracised. All of those players are no longer at the club.

Now the club, obviously, would not allow negative stories to be put out, but I don't recall so many positives coming out before at such a short space of time so early in the season. It should also be remembered that we have only lost one premiership game this season, SO FAR. My point is that I don't recall there being so much evident team spirit in the first team squad. Over the last number of seasons there seems to have been rumours about at least one or more players being a fly in the ointment.

Has Poch actually achieved a real togetherness in the squad so that they will all work and fight for each other on the pitch because they all like and/or respect each other off the pitch?
Or is it a case of smoke and mirrors? Could such a cohesiveness, if true, make a real difference at the end of the season?

Your thoughts would be welcome, even if you think I'm off the mark!

Yes. But more to the point is that they have respect and will work and fight for HIM.

That's huge for us going forward towards the new stadium.
 

Roynie

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
3,116
3,882
Yes. But more to the point is that they have respect and will work and fight for HIM.

That's huge for us going forward towards the new stadium.

That's a very important point. If they weren't supportive of his views, the "collective view" could decide not to put 100% effort in. So I guess that the squad is 100% behind Poch, and if that is constant as we approach the new stadium, the future is really bright.

COYS.
 

ernie78

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2012
7,220
15,218
I would also add Dier's comment after the Man C game, how he wasn't happy with people talking negatively about Spurs and other players not being happy about it either.
There seems to be a pride and desire to prove themselves and show the media and pundits they are wrong.
It may be PR but I like to see/hear it
 
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coy-spurs1882

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
3,989
10,442
much better than a team which the manager considering another job and players looking at bigger (richer) teams
 

Roynie

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
3,116
3,882
I would also add Dier's comment after the Man C game, how he wasn't happy with people talking negatively about Spurs and other players not being happy about it either.
There seems to be a pride and desire to prove themselves and show the media and pundits they are wrong.
It may be PR but I like to see/hear it

I have to confess I hadn't picked up on those comments, but they do go to support the view that there seems to be a team spirit now that is better than it was before. That can only be good, not just for the first teamers but also those looking to break through, those nearing the end of their contracts who have to decide whether the grass really is greener on the other side, and any players considering whether to transfer in.

It's all good!
 

HotspurFC1950

Well-Known Member
Feb 6, 2011
4,223
2,623
This is just something that occurred to me just now, but looking at the Front Page News Thread, there are a number of articles which hint at a more cohesive attitude amongst the first team squad.

Firstly Vertonghen is saying "We must beat more big teams", then "We can cope with the injury crisis" then "Dembele is a joy to play with". Next up Dembele who is saying "It took a year to understand what the boss wants" and "How he can be most effective at Tottenham". Thirdly there is Lamela "My future at Tottenham", saying it was never on the cards that he was going to leave. There was also a couple of articles by Hugo talking about "the team's work ethic" and "Tottenham's weak point". I'm sure there were more along similar lines.

We have heard how last year there was the gang of three, or maybe four, resulting in some players being ostracised. All of those players are no longer at the club.

Now the club, obviously, would not allow negative stories to be put out, but I don't recall so many positives coming out before at such a short space of time so early in the season. It should also be remembered that we have only lost one premiership game this season, SO FAR. My point is that I don't recall there being so much evident team spirit in the first team squad. Over the last number of seasons there seems to have been rumours about at least one or more players being a fly in the ointment.

Has Poch actually achieved a real togetherness in the squad so that they will all work and fight for each other on the pitch because they all like and/or respect each other off the pitch? Or is it a case of smoke and mirrors? Could such a cohesiveness, if true, make a real difference at the end of the season?

Your thoughts would be welcome, even if you think I'm off the mark!


Smoke and mirrors as you say.
 

HotspurFC1950

Well-Known Member
Feb 6, 2011
4,223
2,623
I tend to take most of the happy clappy articles on the OS with a pinch of salt in general but saying that there does seem to be a much better atmosphere around the team. Obviously we never know what is truly going on behind the scenes but overall it just seems a bit different to the last few years and slowly but surely it's working IMO. It didn't feel like most of the players gave a shit in the last couple of seasons, where as now I like the squad and where we are going now.

Futures bright (y)


Future is lilywhite
 

TheHoddleWaddle

Well-Known Member
Dec 13, 2013
11,289
20,289
Yes. But more to the point is that they have respect and will work and fight for HIM.

That's huge for us going forward towards the new stadium.

Didn't seem to be that way when he first arrived. Ala kaboul, lennon capoue etc. Once he sorted that lot out things have got much better all round really.
 

robbiedee

Mama said knock you out
Jul 6, 2012
2,713
7,490
I use Jan Vertonghen as a barometer. If he plays with a smile...all is well with the team. If he plays with his grumpy face on...something is afoot with team spirit.

So far he's been a happy bunny.
 

Insomnia

Twisted Firestarter
Jan 18, 2006
20,199
55,540
Smoke and mirrors as you say.
I say...
9f946b6f65c44895ac4d54932594fc62.jpg
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,945
61,824
I would also add Dier's comment after the Man C game, how he wasn't happy with people talking negatively about Spurs and other players not being happy about it either.
There seems to be a pride and desire to prove themselves and show the media and pundits they are wrong.
It may be PR but I like to see/hear it


Good to see and Dier doesnt get the respect he deserves either. I love having players like him and Kane as vital components in our squad. We have a lot to be proud of at the moment.
 
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