Postecoglou & Lange (& Paratici) Watch

Libellous!

 

Imagine two football clubs. One decides to measure its performance on trophies, the other on league points. What do you think the outcomes will be? Is there anything different the owner or manager would do in practice.
To get more league championship trophies per point you need to have inconsistent performance from season to season. All of Leicester, Liverpool and Chelsea have done that recently. I don't see how that is a viable strategy though since I can't see how you can do it on purpose.
Arsenal have won a few FA cups but are the only big club to have a clear downward trend in league performance. I can't see that being a good outcome in the long run.

 

I think this is an interesting point.

Good and successful can arguably be measured both together and separately.

In the last 5-6 years we’ve generally been the better team than Arsenal by finishing quite strongly in the league. Yet Arsenal have won 3 FA Cups making them the more successful. Whereas Man City for instance have been both good and successful by winning league titles and trophies.

So I suppose as a fan you need to ask yourself the question:

If the reality is you can’t be both good and successful like City - and to be like City you need the backing equivalent of a country - then would you choose to be a good team that finishes well in the league or a team that doesn’t finish as expected in the league but occasionally excels in cups and wins one every few years?

There’ll be strong arguments for both sides I’d imagine. Arsenal fans have probably experienced higher highs by winning the cups yet lower lows by being below par in the league for an extended period of time.

 

It is important, no vital, to play every game to win. That is the point of any game, BUT if you allow winning in any way at all to become the aim you lose the game in the end. A good example is our recent manager Jose Mourinho. He has built a reputation as a winner and has a trophy haul second to none BUT did you enjoy his football? I certainly didn't. I was pleased an excited to hear him say when he joined the club that he would respect the Spurs ethos and at first it looked like he was doing just that, when we went to United and won 6 - 1.. That first game (Jose's first) against West Ham was a breath of fresh air although in hindsight it was possible to see the lack of Spurs tenacity in the second half when they allowed the Hammers to pull back two goals and almost equalize. The next time (was it the next time?) we played them we went 3 up again and then they pulled all 3 back in the last 15 minutes. From then Jose went back to his default setting and forgot all about the Spurs heritage of flowing attacking football. From then my enjoyment of watching Spurs diminished to the point of not caring any more. We were in a cup final and in the end I wanted us to lose in case winning it kept Jose in position and we faced another season of mind numbing football. There in a nutshell is why the football is more important than the trophy haul. I think the majority of Spurs fans are proud of the tradition of our club for good football. It's a reason other fans hate us because they see us as smug and like to think we have no reason to be. Right now everyone wants to see Leeds because they play attacking exciting football, while Spurs have spent most of the season trying to play in a style not unlike Revie's Leeds. The irony is there.for all to see.

CK's point about the diminishing value of winning trophies when it becomes the norm is spot on. In the Fergusson years United fans became used to winning but I bet they appreciate their 2nd place more now after a period when they have been reminded that you can't dominate forever. Scottish football is totally dominated by 2 clubs as is Spanish football and in Germany it's even worse with just one. There are many football teams in England with a huge history and that is so good for the game. Wolves, Burnley, Notts Forest, Aston Villa, Leeds, Derby County, Huddersfield, Preston North End, Blackburn. All have been winners and dominating forces in their day. They can't all win trophies often, even less so now that the league is distorted by the likes of City and Chelsea.

Competition is the vital ingredient where beating the team has meaning. The success of the underdog has always been important in football because it's a game of a skill with a large measure of luck mixed in. One of the magic parts of football is the luck. You don't find as much of this in Rugby or Cricket for example where usually the strongest team wins. In football usually the strongest teams wins but quite often there is a surprise as other factors kick in (not all good I grant you) but it's what makes football the most successful game in the history of the world. Trophies are an add on (nice to have, for sure) providing the other factors are in place.

 

Haven’t watched it but just reading some things on Twitter and I think Ally Gold has said in one of his videos that we have a keen eye on Rodgers still whilst Potter is also on the list. Parker is liked at Spurs but not to believed to be in contention (thankfully, way too soon for him). The Italian managers we’ve been linked with are also apparently wide of mark.

I do think Rodgers is the club’s number one choice and has been for a bit now, have a feeling that at the end of the season we’ll make a move for him. This feels a bit similar to when we had Poch at the point his stock was very high, Madrid and Utd were supposedly interested but he opted to stay with us. Will Rodgers do the same with Leicester if we do make a move? I think he probably will.

So we may just have to go for Potter... Oh damn

 

I think Spurf is right here. Trophies are the cherry on top (and absolutely wanted) but the cake is watching an entertaining game where our team plays good football and fights hard in each and every game. When we come up against a better team (and money dictates that will happen) we have to accept that is how it has to be. Any disenchantment I feel is down to watching dull, boring games. I didn't sign up for that.

 

So if the DFB don't bring in Hansi Flick, Barca will

I think we can safely add him to the "out" pile then...

 

Football BSider claim that Bielsa's top of the list

Again, given the source, probably don't change the poll...

Also, would now be a bad time to mention that Bielsa quit Lille after just two days of working with Luis Campos?

 

I want entertaining football and to see the team win a trophy or two now and then.

I don’t see that as unrealistic considering the size of club and money Spurs have.

I’m not expecting Spurs to start winning league titles or CL regularly but also I’m not just going to be happy that Spurs ‘put the pressure on’ and got to a CL final and finished runners up and now just be happy to have a few memorable wins a season (1-6 Old Trafford) etc.

The richest teams will always dominate but to win trophies isn’t unrealistic for a club the size of Spurs

 

It's not at all unrealistic and the proof of that is how many semi finals and finals we have reached in recent years. The final of the CL which I suspect very few of us expected Spurs to get to was a massive downer, not IMO opinion because of the loss more the way we lost. Once again the game was spoilt by a dubious decision from the match official and the whole game suffered. We can see the Achilles heel in our team and that was the case even in Pochettino's finest period. We all enjoyed what he did despite the floors in midfield and defence but getting over that final line against top teams needs all parts of your team to be functional. Pochettino reached his peak too early because the stadium was always going to be a short term factor as it still is because of the virus.

 

Fabrizio Romano says...

It’s important to have a manager who speaks English for Tottenham. So, this is also part of the discussions, and it was one of the things to discuss with ten Hag some weeks ago when they had the meeting.

"So for Tottenham, it is important to have a manager who has perfect English."

I wonder if anyone on here thinks that's because he can't speak anything but English....

 

He?

 

A few days ago I said the same thing as Romano - the club needs someone to be a figurehead, given Levy's now 'in hiding' and that figurehead needs to be able to communicate clearly in English to fans and reunite the mess....I got a ridiculous response suggesting that it was a 'Little Englander' view of those who can't speak any other language...

I was wondering whether an Italian saying the same thing would get the same stupid response?

 

Really justifying the monthly Patreon fees there, Fab...

 

I ask but one thing of a new Spurs manager

They have at least 10% of the balls that this guy does

 

ESPN report that Christophe Galtier is set to quit Lille

That's good news for us, as a couple of seasons ago he was working with most of our coaching staff and...oh bollocks

 

Made me chuckle a little I can’t lie, lol.
Replace Bergwijn with Winks though.

 

"...and join spurs to spend the cash."

So that'll be Wes Morgan on a pay per play contract.

 

Bielsa is on the verge of signing a new contract with Leeds.