have spurs improved?

[dontcallme]

Putting down 11 randomly selected players of then and now is just way to simplistic to answer whether we have improved or not.

For a start, as others have pointed out, the 2008 team includes players who never actually played with one another.

Secondly, listing individual players for, say, the defence, and then comparing, is a bit misleading: the best option for the present team would include Kaboul, IMHO (for all Dawson's heroics last night). Is a defensive unit of Lloris, Walker, Kaboul, Vertonghen, BAE better, and does it have more potential, than Gomes, Corluka, King, Dawson, BAE? I would have to answer <YES> on both counts.

Thirdly, as alluded to, above, potential is an important factor, and even as the 2008 team stands, I would say that the potential was not as great.

Fourthly, I am not just going to judge whether we have improved or not based on a (misleading) list of 11 players. I want to take other factors into account. Not only is our squad younger and with greater potential, but our project is much further advanced. The youth set-up has continued to improve, and both in terms of personnel and in terms of performance, is better than it was then. We now have the training facilities of a top team, and we have started preliminary work on a new stadium - both improvements on the situation in 2008.

Fifthly, you have made no comparison of management: Wandery Ramos was highly related and I, for one, was excited at the prospect of hiring him...but, I in retrospect, I feel that he would have been more appropriate for the stage we are at in our project now, than then, his language skills (or lack thereof) didn't help, and AVB just plain has more potential. That's just my opinion, of course, and this time next year we could be hanging little ginger-bearded burning mannequins off lamp-posts

We are in a better position today as far as I am concerned.

A million times this.

Player for player comparisons don't count for as much as people think.

You can have a good squad on paper but how the management uses those players is of paramount importance.

The development of Walker, Lennon, Bale and Sandro since then is very important when comparing the 2 squads.

You only need to look at our results to see that we have progressed despite 2 changes to management and losses of Modric and Berbatov.

 

[BillyWhizz]

We are a better team now, with more experience of being a top 4 chaser. We do lack some of the flair of old but that never got us very far did it.

 

[double0]

Eh? We competed in a much higher quality competition and were 4th in the league for the most time. Hardly any different to now is it?

Yes your right.
I was thinking more along the line of player and managment changes that we're still a working progress.

 

[dagraham]

As has been said, we are a better and more experienced team now and are used to being at the business end of the league. I think the profile of the team is higher now and our pulling power in the transfer market is better (can't take advantage of it though if we won't pay the going rate, but's that's another debate entirely!).

As a team i think we are less likely to be on the end of a hammering than we were 4 or 5 years ago and are a much harder proposition away from home.

However, if we are just comparing first 11's imo King, Corluka, Modric, Berbatov and Keane would walk into the team.

 

[SugarRay]

Comparing previous teams to this one annoys me a little.

If only this current side contained VDV, Modric, Bale, King and Berbatov...so much quality in such a short space of time but never managed to get them all in the same team.

 

[dagraham]

Comparing previous teams to this one annoys me a little.

If only this current side contained VDV, Modric, Bale, King and Berbatov...so much quality in such a short space of time but never managed to get them all in the same team.

In all my 25 years as a Spurs fan we've had so many amazing players, just rarely playing together at the same time

 

[mil1lion]

I think we're certainly in a better position now with much more potential and a lot of quality young players.

 

[SargeantMeatCurtains]

The standard of the league has become a hell of a lot harder in 4 years. We have improved massively.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Hang on a sec, I've just agreed with this but didn't really check which side you hang on this issue?

Choose wisely.

I would have a one-legged Robbie Keane over Jermain Defoe.

 

[Legacy]

Lloris​

Walker Vertonghen King Assou Ekotto​

Sandro Modric​

Lennon Van der Vaart Bale​

Berbatov​

​

Just imagine.​

 

[murichej]

Lloris​

Walker Vertonghen King Assou Ekotto​

Sandro Modric​

Lennon Van der Vaart Bale​

Berbatov​

​

Just imagine.

+bench:
Friedel, Kaboul, Dawson, Rose, Adebayor, Holtby, Siggy, Parker

PL trophy contenders I'm 100% sure

 

[NEVILLEB]

We were sniffing around 4th spot in 2006 and we're still doing it on 2013.

The investment needed to push on hasn't been provided.

Not a bad position to be in but a frustrating one. Especially since we are nearly always 1 or 2 players away from that step up.

 

[ShelfSide18]

I would have a one-legged Robbie Keane over Jermain Defoe.

Is the correct answer.

'Agree' rating upheld.

 

[leesams]

I just want us to sign one (well two but let's not be optimistic to the point of utter foolishness) very good (not necessarily "world class") striker who can put the ball in the back of the net - do that, and we really will be a very very good side (as opposed to just very good which we are now).

I realise I have not answered the original question...so my answer is that we have indeed improved massively.

 

[eddiebailey]

Lloris​

Walker Vertonghen King Assou Ekotto​

Sandro Modric​

Lennon Van der Vaart Bale​

Berbatov​

​

Just imagine.​

Modric and King apart, we could have had that team this season...

 

[parklane1]

We are better now, although we would be better still if we had Berby and Modric in this team.

 

[striebs]

We were sniffing around 4th spot in 2006 and we're still doing it on 2013.

The investment needed to push on hasn't been provided.

Not a bad position to be in but a frustrating one. Especially since we are nearly always 1 or 2 players away from that step up.

Yep , agree with that .

Tottenham have consolidated their position - which is on the edge of the CL places .

Everton have done the same to a lesser extent . Chelsea and Arsenal have gone backwards and Man City have arrived on the scene .

The frustrating thing is that Tottenham have failed so spectacularly to get their timing right whilst those down the road have managed it so spectacularly .

Nothing symbolises this more than the stadium . Credit markets are so tight now that we might never be able to build it .

The UK football train left in the mid 90's and Spurs weren't on it .

 

[Cavehillspur]

Trust me... no.

My bad, confused myself with the better than symbol lol Keane is the better player by far is what I meant.

 

[striebs]

My bad, confused myself with the better than symbol lol Keane is the better player by far is what I meant.

I used to think Keane was better . Defoe did have a habit of tailing off rapidly after Christmas .

Always thought the two of them could have been better if they had cooperated a bit more and competed a bit less .

Respect to Defoe for rejuvenating his career over the last couple of years . It looked like he was in a death spiral but he pulled himself out and has been playing much better (when fit) .

 

[Spurger King]

We haven't improved on the team we had last season. With the exception of Lloris and new and improved Bale we've gone backwards.

King > Verts
Modric > Dembele
VDV > Dempsey

Siggy is a good plyer but I'd probably prefer Kranjcar, or even Pienaar over him (though Siggy has youth on his side).

The main positive?

AVB > Harry