For Spurs, what they need to do is maintain their current form against the bottom 14 (will require beating Newcastle and Stoke at home), and not lose more than once to any of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Whilst a title challenge is as possible for us as it is for Utd (considering only points), the aim for Spurs this season should still be to claim a top 4 finish. Spurs should try to emulate City last year and finish 3rd but that (as it was for City) would be a bonus. If Spurs lose both matches to Utd and City, or get just 1 point, then it just means that the title challenge would be considerably more difficult and that Spurs are probably not ready to win it this season. However, it says nothing about their ability to finish in the top 4. I reckon if Spurs finished 4th, most fans would be disappointed considering where Spurs are now. But I'd still take 4th if it was offered to me today. Champions League this season, next season a title challenge and a good CL run.
Thing is that not having CL football this year means it is easier to be strong in the league. Hopefully we won't have this luxury in future seasons. With CL football next year (hopefully) a title challenge will be that much harder. Plus we'll need another summer of hanging on to our best players.
Of course, but Spurs need to show what Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool (until recent seasons) have been / were doing for the last decade. I think if Spurs get Champions League football this season, barring a ridiculously inflated offer, it would be really strange for any of our star players to want to leave Spurs for any other club. 1) Because Spurs are providing evidence that they are moving up. 2) Because none of our players would play every single game for the clubs that could afford him (City, Barca, R. Madrid). Well, I don't think so given the strength in depth of their respective squads. What Spurs really need is to strengthen their attacking force. Adebayor is going back to City and unlikely to sign for us. Spurs definitely need two top class strikers that can actually put the ball away. Possibly another CB and maybe another winger as cover for Lennon because frankly, VdV in RM is a waste.
I saw us as title contenders since before the season started. I even took some stick for expressing my optimistic views, from some of the Spurs faithful. Nothing I have seen from Spurs over the last 20 league games has done anything to alter my opinion. Indeed, our performances have served to strengthen me in my views. If we merely draw against the Gooners, the Chavs and the two Manc clubs, we will still be in with a shout. However, given our superb form, and the fact that each of those clubs seem to be stuttering, I would be gravely disappointed if we did not beat at least two of them.
You'd expect City to do the same too Lidls, despite Mancini's claims that they only have a handful of players.
Mancini doesn't know who his youth and reserve players are I also saw QPR are linked with Onuocha after we mentioned him being in the wilderness yesterday!
Lotak - there is one other reason why players might want to leave: the reality of trebling (or more) their wages. Spurs are currently getting away with murder in having players of the quality that get paid hundreds of grand a week at other clubs. This, I fear, cannot go on forever. Levy has done well to get many of the key players on long contracts but still has to be convinced that Spurs can support paying players something near the amounts that Arsenal and Liverpool (never mind Man City, Utd or Chelsea) do. One thing in our favour is that the players do look genuinely happy to be playing for and winning with Spurs. That's got to be worth quite a lot (but maybe not £150,000 a week).
Apparently so HD - the blinkered Mickey thinks that we have the depth and quality of squad to do it. Strange that, seeing as how according to him we have a left back that wasn't good enough for the Premiership!! Oh - that would be the LB who has been virtually ever-present in the best Spurs team for decades, is arguably the best LB in the PL, has one of the highest numbers of assists in the PL this season and has just been MOTM in a game that took us up to the dizzy heights of 2nd!! MUPPET!!!! lol
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Alleluyah
There will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one Mickey who doth have the cloud of delusion lifted from his eyes, than for one hundred who doth doubt that the mighty Spurs juggernaut shall cease a-rollin' along. Amen!
Oh yeh, I forgot about that! Stupid inflated wages. I'm just wondering how long it will be before football implodes under the current wage system. More and more teams are struggling to keep up with their finances, that it might become the case that only a couple of clubs around the world will be able to afford such wages. If wages are the reason for the star players to leave, who could actually afford their wages? Barca? Real Madrid, Man City, Man Utd (iffy), Chelsea, PSG, that Russian team, that Chinese team, LA Galaxy. Not many teams. How long before Utd and Barca are no longer able to keep up with these demands? What if Abramovich and the Arabs decide to leave Chelsea and City?
Currently true. However, if the FFP rules start to bite, then I think the days of the £150-200k a week salaries are numbered for all but the true superstars.
wasnt it Alex Ferguson who when questioned about his teams record against the top 4 replied something along the lines of....we dont need to beat them to win the league..we just beat everyone else ....makes sense since everyone else consists of 15 teams COYS!!!
G-d has too much work to do, so He sends some of the prayers he gets for me to file. You'd be surprised how many people want bigger boobs. Or in the case of men, smaller boobs.
After the Everton win no sane person can say that you aren't contenders. Which means I am allowed to - you ain't got a bleedin' chance in hell
