Because of the World Cup, preparation has been poor for lots of teams. Arsenal haven't seen Ozil/Mertesaker, City haven't seen Kompany/Aguero. It's an opportunity for Dier, Bentaleb etc to really step up.
I'm excited to see Spurs back playing, the World Cup was fun to watch but for me it's always been club over country. As for our hopes I don't think we will get close to top 4 this season and with Everton being a very good side then I think even top 6 will be tough this season.
I went for optimistic. It can't be any worse than last year can it? Not that the final position was that bad, but the football on the whole was pretty awful and we received so many thrashings and defeats from rival teams I have to be optimistic that this season will be an improvement. We have some good players and if Pochetino turns out to be the manager we hope he can be then things could look very promising. As long as they give him more than 2 months anyway! As an aside on the Scottish independence vote I dont really care either way. The only thing that makes me want them to vote No is so we dont have to put up with Alex Salmond and his stupid smug face which will be unbearable if they vote yes.
A bit harsh I'd say B&W! I'm hardly part of the "sack the manager now" crowd on here as soon as we get a bad result. And I'm certainly not part of the deluded bunch that state we'll finish above the Goons, get CL every season or win the league because we signed 7 new players. I'm simply realistic and have always said how it is over the years and for the most part, felt most of my sentiments were echoed on the board. There's always going to be disagreements but my feelings for this season are simply "wait and see" as I have no idea how we'll do. Is that pessimistic? No, I think that's just showing restraint from making bold, outlandish predictions and statements about our own and others club's chances this year that I see many repeat offenders do and end up looking stupid. What I will say though is that from the interviews and general footage I've seen of Mo-Po, I think he's an incredibly likeable bloke and he's a manager that I sincerely want to be hugely successful at our club because he seems like a very decent guy. A great start would be to end the rot against the Spammers on Saturday for sure. 4 defeats in a row would be a bitter pill to swallow.
We were at home though Yid and I expected a better result becasue Newcastle were away and beat them more convincingly. I was going to post that I'm happy we haven't battered all our opponents in the friendlies because when we once did we were let down with a thump come the opening of the season.
Excited. Can't wait for the first game and yet I have this feeling that if we don't win, it'll put us and the team in such a bad mood that it'll hard to get out of. Win and it'll set the fashion for winning all season (expect the last 8 games).
I went for optimistic: I feel we're addressing the various problems of last season (lack of attacking intent under AVB, tactical ineptitude under Sherwood, defensive fragility under both), we've addressed the problem area of left back, plus we're correcting the issue of having too many central midfielders and left wingers that emerged under AVB. Also, various players now have either a year of experience under their belt (notably Eriksen, Kane and Townsend) while several others have a point to prove (especially Soldado, Lamela and Capoue) so there's potential for things to improve as the season continues.
I voted 'other' because I'm slightly pessimistic (after years & years of being a fan) but forever hopeful! After all, the only two times we won the league I was 9 & 19 - I'm in my 73rd year now! Have seen lots of cups though so here's hoping. COYS
Not physically going all that time! Started being taken aged 5, in 1947 and carried on until I moved from London in 1989. However, in mind, body, soul & telly, even live streaming when I'm lucky, (can't always get it to work) now I've entered the 21st century & thanks to some of you guys I have never stopped loving & following our Lillywhites in one way or another.
"Not physically going all that time!" Being "conscious" to me is when you have a basic understanding of what is going on on-pitch, rather than looking at a match like a cat tracking a fast-moving object. But to have observed the Arthur Rowe era followed by St Nicholson, is an immensely commendable feat.
I picked "very excited" because I am very excited to see a very impressive collection of players playing under a coach with a record of getting teams playing attractively. But confident? I'm not confident about anything. The one thing standing between most people and happiness is lower expectations.
I can assure you RDBD that I certainly do have a 'basic understanding of what is going on on-pitch' and I resent your comment, although you have a perfect right to it. I physically watched my team for over 40 years not just at home but all over the country & abroad. I had a very knowledgeable Dad who taught me from a young age about offside rule etc. etc and my late husband probably knew more about footie than you ever will. He played for years. I may not have the in depth knowledge that you experts have but I certainly do not see matches as a 'cat watching a fast moving object'.
"I can assure you RDBD that I certainly do have a 'basic understanding of what is going on on-pitch' " No way I could have gone to WHL at age 5 and been anything other than the "cat" . Actually, how did the club used to arrange spectating for nippers in those days of huge crowds ?? Think I was about 7-8 (Spurs c1975) when I became "conscious" enough to understand why the performance of Spurs on the Big Match highlights was so poor as to cause my dad/grandad to be cursing one and all during sunday luhch,
I didn't say I had a basic understanding aged 5 for heavens sake! White Hart Lane was a very different place then and they had an area called the enclosure with restricted entry which you paid an extra sixpence entry. Dad took me in there, down to the front & lifted me over the little white fence where I sat on a bench with a first aid man & a policeman. I did this quite a while until I was tall enough to see over the fence. In all that time no ever queried this. By 1975 I was taking my own children but they didn't have the luxury of watching from the touchline sadly.
I would have liked to have voted for both "optimistic" AND "muted/unconvinced". I don't think they're mutually exclusive. I've got no reason to feel convinced. I have a manager I've seen barely nothing of and a squad of players most of which have not done much in a Spurs shirt. But still - you've got to be optimistic, haven't you? It's only bloody football! I've got to be optimistic about something - it might as well be that Erik Lamela could turn out to be a really good footballer.
