Top four finish?

[dondo]

Nope, I think you need to watch Arsenal's matches and look up what an actual deep defensive line is.

I do watch arsenal quite a lot actually and teams obviously don't camp out in their own penalty box but they certainly don't play a high line and do drop deeper than they usually would. For example our performance at theirs last season

 

[nightgoat]

Pretty well... And?

So not really a hindrance, then.

 

[Shadydan]

I do watch arsenal quite a lot actually and teams obviously don't camp out in their own penalty box but they certainly don't play a high line and do drop deeper than they usually would. For example our performance at theirs last season

I still wouldn't say they've come up against a packed organised defence yet. Ultimately the point I'm getting at with Walcott is that he's exceptional when there is space in behind the defence however when he doesn't have space to work in he struggles to get in the game.

 

[tttcowan]

So not really a hindrance, then.

Cool.

I've posted all this shit before anyway. But if you want to use the sample size of one team between the months of August and October to try to prove a point then go for it. It's the wrong thing to do FYI. But I gave up trying to make people see sense on this a long time ago...

Oh what the hell, here you go.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...47ONOTD3rnbzD-X-Q&sig2=T1C51EX_EKpGt6nZiEmrfA


Fuck knows why I'm opening this can of worms again. All the people who don't think the EL has negative impact on league form that's worse than being in the CL. Well you're all wrong.

 

[nightgoat]

Cool.

I've posted all this shit before anyway. But if you want to use the sample size of one team between the months of August and October to try to prove a point then go for it. It's the wrong thing to do FYI. But I gave up trying to make people see sense on this a long time ago...

Oh what the hell, here you go.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...47ONOTD3rnbzD-X-Q&sig2=T1C51EX_EKpGt6nZiEmrfA


Fuck knows why I'm opening this can of worms again. All the people who don't think the EL has negative impact on league form that's worse than being in the CL. Well you're all wrong.

Yeah, I know you hate the Europa League.

It's not even just us, though. Liverpool haven't lost after any of their group games this season either, whereas the four Champions League teams have all lost at least once. Us and Liverpool are averaging more points per game in post-European matches than the four Champions League clubs.

 

[tttcowan]

Yeah, I know you hate the Europa League.

It's not even just us, though. Liverpool haven't lost after any of their group games this season either, whereas the four Champions League teams have all lost at least once. Us and Liverpool are averaging more points per game in post-European matches than the four Champions League clubs.

It's just too smaller sample size though mate. And I've come around to the EL, it needs managing and will always have a negative effect on our league form(unless we had two completely separate squads, managers and coaches... not gonna happen obvs) but there are advantages. Some money, attract players, blood in the kids. And top four isn't everything. So that's fine. It's fine to say we shouldn't just throw the EL or refuse to go in it, we should try and win it etc.

What just isn't fine is not accepting it has negative effect on our league performances. It's a bit like climate change denial or creationism. When you get shown a massive body of evidence and all things point to one conclusion and yet you refuse to to accept that conclusion. And make up something else. Like the Grand Canyon was formed because of Noahs flood. This is not an acceptable view because all the evidence points to that not being the case.

So people may not be aware of the evidence in this case. It's there but the media haven't spent any time discussing it other than the occasional "Oh they look a bit leggy, could be the EL hangover". But if you really look into it and look at all the facts and stats it's neigh on impossible to say the EL doesn't effect league performances in a negative way. Actually, it also pretty much says the prem clubs get a far worser deal than spain and other countries.

Furthermore the evidence points to the EL being a bigger drain on league form than the CL. Quite a lot more in fact.

So I'm trying to enjoy it more, I don't think the players or the spurs higher ups hold it in very high regard but it's only 25 quid a ticket so I'm off on Thursday. But it's cost us CL in the past. Most likely multiple times. And the people at spurs will know this, they're not stupid but they can't really do anything about it. They've got to field strong teams or the fans get pissed off paying for tickets/travel to see a real b team. But if they were given the opportunity I think you'd see a hell of a lot more weakened teams in the EL if they at all thought they could get away with it.

 

[hodsgod]

With Chelsea struggling a top four finish is clearly attainable.

 

[Sevens]

With Chelsea struggling a top four finish is clearly attainable.

I don't think we're good enough. But then I look around the league and it's so painfully weak at the moment that maybe we could sneak it.

What I am loving though is the gradual shift away from teams playing 4-2-3-1 with inverted wingers. It's an anti-football formation that I have grown to absolutely despise ever since Redknapp switched to it for three months in his final season. That in itself may throw up some interesting results this year. It really does seem that over the last 5 or 6 years teams have forgotten how to defend against crossing as so few teams did it. Now teams are starting to cross again a lot of the defences are struggling badly.

 

[Mr Pink]

With Chelsea struggling a top four finish is clearly attainable.

United are there for the taking as well IMO. They've been fortunate to get as many points as they do now, very fortunate in fact.

I think their squad lacks attacking class. Lets be honest Rooney has been on a sharp downward trajectory for sometime and its left a gaping hole in terms of having enough quality attacking options to compete where they want to be over the course of a season.

Hope they don't strengthen considerably in January, with immediate results to follow, because i reckon we've a real chance of finishing above them.

 

[hodsgod]

I don't think we're good enough. But then I look around the league and it's so painfully weak at the moment that maybe we could sneak it.

What I am loving though is the gradual shift away from teams playing 4-2-3-1 with inverted wingers. It's an anti-football formation that I have grown to absolutely despise ever since Redknapp switched to it for three months in his final season. That in itself may throw up some interesting results this year. It really does seem that over the last 5 or 6 years teams have forgotten how to defend against crossing as so few teams did it. Now teams are starting to cross again a lot of the defences are struggling badly.

Who do you think are better than spurs this season? I don't think there are many, we were unlucky at man Utd, and really should have picked up more points against a couple of other teams. I honestly think we may be good enough for top four this season, but not good enough to do anything in CL.

 

[Sevens]

Who do you think are better than spurs this season? I don't think there are many, we were unlucky at man Utd, and really should have picked up more points against a couple of other teams. I honestly think we may be good enough for top four this season, but not good enough to do anything in CL.

I don't think there has been any standout team so far this season with regards to consistency. But there rarely is 11 games in and most freak results tend to happen in the first half of the season.

As with regards to ourselves we have only managed to win four out of ten league games. Unlike the majority of other Spurs fans I don't believe we've been unlucky this season so far either. We've been exposed more than a few times this season and not punished.

Perception is a funny thing. I keep hearing Spurs fans saying Liverpool and Man Utd are shit and yet Liverpool have the same amount of points as us and Utd are four points clear of us (albeit we have a game in hand). And yet we are apparently having a great season! That logic makes no sense to me whatsoever.

 

[Mr Pink]

I don't think there has been any standout team so far this season with regards to consistency. But there rarely is 11 games in and most freak results tend to happen in the first half of the season.

As with regards to ourselves we have only managed to win four out of ten league games. Unlike the majority of other Spurs fans I don't believe we've been unlucky this season so far either. We've been exposed more than a few times this season and not punished.

Perception is a funny thing. I keep hearing Spurs fans saying Liverpool and Man Utd are shit and yet Liverpool have the same amount of points as us and Utd are four points clear of us (albeit we have a game in hand). And yet we are apparently having a great season! That logic makes no sense to me whatsoever.

We're much better defensively. We've struggled up top with Harry not firing on all cylinders but when Son came in we looked better with his movement/pace and it was a real shame we lost him to injury.

But the point is if you want to truly compete you need to be strong defensively as a team, we are now. I think we'll get better in terms of attacking potential, particularly when Son returns, and then we'll have a very good balance to progress with.

 

[Sevens]

We're much better defensively. We've struggled up top with Harry not firing on all cylinders but when Son came in we looked better with his movement/pace and it was a real shame we lost him to injury.

But the point is if you want to truly compete you need to be strong defensively as a team, we are now. I think we'll get better in terms of attacking potential, particularly when Son returns, and then we'll have a very good balance to progress with.

I don't think we are that much better defensively. I think we just haven't been punished as much as usual. Lloris has pulled off some great saves, opposition players have got behind our full backs but fluffed their cross, we have had three occasions where we've been lucky the referee has not spotted a penalty that should have been given to the opposition etc.

I genuinely don't feel we have played that well yet. Mainly because I do think we look an unbalanced mess. But then 4-2-3-1 rarely looks anything but an unbalanced mess unless you have great players.

This said I wouldn't be surprised if we did finish top four because the opposition this year is atrocious.

 

[Mr Pink]

I don't think we are that much better defensively. I think we just haven't been punished as much as usual. Lloris has pulled off some great saves, opposition players have got behind our full backs but fluffed their cross, we have had three occasions where we've been lucky the referee has not spotted a penalty that should have been given to the opposition etc.

I genuinely don't feel we have played that well yet. Mainly because I do think we look an unbalanced mess. But then 4-2-3-1 rarely looks anything but an unbalanced mess unless you have great players.

This said I wouldn't be surprised if we did finish top four because the opposition this year is atrocious.

Totally disagree. I think we've been superb defensively for the most part. Only the first half against Sunderland did we have a bit of a wobble. Other than that we've looked very strong defensively.

We've conceded the fewest goals in the League, that's no coincidence after 11 games and I'll bet you we'll be right up near the top for fewest conceded at the end of the season if the CB partnership plays the majority of games too.

 

[Sevens]

Totally disagree. I think we've been superb defensively for the most part. Only the first half against Sunderland did we have a bit of a wobble. Other than that we've looked very strong defensively.

We've conceded the fewest goals in the League, that's no coincidence after 11 games and I'll bet you we'll be right up near the top for fewest conceded at the end of the season if the CB partnership plays the majority of games too.

Arsenal (who according to most Spurs fans have poor defenders) and Man Utd (who are apparently generally awful) have conceded the same amount of goals as us and played one game more.

But I hope you're right and we maintain our defensive form. But even if we do at what price? I'm actually bored watching us this season. I am willing the team to be more expansive and play at a higher tempo but if we do, will our defence crumble? Or do we need to play at the pedestrian pace we play at to maintain a defensive shape?

 

[Mr Pink]

Arsenal (who according to most Spurs fans have poor defenders) and Man Utd (who are apparently generally awful) have conceded the same amount of goals as us and played one game more.

But I hope you're right and we maintain our defensive form. But even if we do at what price? I'm actually bored watching us this season. I am willing the team to be more expansive and play at a higher tempo but if we do, will our defence crumble? Or do we need to play at the pedestrian pace we play at to maintain a defensive shape?

As I alluded to in my previous post, with Son returning and Kane's confidence on the up I think we;ll see more in the attacking sense in the near future.

We've got solid foundations in place now so I'm optimistic.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

As I alluded to in my previous post, with Son returning and Kane's confidence on the up I think we;ll see more in the attacking sense in the near future.

We've got solid foundations in place now so I'm optimistic.

Maybe, but I still think we lack that real cutting edge and clinical mentality in final third.. I'm not convinced Son, Lamela, or Chadli can deliver this consistently.

 

[Mr Pink]

Maybe, but I still think we lack that real cutting edge and clinical mentality in final third.. I'm not convinced Son, Lamela, or Chadli can deliver this consistently.

Agree we need to be more clinical and ruthless. Hoping that will come when we start to click and improve more in attack.

 

[yiddo23]

I do watch arsenal quite a lot actually

Why?

 

[hodsgod]

I don't think there has been any standout team so far this season with regards to consistency. But there rarely is 11 games in and most freak results tend to happen in the first half of the season.

As with regards to ourselves we have only managed to win four out of ten league games. Unlike the majority of other Spurs fans I don't believe we've been unlucky this season so far either. We've been exposed more than a few times this season and not punished.

Perception is a funny thing. I keep hearing Spurs fans saying Liverpool and Man Utd are shit and yet Liverpool have the same amount of points as us and Utd are four points clear of us (albeit we have a game in hand). And yet we are apparently having a great season! That logic makes no sense to me whatsoever.

You didn't say who you thought was better, which was the question.

I do agree there are no stand out teams, and therefore I do think it's attainable. From what I have seen of Son, he looks like a player that can make a big difference for us, and I hope will give us an advantage.