OK just four games in and we have now won drawn and lost. Given everything that has happened what does everyone think will constitute "success" this season. Obviously we would all like Champions League football etc etc but realistically it takes time to make the dramatic degree of change that we have undergone. My personal opinion is that I would be disappointed if we finished below 8th. I would expect us to be able to get back into Europe. If our slow start meant that realistically we were not going to be able to serisusly challenge for a top four spot then I would want to see us mount a decent cup challenge and hopefully bring in some silverware. When it all boils down though - if at the end of the season AVB has shown that he is a capable manager and has grown into the job and is capable of achieving more in the future then I guess that would be an important step in the right direction
Have we really lowered our standards that much? I appreciate many believe this is a season of transition, yet surely the aim is top four, or to at least be competing for top four. If we finish outside the top 6 then that’s a season of failure and the only way I would class 5th/6th as acceptable, is if we actually are in the fight for 4th but fall away due to cup success but have shown enough under avb to suggest in the following season the team will be strong contenders for champions league football.
Success for ourselves whether we like it or not will be largely dependant on how the others do aswell, too early for me to even think of any expectations whatsoever. We're not the only club to have had a re-shuffle.
4th would be a massive, massive success. Any trophy would make me happy. Obviously some more than others, but I'd happily take a 6th place finish in return for any trophy.
Win the Europa and good, entertaining football and 7th up would do me very nicely indeed. I would rather win the Europa than finish 4th.
I want to see us competing and beating top teams and continue to be included in that group. With the squad we have we should do that. Where we finish? 1st will do, and that always has to be the aim anything less is a failure of sorts. Realistically top 5 is where we should be but cup competitions are an area where we could achieve success if we put our minds to it. AVB needs to show progression in some way and a cup final would help.
For me top 4 will be - not in any order Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U and Man C. Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle and ourselves (maybe Villa) are in the next group - and ordinarily I would expect us to head that second group but given the degree of transitionaI think it may be difficult - on equivalent games we are already a couple of points below last year - not a lot but each point will be a scrap. It depends on how good AVB is and how quickly he establishes himself.
The trouble is that finishing below Arsenal last year allowed them another year in the CL and to strengthen a lot. I think we will struggle to do better than fifth but if everything goes well then we could do better than that. Only City have a much better 'first XI' in my view but Utd, Chelsea and Aresnal have more strength in depth. So fourth or a cup would be a huge success.
Top half of the table and a trophy would be a great success for me, especially if that trophy was the FA Cup or Europa. If we qualify for Europe again via the league or cups and don't finish lower than 10th, that will do me nicely. I think we're going to do better than my 8th place prediction, but I soooo want us to win something again.
Anything below 4th is a disaster for me in terms of league aspirations. We've got a brilliant squad, while I've made no secret of the fact I'm not AVB's biggest fan (at the moment!) at the end of the day this whole change of managers/ staff/ players etc is down to the fact Levy said we're moving forward. So I fully expect us to push on from last season. The game yesterday was very encouraging even if Reading were poor. My targets for Spurs are: 4th or above in the league. Quarter final in the FA Final of the Carling Semi final of the Europa (cups are based on a minimum expectation) Bonuses: To beat Man Utd To beat Chelsea at the Bridge Double over Arsenal Targets might seem a bit high to some but I have so much confidence and faith in this squad it's unreal. Providing AVB utilises the right players (I.E. continuing with the 1 DM and continue to play the free flowing attacking football) and we don't suffer many injuries, them targets are fully achievable in my eyes.
I think you're very generous talking about 8th. I'd be livid if we finished any lower This squad is good enough to challenge for 4th at least, therefore I expect us to challenge for 4th. Cups are difficult because it depends how early you draw tough games and whether there's fixture congestion that forces us to rest players in important games. I do expect us to get out of our group in the Europa League and get to at least a quarter final in either that or the FA Cup but they're not the be all and end all. I'd consider those my two equilibrium points for me being pleased with the season, do worse in the league and better in the cups and I could still be happy enough with the season. Fall short on both counts and I'll be very disappointed.
I would like to see us with the Europa at the end of the season, and nothing less than 6th, with 4th being the overall aim. A good FA cup run would be nice too. We have the quality and the depth to challenge on two fronts, so I don't see why we can't push on this year and get some silverware. And Spurs61, I think the second group is just going to be us and Newcastle, with Arsenal being at the bottom of the first group. With Everton, Fulham and Liverpool (when they start winning) in the next group. I can't see Villa challenging for the Europa League this year.
Anything less than top 4 and I will be massively disappointed. I don't buy into this 'transition' stuff, we are not Liverpool, we brought AVB in to remedy Harry's failings and he should not be given any lee-way or slack.
Echoing my feelings there mate. AVB is here as an improvement on Redknapp (according to Levy) and therefore expectations should be high. For many to say Redknapp wasn't good enough only to then expect a 6th/7th place finish under AVB is bemusing. I've already mentioned, our squad is fantastic, the only two teams who I feel are genuinely better in terms of squad size and ability are City & Utd. Chelsea and Arsenal have strengthened but I don't rate them as superior teams. It'll be down to consistency, tactics, handling of players and then the luck of how fit the players stay while avoiding injuries that will determine the top 4.
What annoys me is that in terms of squad quality, we were miles ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal last year in my opinion. Although our squad has improved too, they have narrowed that gap over the summer in my opinion. Last year was the year to capitalise and we failed to do it.
And don't I know it. Amount of stick I got from Arsenal fans over 4th and Chelsea fans after taking our CL place was unreal. I made it worse for myself by having about 5 or 6 wages all worth around £20 each on who'll finish higher between us and Goons and that Bayern would do Chelsea in the CL. What is it these emo kids say these days... F*ck my life!?!
The point is and was Is Redknapp had NOT set his sights higher than 4th, but if you think you can just change managers and it all comes good straight away then I suggest you are not living in the real world. We could settle for good ol' Harry and hope to scrape a CL place or we could try and push on from where Jol and Harry had taken us. This is not a quick fix, it's a long term plan and IMO Levy should not be criticised for being more ambitious than a very good also ran. He is daring to do and that's what it's all about. In the short term it's a drop back because change of players and managers will take a bit out of the league performance while things settle. When they do settle we should start pushing on from where Harry left off but you have to make the change to do it in the first place. That must be the plan IMO therefore if we do achieve 4 or or more THIS season that will be a fantastic achievement but slightly less should not be a surprise. AVB may or may not be the right man to do this, time will tell but at least his sights are set on the top. We have one foot on the ladder and that's been hard,staying on it and climbing is harder and we have to try to make that leap to stop the rot of losing players like Carrick, Berbatov and Modric everytime we come close.
