Season 2014-2015

[RSS61]

I just read the below article, and thought it was a fair and honest assessment of this season.

Mousa Dembele is not Paul Gascoigne.

Nacer Chadli is not David Ginola.

Ryan Mason is not Luka Modric.

The talent on this team is not top 4 talent and we are in the midst of a rebuilding process. It's been mentioned that there may be 10 players sold this summer while only bringing in 3 or 4 at key positions. So why are we shocked that we cannot create with Nacer Chadli, Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason or call out for Mousa Dembele as if he is the cure to all of our ills?

We are a severely flawed team with very little talent on the wings and the one talented player seems to be decreasing in his playing time (Erik Lamela). Most teams may be able to compensate for lack of talent on the wings by cycling play through the middle of the pitch but we are extremely thin and under talented there as well. Nabil Bentaleb is a good player and one for the future but unable to match midfields like Manchester United, this past weekend Aston Villa and others on a consistent basis. Ryan Mason is a serviceable, tough nosed player but again, over-run in the midfield. The options really don't go further than that. Paulinho is on his way out and has been a huge flop since moving to North London. Dembele hasn't been able to replicate his form that he displayed next to Sandro in his first season here and only looks productive playing in the number 10 spot. It ends there.

Along the backline, Danny Rose has been a great performer and our most reliable defender. Jan seems to have regained his form but still can be counted on for the occasional lapse in concentration. Eric Dier has a huge future ahead of him but needs a steady centre back to partner with and to continue to be coached up. Fazio is too slow for the Premier League and while I once hoped he could be our physically dominant centre back that covers his lack of pace; it's just not happening. Kyle Walker hasn't been himself this year and the arrival of Deandre Yedlin will hopefully spur competition and push both of them to improve.




Harry Kane is isolated up top and there isnt a real partner in case we ever defied the odds and played 2 strikers. Christian Eriksen is being moved around and wasted out of position. His performances lately have dropped as the level of the players around him have. Pochettino is not absent from blame but I cannot justifiably lay much of it at his feet. Yes, he plays Eriksen out of position but it's out of lack of options, it has to be, right?! The 4-2-3-1 formation just doesn't work and we've had 2 of our last 3 managers try to play in that shape to little creativity and chances created.

We've had some great results this year, Ars*nal at home, Chelsea at home, getting to the finals of the Capital One Cup and we should be proud of that. This club is in the middle of a tear down and redesign. We need patience and to wake up, open our eyes and take an honest look at the talent on the clubs roster and what we expect of them. We are a 6th or 7th place team but let's hope that changes with a summer of overhauling the personnel. We need at least 1 winger, 1 box to box midfielder, a centre back and another 2 strikers; then let's evaluate our performances with a new perspective.

[Glenn R]

This is Pochettino’s first season. Most of the players he has were inherited. I think we shall finish somewhere between 5th & 7th placing (sadly). I think this summer will be interesting to see who will be brought in, and who is sold.

I think Levy is in an interesting position. On one hand, he needs money to build this new stadium, at the same time the highest Spurs get the more money the club will get. Drop below a certain standard and the club will be building a stadium that won’t be filled (on top of that the club could drop into the relegation zone)So he has to balance both considerations.
Interesting times.

[RiffHard]

Very good assessment. To be fair I cannot see us selling 10 players and bringing in only 3-4 new ones, as it would leave our squad critically thin. But as Voice said, interesting times indeed.

[RSS61]

Yes as I understand it, 5th - 7th will put us in the EL again ? In which case, if we are to avoid burnout of our best players, then we need 2 capable players for every position, in order that we can rotate sufficiently to allow our more or less best 11 ( assuming we have one !!) to play in the prem each week, and avoid the humiliating results against the lower clubs that have ruined this season.

[Glenn R]

Very good assessment. To be fair I cannot see us selling 10 players and bringing in only 3-4 new ones, as it would leave our squad critically thin. But as Voice said, interesting times indeed.

I can't see us selling 10 players, probably about 4 or 6. But we certainly need new blood.

[spursjoolz]

Very good assessment. To be fair I cannot see us selling 10 players and bringing in only 3-4 new ones, as it would leave our squad critically thin. But as Voice said, interesting times indeed.

I can't see us selling 10 players, probably about 4 or 6. But we certainly need new blood.

The same thing every season, sell a bunch a players who didn't make the grade buy a new bunch of players and do the same again.  Tell me something new!

[Glenn R]

Very good assessment. To be fair I cannot see us selling 10 players and bringing in only 3-4 new ones, as it would leave our squad critically thin. But as Voice said, interesting times indeed.

I can't see us selling 10 players, probably about 4 or 6. But we certainly need new blood.

The same thing every season, sell a bunch a players who didn't make the grade buy a new bunch of players and do the same again.  Tell me something new!

We don't sell, we don't improve... so the moral of that story is?

[RiffHard]

The moral is that our scouting team is not up to it, our Director of Football cannot understand that players who perform well in Brazilian, Italian or Romanian league, are more likely to struggle in England. Of course, with proper man-managing this could be improved, but a trigger-happy chairman doesn't exactly help.

[Glenn R]

The moral is that our scouting team is not up to it, our Director of Football cannot understand that players who perform well in Brazilian, Italian or Romanian league, are more likely to struggle in England. Of course, with proper man-managing this could be improved, but a trigger-happy chairman doesn't exactly help.

How does a trigger happy chairman affect proper man-management? They are both separate. Whatever the chairman does or doesn't do it is down to the manager to influence and inspire the players. In that the chairman has no say. Plays in this country (i.e. British) who perform well for a certain club can fail at another.

[RiffHard]

How many managers has (for example) Lamela had in his two seasons here? Three. Now, that doesn't really help building a proper managing structure and give players time to adapt, does it? And yes, obviously any player can fail anywhere, but I was pointing out what seems to be the problem for us.

[Glenn R]

How many managers has (for example) Lamela had in his two seasons here? Three. Now, that doesn't really help building a proper managing structure and give players time to adapt, does it? And yes, obviously any player can fail anywhere, but I was pointing out what seems to be the problem for us.

You can look at Eriksen and Chadli, to name two, and see it at a different angle. As for Lamela. He is a good player but easily dispossessed off the ball (i.e. he is weak when challenged). I think the question is, where he is concerned, is English football right for him (the rough style)? If any manager can change him then it must be Pochettino, who speaks the same language and the same country.

Another point; is our player not the manager but buying so many duff players? Or too many at once?

[RiffHard]

How many managers has (for example) Lamela had in his two seasons here? Three. Now, that doesn't really help building a proper managing structure and give players time to adapt, does it? And yes, obviously any player can fail anywhere, but I was pointing out what seems to be the problem for us.

You can look at Eriksen and Chadli, to name two, and see it at a different angle. As for Lamela. He is a good player but easily dispossessed off the ball (i.e. he is weak when challenged). I think the question is, where he is concerned, is English football right for him (the rough style)? If any manager can change him then it must be Pochettino, who speaks the same language and the same country.

Another point; is our player not the manager but buying so many duff players? Or too many at once?

Chadli and Eriksen have done well, but are also quite often going out of form. That, of course, is another matter.

[Jane]

Personally, I think that once we get some stability things might be a lot different. That is having a manager that has been with us a few seasons. Pochettino has only had one season with the players and probably some of them he did not want.
I will be interested to see who he keeps and what he brings in over the summer.

Jane x 

[RSS61]

Personally, I think that once we get some stability things might be a lot different. That is having a manager that has been with us a few seasons. Pochettino has only had one season with the players and probably some of them he did not want.
I will be interested to see who he keeps and what he brings in over the summer.

Jane x

Yes Jane, I think you are right. He will be looking to see who shows the right attitude right up to the end of the last game. There can be no excuses for the kind of displays against Burnley & Villa, and anyone guilty of slacking must be outed.

[Spursx]

Personally, I think that once we get some stability things might be a lot different. That is having a manager that has been with us a few seasons. Pochettino has only had one season with the players and probably some of them he did not want.
I will be interested to see who he keeps and what he brings in over the summer.

Jane x

Yes Jane, I think you are right. He will be looking to see who shows the right attitude right up to the end of the last game. There can be no excuses for the kind of displays against Burnley & Villa, and anyone guilty of slacking must be outed.

He has already got an eye on those he wants to keep and those that should go. Kane is one for the future and will play an important part next season. We badly need another striker next season.