What do we do now?

[punky]

It's clear the squad needs a complete kick up the arse. The world has seen us and they would undoubtedly think that we were poor, if not pathetic.

I would never be upset losing if the team genuinely tried hard. The way we played was worse than making me angry it makes me disappointed. It's one thing to lose 3-2 to a goal in the dying seconds, it's another to have Liverpool stroll to a 2-0 without them getting out of 2nd gear. This is the biggest game of our teams lives and they seemed to treat it like a preseason friendly. Barca or Ajax would have humiliated

I still think it was a bad decision not to go a hot weather conditioning camp. Liverpool did and they were always quicker and more energetic than us. But there did seem to be a more serious issue. Constant negative passing, that's if we even when we strung a few passes together at all. No one seemed to know how to beat the Liverpool's back 4, except for just hoofing it and hope.

Eriksen needs to be sold. Alli needs to find his place back in the team where he was comfortable. Sissoko needs to learn to pass and shoot ASAP (I mean how can a player never get near the target, despite being just outside the box and under no pressure?) People like Trippier need to be put on final warnings or just replaced if they argue. We need need players with an aggressive, leadership attitude that will kick the other players up the arse if they deserve it, like Keane or Viera.

At least Poch is staying because his work is far from done, that much is clear.

 

[Yiddo100]

We’ll get there, it might take a while ,it might not but the foundations aren’t being set now, they ARE set, so when we start winning trophies we will be here to stay

 

[ILS]

This cycle of the team is finished, we need to start again. Sadly for levy that requires serious investment

This is it. I know Poch has spoken with Ferguson a couple of times over the years and this was the one thing he mastered better then anyone else. There will be a couple of big decisions I think he will have to make in respect of Eriksen and Toby and to move us forward they need to be made. Eriksen has always been patchy at the best times but this season he has been taken off corners and in general been modest. He still has quality but not to the consistent level I think we need.

Toby in the other hand is a good player but you cannot have a player in such a crucial position going into next season with that doubt hanging over his future.

The other player that I have never been smitten with is Dele. Unless we go back to playing him off Kane, then he is pretty much a non entity. He is such an instinct player that when given time as proved a couple of times last night he fails to deliver and flowing the initial hype given to him and I think people have started seeing what alot of us have seen for the last couple of years.

This type of approach is what Ferguson was the master of when he decided to get rid of Kanchelskis, Ince and Hughes, then Beckham, then Van Nisterlrooy. Some of our fans might question some of the decisons to be made but to move this team to the next level then they need to be carried out.

I believe Poch knows this and hopefully we give him the backing he deserves.

 

[jolegend]

We do need at least 4 first teamers of quality in this window. If that equates to a big net spend then so be it, but imo it doesn't matter if we recover some or even most of that through sales. Getting them in is all that matters and al II really care about tbh.

"Net spend" is just a tool the media use to create stories that aren't really there.

Exactly. This is what Liverpool did with Allison, Fabinho and Van Dijk. They identified the areas they needed to improve and got who they wanted. Yes they had Coutinho money but we haven’t spent anything for 2 windows. We also have a number of players who are leaving where we can recoup most of our spending.

4 players needed. Get them in. And I think it is also important they have a full pre season with us so the deals need to be done early.

 

[hellava_tough]

I’m not in a good place right now.

I’ve supported this club through thick and thin. For context, I’ve seen Andy Sinton, Stuart Nethercott, Paulo Tramazzani, Timotee Atouba, Mbuelo Mabizela, Kazayuki Toda, Antony Gardner and Hossam Ghaly all wear the great white and blue. I have also seen Teddy Sheringham, David Ginola, Ledley King, Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric, Rafa Van Der Vaart and Gareth Bale. And Michael Dawson. I fucking loved Michael Dawson.

I am lucky. My Dad chose Spurs. He chose Spurs for me. He hugged me tonight and said ‘I’m sorry’. Its not his fault. I’m Spurs. Its my blood. I’d have chosen them anyway. And I would not change it for the world. I remember my first game he took me to at White Hart Lane. It was Spurs v Villa in 96 and Bosnich did the nazi salute. What a dickhead. But Allan Nielsen got the winner and that was that. A love affair began and will never end.

I have never been more proud to be a Spurs fan than I have this past month. I am 29 years old. My eyes have not seen the Glory but those wins against Man City and Ajax will stay with me for as long as I live.

My wife is 12 weeks pregnant after 18 months and 3 rounds of IVF treatment and 1 miscarriage. Yesterday, seeing the positive scan was the best day of my life but I already know that every day for the next 6 months will be tense and stressful. Following the good news yesterday, this evening was supposed to be the icing on the cake.

I’ve never liked fucking icing.

But I will regale my child (I hope!) about those nights in Manchester and Amsterdam. Absolute magic. He/She has there football life set out for them already...they are Spurs and they don’t even know it.

I am emotional. I suppose for many reasons. My personal life is all a bit weird. Months and months of tension and pressure and pain. My escape was Spurs. As it has been, I suppose, my entire life. But my escape has been even crazier. Just when I need stability, Spurs reach the the Champions League final!? What is that all about!? We are Spurs and that shouldn’t happen. But it did...and I love it.

I am proud. I love this club. Each and every one of us is lucky. We have THE best stadium in world football. We have a history and tradition that in itself is an echo of Glory. Supporting Spurs is much more than just following a football club. There are highs and lows and positives and negatives and hope and joy and sadness and despair. It’s life wrapped in to one.

I started this thread to rant. And I am still angry. I still don’t think it was a penalty. I am still fuming at the abject performances of Alli and Eriksen. Look at my posts in the match thread...I am not proud of those but I stand by them. I want the best for the club. I want the best for us. And I want the best for my child.

But my thoughts on how we achieve greatness and how we can learn from tonight can wait.

I fucking Iove Spurs.

Bring on next season you bastards!

So basically you have no stress-relief in your life

 

[ILS]

Exactly. This is what Liverpool did with Allison, Fabinho and Van Dijk. They identified the areas they needed to improve and got who they wanted. Yes they had Coutinho money but we haven’t spent anything for 2 windows. We also have a number of players who are leaving where we can recoup most of our spending.

4 players needed. Get them in. And I think it is also important they have a full pre season with us so the deals need to be done early.

Agreed I think 5 if Toby goes. RB, new cb, 2 midfielders and a forward/ winger.

 

[easley91]

What I put in the Poch thread:

I still love him. Now the stadium is in place we can go at bringing players in. Poch said before it needs a rebuild this summer. I think he and Levy know what the next project is. Now it's about getting to these finals on a consistent basis and winning. I believe we will back. I believe we will challenge in the league with the right investment. Last night players were at the back end of a long old season which started with the world cup. Several had shaken off injuries in the three weeks but match sharpness was not there thanks to no competitive games in between.

 

[hellava_tough]

In reality, we got to the final far too early. I have no doubt that Poch and Levy’s long term plan at the start of the season would have said that we shouldn’t have been getting to CL finals for another 3-4 years.

It’s been a great experience in terms of showing us what we can achieve, and giving us valuable European final experience.

But this was never meant to be our night, or our year. I’m sure of it. It was a lucky and enjoyable fluke which will hopefully have many positive outcomes for years to come.

It’s also shown Pochettino which of his players turn up when it matters, and which don’t. I’ve seen nothing in the last 6 months to suggest the likes of Alli and Eriksen can’t be upgraded, and tonight solidified that for me. I’m sure Poch saw it too.

We’re good. We’re very good. But we’re a few years and a few hundred million quid away from really competing at the moment, and that’s fine.

From here we need to be brave. We need to be unafraid to let players go who have hit their ceiling, and be bold in the transfer market. It’s time to take risks and spend the big bucks when we need to, and be aware that some big money players won’t come good.

We need to meet the asking prices for players like Ndombele, Lo Celso, De Ligt and not have a repeat of the absolute shambles which was the Grealish saga last summer.

The future is very bright but this summer is the most crucial in our history. Levy has to get this right. It’s non-negotiable now. If we don’t, Pool and City will get too far ahead to ever be caught.

As for us fans, we just need to buckle in and enjoy the ride.

Great post

 

[hellava_tough]

I know we had no right to be in a champions league final. I know we have no right to be battling out at the top of the prem. All other clubs in the top 6 have so much more money and resources. We are over achieving just to be in the conversation!
I know all this but still...
Tonight hurt. More than i thought it would. More than it should.
We've achieved so much to be where we are today.
I should be proud. And I am!
But I don't know how to deal with this feeling right now.
How are you all coping?

That's definitely been the case for the last 20+ years, but over the next 2 or 3 seasons we'll have overtaken Arsenal and Chelsea in revenue, or at least be on par with them.

Levy needs to step up and pay higher wages and transfer fees now, to get the players that Poch wants.

To be fair, there's been plenty of ITK that suggests Levy is willing to do this, but we still need to produce the required results in the transfer window and bring some quality in.

 

[SteveH]

Let's try not overreact.

Sadly though I think we need a better goalkeeper IF we want to improve I'm Big fan of Hugo but I'm not sure he is good enough IF we are aiming for more nights like last nights.

 

[Graysonti]

That's definitely been the case for the last 20+ years, but over the next 2 or 3 seasons we'll have overtaken Arsenal and Chelsea in revenue, or at least be on par with them.

Levy needs to step up and pay higher wages and transfer fees now, to get the players that Poch wants.

To be fair, there's been plenty of ITK that suggests Levy is willing to do this, but we still need to produce the required results in the transfer window and bring some quality in.

Agreed - we would have made a million revenue last night at the ground.

This is the summer to back Poch.

No excuses from Levy

 

[parj]

For me the last night was the biggest night for all the players (bar Lloris). The biggest problem is not Kane, Alli and Eriksen didn't show up at all. The biggest problem is they don't have any competition for their places. They just need to be fit.

One of Kane or Alli shouldn't have started. Both been injured and both not been firing on all cylinders when they came back this season. This directly impacts Eriksen cos he can only really target Son knowing Kane and Alli aren't match fit.

This really hurts our TW plans. We need a RB and a DM/CM at a minimum but top class ones, but now we need ready back ups who can come in for Kane, Eriksen and Alli. This will immediately downgrade our targets.

I reckon we need a £200m net spend to even come close to addressing the above before we even get on to CBs and LB.

 

[Oh Teddy Teddy]

Let's try not overreact.

Sadly though I think we need a better goalkeeper IF we want to improve I'm Big fan of Hugo but I'm not sure he is good enough IF we are aiming for more nights like last nights.

There are other positions I’d be focused on replacing and improving before GK.

He did nothing wrong last night (though you could argue he should have been clearer with Rose in the lead-up to the corner), but big saves have given us the platform this season to beat City, and to nick CL from Arsenal.

To improve on him, we’d need to spend more than we can afford to on that position.

 

[Yiddo100]

There are other positions I’d be focused on replacing and improving before GK.

He did nothing wrong last night (though you could argue he should have been clearer with Rose in the lead-up to the corner), but big saves have given us the platform this season to beat City, and to nick CL from Arsenal.

To improve on him, we’d need to spend more than we can afford to on that position.

Think we can wait until at least next year before we need to start thinking about replacing him

 

[ILS]

QUOTE]

Let's try not overreact.

Sadly though I think we need a better goalkeeper IF we want to improve I'm Big fan of Hugo but I'm not sure he is good enough IF we are aiming for more nights like last nights.

Is Hugo one of the best 5 keeps in the world No... But i think there aren't that many keepers out there who you could replace him with that are better unless you spend 60m plus which Liverpool needed to do. At the moment I think our priorities are elsewhere in the team but that doesn't mean if something comes available we shouldn't look at it.

My issue is with how negative our team is by the amount of times we pass the ball back to him around the halfway line. We need to be braver in our passing instead of taking the easy option. It reminds me of the story Rio tells about his first training session at Utd and he took the easy option. Roy Keane ran straight over to him and screamed in his face "you don't not take the f... Easy option at Manchester Utd" and in my opinion that is what Klopp has instilled into Liverpool and we need to instill into our group of players.

 

[worcestersauce]

What we do now is spend a week ranting about anything and everything, about the fact that God hates us and the referee gave a penalty in twenty seconds and took only half a milisecond to make a decision and Mane aimed at Moussa's arm purely to win the penalty and God hates us, have I said that? Well he does and fuck Slovenian referees doing Champions League cup finals.
A week tomorrow we will then become rational and look to the future and how we get there followed by a period of total irrationality about who we buy and don't buy and then back to reality and finally the gut wrenching perversity of never ending hope.
I will now take a week to rant and will then give further thought to what we really do next.

 

[hellava_tough]

The fact that Alderweireld is probably going to leave tells you everything you need to know about Joe Lewis and Daniel Levy's ambition.

If we want to become Champions of Europe, you don't let players like that leave.

The fucking excuses that we can't afford them is a load of bollocks. We're one of the richest clubs in the world.

To be fair, the ITK said that we offered Toby market rate for a Top-4 centre back (£165k a week, which is what the likes of Otemendi is on). He refused the offer and the rest is history.

There does, however, seem to be a 'log-jam' in our transfer dealings; this has been discussed at length elsewhere, so I won't start that discussion again here.

Anyway, I just hope we can do a lot better this summer.

 

[hellava_tough]

What we do now is spend a week ranting about anything and everything, about the fact that God hates us and the referee gave a penalty in twenty seconds and took only half a milisecond to make a decision and Mane aimed at Moussa's arm purely to win the penalty and God hates us, have I said that? Well he does and fuck Slovenian referees doing Champions League cup finals.
A week tomorrow we will then become rational and look to the future and how we get there followed by a period of total irrationality about who we buy and don't buy and then back to reality and finally the gut wrenching perversity of never ending hope.
I will now take a week to rant and will then give further thought to what we really do next.

I think the response on SC the morning after the night before, has actually been fairly reasonable.

I'll give you the "irrational" transfer talk though

 

[robin09]

An early transfer for someone with bags of potential, will get us looking forward rather than dwelling on yesterday.

 

[PLTuck]

Poch: It is time to remain calm

SC: Sell Eriksen and Dele