The last two games really hit the spot for me. Two wins, two clean sheets on a team whose weakness was shipping goals, shorter season next year, with more rest and more time to train thanks to missing the Europa qualies, fifth ahead of Liverpool instead of eighth behind Swansea, first win at Goodison in a long time, improvement over last year's league place, ending with one of our best games of the season, Pochettino's hand significantly strengthened...the list goes on. This formation does deserve a chance, I think. A team with Dembele in it moved the ball forward quickly as well as being defensively solid. It may not be completely coincidental that we've looked much improved defensively with two non full backs. The biggest difference in the last two weeks, I thought, was very simple: players put their foot through the ball when they were in trouble in our end instead of continuing to try to play one touch football. Given we have an extraordinary group of young players, and Pochettino looks like he (finally) has them reasonably well organized, the future looks bright. I'd love to have a pacy right sided player, and a striker to take the load off Kane (sorry, Soldado, and good luck) but I'm quite satisfied with our squad overall.
Spurs have destroyed me far too many times this season for me to think this has been a season of progress. I don't care how many "positive" stats are put in front of me, this is a period of regression. For example, we have conceded equal the number of goals relegated Burnley have conceded.
For me, the jury is definitely still out. We blow far too hot and cold, and as said, we have conceded a ridiculous amount of goals. M.P. Has had his honeymoon, and so long as Levy gives him most of what he wants, he has few excuses for a similar defensive display next season. I know I, and others, have said this before, but if not for the emergence of Kane & some crucial last minute wonder goals from Eriksen, things would look very different!
We have won 19 and lost 12. That could just as easily be the other way round. Going on the level of our performances this season, won 12 and lost 19 would have been a far more realistic stat.
I suppose Spurs fans should be happy with a 5th place finish after some awful results....but we ain't. I suppose a team like Arsenal would be happy... but we ain't!
"We have won 19 and lost 12. That could just as easily be the other way round. Going on the level of our performances this season, won 12 and lost 19 would have been a far more realistic stat." And once again, the measure of progress is that even when playing quite ****e, Spurs are capable of finishing in the top 5-6 with a points total in the 60s. Could you imagine that happening during 1992-2005 ??
You a You absolute bastard!! That leaves me in a real,quandary. I never want The Goons to win anything! On the other hand, do I want us to be in The Europa league anyway?? Now, I don' t know what I want!
Stop it, OS, you#re getting me carried away I'm positive because we've had some truly positive performances, especially against sides where we've had a similar number of days to prepare between games. It's not perfect but it's a start. Obviously we're not going to get more games next season but a squad more equiped for Pochettino's style would surely help. If our goals conceded were an indicator then we'd still have AVB. But we wanted more entertainting and attacking foootball. That we got in a less than satisfactory way. Time will tell but I'm a hopeless optimist, bring on next season!
5th is always the Europa spot. I think it's the only Europa spot based on the league positions at the start of the season (plus the other 2 cup winners). You only get more league spots opening up if the cup winner qualifies for the CL
5th is always a Europa place. If Arsenal win the FAC, then 5th and 6th will qualify for group stage. If Villa win the FAC, then 5th will enter the group stage along with Villa.
I'm quite happy with the season, top 4 was always going to be a huge and probably unattainable task this year so to come 6 points off in 5th and come within 90 minutes of a League Cup win is good going. Pochettino has a number of questions to answer - can he fix the defence which continues to be abysmal and has never truly looked solid all season, can he bring in the right players to take some of the pressure off the youngsters who have looked increasingly knackered in the last few week, can he shift the deadwood, or indeed will he be allowed to? Recruitment and training are the key areas and we shall have to wait and see how it works out.
Disagree, 70 points is just within our range and we should've been closer. In Pochettino's defence, our lack of investment and everyone else spending freely has left us behind. I just hope Levy recognises this too.
But if Utd had been pushed by Spurs and/or Liverpool and Soton, would 70 have been enough for 4th? I doubt it. Had there been pressure on the teams these last few weeks, there would probably have been different results, not least Liverpool losing 1-6 today. However, having beaten Arsenal 2-1 at the start of February, your form was up and down to May taking 15 points from the next 13 games. That was the difference. Had you drawn or won against Utd at Old Trafford and picked up just one or two more wins (Villa (H), Burnley (A)?), then top four would have been achieved comfortably.
Thats what I meant, United spent huge money and still made hard work of getting to where they have, Arsenal are always in the top 4 mix and spent big money too, and City and Chelsea were nailed on for CL. Add in Liverpool who looked in quite a strong position at the start of the season and there were 5 sides on paper who were better placed than us, especially given the trouble of a new manager for us. We collapsed in many games and made more than our fair share of silly mistakes again - take a few of them out and this could have been an even better season for us. Stability and a clear direction might help fix those things, we have to hope that Pochettino can, and is allowed to, provide that going forward.
