A Positive Slant on our Season

[Chimbo!]

Many people have deemed this season a failure or disappointment. There does appear some justification for this sentiment because Spurs have only managed one win in 13 games; a record that is poor whether your ambitions are to win the league or just avoid the drop.

However, the negative feelings at the moment are only in reaction to these 13 games and completely ignore what we have achieved this season.

A lot has been said, most of all from Redknapp, about the fact that we have had a great Champions League run. We have beaten the Champions League holders Inter Milan and knocked AC Milan out of the competition. We have been given many memories this season and we should look back fondly on a breakthrough season. This season was the first in decades where we left a mark in Europe.

You may feel that the Champions League was a pleasant distraction but ultimately any season is judged by where you finish in the league. To an extent this is true and in January we were still in contention for the league title. When has a Spurs side managed that in the Premier League era?

The following has also been said many times but it needs to be reiterated. Spurs fans are now disappointed by 5th and 6th, as if it is no longer good enough. We forget, however, that we have only finished above 5th once in the Premier League era. It is a little over optimistic to assume that once you have achieved something once you should keep on achieving it as a minimum. Such an expectation ignores the fact that Manchester City, who finished just behind us last season, spent almost nines times more than us on players since.

We could look back on defeats to Wigan, West Ham and Blackpool (this season's likely relegation fodder) and wonder what might have been had our mentality been stronger. Or we could look back on victories against Arsenal, Liverpool and AC Milan and celebrate the team's mental strength to pull through.

Moreover, while our results have not been quite what we hoped we have still managed to churn out a memorable season for all the right reasons. Gareth Bale and Van Der Vaart have produced moments of magic that will fill Spurs Youtube compilations for years. Modric has progressed this season and will only get better and Sandro is fast becoming the dominant holding midfielder we have craved for years.

Finally, we know where we need to improve and a small improvement will make a huge difference. We just need a striker who can score 15-20 league goals a season. If we had that we would still be fighting City for 4th now. I am sure we will have that shiny new striker soon.

So lets end the doom and gloom attitude and look forward to next season because there is plenty to be positive about.

(and if you are still not convinced then at least think: it could be worse, we could be West Ham)

 

[IanWrightsUglyWife]

Well said.

Im fed up of all the negativity and the Harry out/sell the team brigade!

All realistic fans knew that 1) Man City would do better this season, and 2) Liverpool's early position was false.

We knew from that start that 6th was an absolute posibility. Its not really what we wanted but it was always on the cards given the extra games etc.

Harry has done us wonders and even last night showed that. Yes we lost but it easily could of been a win for us. How many spurs teams over the years could of gone to the current man city side and had 62% possesion, play good football etc? Hardly any if not none at all.

Its clear (to me anyway) that Harry is not the problem. A goal scorer and a solid keeper are our problems. If these two areas are addressed in the summer and we keep our best players then next season could be a bright one, especially without the distraction of europe.

Now heres the kicker, without champs league we cant go steaming in for big name players and expect to get them. But again this is where Harry comes in. One of the things he is best at is unearthing gems. If he can do this, and believe he could quite easily then i for one am already looking forward to next season.

Im tired of all the trash talk. Lets get behind the team and Harry in prep for next season. Lets not foget they have given us something this year which i for one never would of thought i would witness in my life time.

COYS

 

[nicdic]

:clap:

 

[VegasII]

I think we can do well next season without Europe...unless we get fifth or there's an extra slot or something.

About time we brought the FA Cup back to the Lane.

Edit: A new keeper & some better strikers & we'll have a very good team. I don't think we need superstars...so I won't be bricking it that we haven't got CL.

 

[nicdic]

I don't even think we need a 'keeper.

 

[Spurger King]

I don't even think we need a 'keeper.

I know we have some good defenders, but playing without a keeper would be a bit of a stretch, in my humble opinion.

 

[steventhfc]

I think we just need to start Carlo, last night proved he was a cut above Gomes.

See that bossing off the defense? Ever seen Gomes do it? Have you bollocks.

 

[nicdic]

I know we have some good defenders, but playing without a keeper would be a bit of a stretch, in my humble opinion.

:lol: You know what I meant.

I think we just need to start Carlo, last night proved he was a cut above Gomes.

See that bossing off the defense? Ever seen Gomes do it? Have you bollocks.

Gomes > Cudicini, in just about every way.

Gomes is good enough. His mistakes have been much more apparent this season due to our fumbling, faltering frontline.

 

[valtrane]

If Gomes goes I won't be too upset, if he stays I won't either.

Can't help but feel that if our strikers had been scoring, and finishing teams off, that our defence and Gomes in particular would have had a hell of a lot of sometimes un-necessary pressure taken off of them over the course of the season.

Totally agree with the original post though, as disappointed as I am with our form, I am quite confident about next season. Defoe, whether you like him or not, shouldn't have a season as bad as last year, and if we can add a 15-20 goal striker over the summer, 10-15 goals from Defoe would be plenty.

I can't help but feel that with a top striker or two, we can make a real challenge on the top 3 (I'd like to say title but that's probably a bit much!). Also the fact that our problem isn't losing games, or struggling against teams ahead of us, but not converting draws in games we dominate into wins, could tempt a decent striker into taking a chance on us, knowing that if they do what they believe they can, they could really achieve something.