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What the pundits & media are saying about us

dirtyh

One Skin, two skin.....
Jun 24, 2011
9,171
27,299
if we can stop giving away bullshit cheap ass goals every game there's no limit to where we can finish.
 

Arden

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2021
695
1,798
Pretty much every team in the league bar the gooners can point to an injury crisis last season.

Granted ours was key personnel but Newcastle and Man United had severely injury hit seasons as well
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
42,098
28,037
Wow, BBC predicting Liverpool, Villa and United above us. Liverpool no transfers and a new manager, but the squad is great so it'll be a breeze. Villa despite having to contend with CL football and loss of a vital player have broken a 'glass ceiling' by finishing 4th once, and now just will do it again. United despite signing no players to improve them will finish above us, while we've added the striker we were missing but will finish lower. Make it make sense.

The only two teams I can understand people suggesting will finish above us are City and Arsenal, but who knows what happens with the charges, and there is no way you get two seasons in a row where everything falls your way like it did for Arsenal last year.
 

HNIM

Well-Known Member
Aug 12, 2020
2,234
5,631
if we can stop giving away bullshit cheap ass goals every game there's no limit to where we can finish.
When the sportswriters are making their predictions and look at Spurs, that is what they see. I can hardly fault them for that.
 

ComfortablyNumb

Well-Known Member
Jun 28, 2011
4,858
7,307
We won't know whether we've done well or badly until the last three games of the season. We might win it or not even be in Europe. 9 points will cover a huge range of outcomes, like most seasons. We could win our first 10 games on the trot, but we'd still be sweating on the last three.
 

newbie

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2004
6,784
7,586
Pretty much every team in the league bar the gooners can point to an injury crisis last season.

Granted ours was key personnel but Newcastle and Man United had severely injury hit seasons as well

we had African nations, Asia cup

and a shit tonne of red cards and suspensions

yes our injuries where bad but they all came at the same time, with a tonne of suspensions at the same time
 

tommo84

Proud to be loud
Aug 15, 2005
7,030
13,441
I’m suprised a few pundits think Villa for top 4. I think they’ll be around 8th. Massively overrated and think CL will really affect their league form
I agree with your prediction but I’m not surprised by pundits predicting them to stay 4th. This time last season those same pundits were predicting Newcastle to finish top 4 and above Liverpool again in a repeat of the previous season. Two things seem to be at play here:
1) Pundits don’t pay as much attention to the ins and outs of the summer transfer window as fans do, or as much as they should for people who paid to comment on football; and
2) Pundits completely lack any imagination.

When they’re barely paying attention to anyone beyond the favourite club (usually one of Utd, Arsenal or Liverpool) and they can’t envisage anything they haven’t seen before they revert to just predicting a repeat of the previous season.
 

Aleks

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2012
1,719
8,526
Feel like we have been disrespected by the vast majority of pundits in their predictions this year, it's actually wild.
 

Cochise

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2019
5,857
15,273
What have we done to warrant such positivity? I get that we have had the continuity of the same coach for two pre-seasons running but that only takes you so far. One of our biggest failings last season was our piss poor wide progression and IF we do end up with the same 4 wingers we finished last season with we will continue being frustrated by teams that compact the middle and force us wide.
 
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Aleks

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2012
1,719
8,526
What have we done to warrant such positivity? I get that we have had the continuity of the same coach for two pre-seasons running but that only takes you so far. One of our biggest failings last season was our piss poor wide progression and IF we do end up with the same 4 wingers we finished last season with we will continue being frustrated by team that compact the middle and force us wide.
We still finished one win off 4th with a side just learning to play football under Ange, huge injury crisis, Asian games, African cup, bad luck ( no penalties) etc. Our young players from last year can get better, players can hit form, solanke could be exactly what we need. There's tons to be positive about
 

s_purs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
304
500
Wow, BBC predicting Liverpool, Villa and United above us. Liverpool no transfers and a new manager, but the squad is great so it'll be a breeze. Villa despite having to contend with CL football and loss of a vital player have broken a 'glass ceiling' by finishing 4th once, and now just will do it again. United despite signing no players to improve them will finish above us, while we've added the striker we were missing but will finish lower. Make it make sense.

The only two teams I can understand people suggesting will finish above us are City and Arsenal, but who knows what happens with the charges, and there is no way you get two seasons in a row where everything falls your way like it did for Arsenal last year.
I don't think manu will finish above us, but they have signed players that improve them in defence, which is where they had to rely on Evans last year
 

Buggsy61

Washed Up Member
Aug 31, 2012
5,956
10,081
I thinks it’s fair that we have slipped out of the running in the eyes of many. Got to admit I was pretty worried at how teams quickly found us out last season and we could not seem to alter our approach, or stop leaking the same kind of goals from set pieces etc.
Really hope Ange can tweak the system a bit, and make us harder to play against, or he could find himself under pressure. The positivity and front foot football is refreshing but let’s also be pragmatic.
 
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leffe186

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2004
5,530
2,417
I thought last year was a tough call and we’d finish between 4th (optimistic) and 8th.
I feel the same this year; lots of factors in play for a number of squads.
I think Arsenal, City (sadly in that order), then maybe Liverpool.
But after that Villa, Newcastle, us.
United are hard to call but I’d be really disappointed to finish below them, Chelsea are a collection of players rather than a build squad. West Ham could challenge but need to integrate lots of new players. Palace have a good foundation and bright coach but likely to lose 2, 3 maybe 4 of their best.

Yeah I’m thinking between 4th and 8th too.

I’m actually astounded by the extent signing Dominic Solanke has buoyed my spirits. I’m fairly anxious about this season but in one stroke we’ve ticked multiple boxes, some of which I wasn’t really aware of. Fingers crossed. Still strikes me as a transitional season, lots of changes on and off the pitch but we really were top of the table last season after playing Arsenal, Man U and Liverpool. We’re better than I think some people give us credit for and now we have options.

The problem is, as always, everyone else. I’m traumatized by the Newcastle debacle last season and the lingering thought that a handful of teams have a clear and obvious way to beat us. It feels like Arsenal should win the league unless they finally get some injury karma. City are City. Liverpool are probably the only team I expect to make a significant step back.

Out of the other CL hopefuls, Villa have done a terrific job in bolstering their squad and I expect them to be strong (yeah yeah, no Luiz, but they have brought in a ton of talent). Newcastle will surely not have the same injury woes, have a settled, successful style and no Europe to worry about. I actually have them down for third or fourth. Man U I think will be mediocre but still end up in a European spot. Chelsea? Who the fuck knows? A lot hangs on Maresca. Surely they can’t get as many penalties again? I reckon they’re fourth or fifth with that amount of talent.

Then there’s West Ham, Brighton, et al. God I hope Lopetegui crashes and burns, but it feels like it could go either way. Brighton will be Brighton. Can’t help but remember them and Wolves outplaying us much of the time last year.

I’d take 4th right now, obviously. Everything else depends upon how our play develops and - perhaps crucially - a trophy. Say we get 8th, behind the top three, Newcastle, Chelsea, Villa, Man U. I’d be concerned, but if the play on the field was developing and we win a trophy? I’ll take it. Arsenal were 8th in 2019 (behind Wolves) and 2020 (behind West Ham) but nearly won the Europa in 2019 and did win the FA Cup in 2020. Imagine Bergvall, Gray, Udogie, Solanke lifting a cup. The vibes would be off the charts and you can imagine the impact that would have on all our young players.
 

PCozzie

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2020
4,948
22,942
Feel like we have been disrespected by the vast majority of pundits in their predictions this year, it's actually wild.
Low key transfers, no stand-out pre-season results, no celebrity players.

On the face of it, if you're not a Spurs fan, or you are a pundit/newspaper/radio show looking for talking points then there's not a lot to see here.

We're quietly confident that the club are moving forward, but if you want OTT headlines we aren't it. I don't think it's 'disrespect', but you know how these things work by now. Noise generates noise.
 

leffe186

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2004
5,530
2,417
I've seen a lot of 6th or 7th place which would be a disaster season for us.

A disaster? Not necessarily. If Liverpool maintain OK and Newcastle exploit the absence of Europe like I think they will then we could still play really well and finish outside the top four. Then we still have to finish above everyone else, including strong Villa and Chelsea squads. I could easily see us finishing seventh despite playing well and integrating all the new players - which is what I would consider the minimum target this season.

Now if we do that and win a trophy - maybe the Europa and get into CL - you’d call that a disaster? I call bullshit.
 
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