As I've just put, our first choice eleven is as good as anybody on their day. But, we are still paper thin in vital areas. If Kane or Eriksen were to cop a serious injury, we're in trouble. The Mousers have Sturridge, Ings, Benteke. We have Kane - that's it!
I posted the question re MP out of interest in view of the panning out of the squad following the transfer window. I think it's easier to see the merits or otherwise of the question re being out of his depth than it was when the question was posed. So surely @O.Spurcat it cannot be too early if it was not too early in August to have an opinion.
"Look,at it any way you want, that's never a top four squad. We lack the instinct to kill games off." That has a been a perennial problem. Even in the seasons Spurs finished 4th. But I am glad that you will not be lambasting the manager when he does not finish in the top 4 come May, because as you have said : the class of 2015-16 is not a top 4 squad.
Yes, I think the original question has been lost here. For me, that's now answered - no, he's not out of his depth, at least.
You could say if Vardy gets injured then Leicesters title challenge is screwed! Of course, we don't have replacements for Kane/Eriksen, but if Chelsea don't recover (which is looking unlikely) then considering Liverpool are a team adapting to a new manager, while Ings is out for the season and Sturridge rarely fit, then if we can't beat a Liverpool team in transition, as well as West Ham, Leicester and saints, then i'm sure Pochettino would himself admit it was a missed opportunity.
It should be between us and Pool. But the Chavs will be back, one way or another. So, if we're going to poach a top four spot, this season is our best chance. But does this current squad have the quality and depth to be a consistent top four challenger? No.
NSIS, that was a long way to being in agreement as I assumed by the points made, it was clear I was discussing this season and our rivals for top four, but anyhow, of course long term the squad isn't of that quality, but if you compare our team/squad with our rivals for top four, aside from Chelsea, who has a top four squad? Liverpool seems to be the only team worthy of a mention, but Ings/Sturridge injured, is their squad better then ours? If no one wants to commit to saying they are, then on paper we have the best squad out of the current challengers for the final top four place, unless someone wants to make a case for the mousers. Just have to hope Chelseas struggles continue!
Liverpool's squad has more depth, as I've tried to point out, that's the point you seem to be missing. All of last season's top four have far stronger squads than ours. It's no great surprise that under normal circumstances the top four squads - those with the most quality in depth - finish as the top four. For whatever reason, this year Chelsea are in turmoil and significantly underachieving. We can take advantage of that. But, be under no illusion, they will be back, maybe not this season, but Chelsea will be back when they resolve their inner crisis.
You mean Ings (injured for the season) and Sturridge regularly injured, no point missed, thats why I asked if you believe Liverpool have a better squad with the players mentioned injured. Aside from the strikers (who are long term injured) does their squad have more depth? I can't say their squad has much depth, even their own fans will admit this. As for Chelsea, of course they will be back, who said they wouldn't return? if it helps, i'm discussing this season (as mentioned countless times lol).
I think we're going around in circles. I've already said several times that yes, this season is our best chance. But longer term, we need a significant improvement in squad depth to be consistent challengers. As for Liverpool, granted Ings is out gif the season. Sturridge, I believe, is almost fit, and Benteke is a threat to anybody used properly. They also have Origi and Firmino. We have Onomah!
I personally wouldn't think Origi is a better prospect for the current season then Son, while Firmino hasn't settled in the league, but yes NSIS, we're going round in circles as my main point was Pochettino has the best squad/team out of the current teams which can challenge for the final top four place, due to Cheleas shambolic season, so I expect him to finish there if he's a top four manager. He has world class keeper, cover in defence, cover for Chadli. Options in midfield with Bentaleb/Mason returning from injury to compete with Dembele/Dier. Plus he's in his second season with us, while Klopp still has to get to grips with the squad and settle in the league, so based on this season, Pochettino should finish top four, and then I will happily admit I was wrong about him.
World class keeper? Maybe, but he didn't look it today. Options in defense are sparse, especially at CB where we have just Wimmer really. The point I was making is that Liverpool have greater all round squad depth. We have it in places, in others we are woefully short.
The budget available to Pochettino (as for all Spurs managers in recent years) is significantly less than Liverpool and Chelsea (as well as Arsenal and the 2 Manchester clubs). That means we are always fighting from a weaker position. Hence we end up with 1 striker because buying a second is bloody expensive. That's not Pochettino's fault. He hasn't asked to sign Hulk or anyone else similarly expensive that I'm aware of. He's also freed up a lot of wages by selling off a lot of players he felt to be unsuitable, So he's working with the kids and trying to pick up bargains like Dier and Alli and some cheaper foreign options like Wimmer and N'Jie. We've only bought in Son for big money which compared with Liverpool and Chelsea is a significant disadvantage. We have young players almost throughout the team. If we lose out on 4th place to Liverpool or Chelsea then we can have no complaint. If we were to lose out to Leicester, Southampton, Everton or similar then we've underperformed but with such a young team and squad I don 't think that means Pochettino is out of his depth but rather that we're not quite ready yet. If Levy buys Moutinho, Bolasie and Vardy for Christmas then I reserve my rights to backtrack significantly.
We've spent the past year (and more) ridiculing Rodgers for pissing up millions on complete duds, if you look at the list of players signed, they are inferior (overall) to the players we have signed, so the budget argument is only valid if the money is in the right hands. Liverpool now have a manager that can spend wisely and sign the correct players, so looking forward I agree they have a greater potential to finish 4th on a more consistent basis, greater level of income, but in terms of this season, their squad doesn't have greater depth, while they have cheap foreign signings and untested youngsters as back up, as well as expensive overrated flops. Thats one of the reasons, Pochettino has to take the opportunity of finishing 4th, as circumstances have meant this is our best chance, but answers at the end of the season when Leicester finish 4th
Our long-term record on transfers is quite good but it remains the case that money talks. I've seen no real evidence that there is any real way of continually signing better players (or indeed continually wasting money on over-priced players). The only thing a coach or manager can do is to find a way of getting more than average performance out of his squad. On that basis I think all our recent managers have been a bit above average except for Ramos and Sherwood and to say that any have been 'out of their depth' is unjustified. I still think Harry had a squad that could have done even better as it had King, Modric and Bale and if you added those to our current squad we would be title challengers. It's much too early to tell whether Pochettino is a really high quality manager but the way he goes about his business is rather impressive. I think Levy sacks managers when they start doing things that were not part of their plan when they joined and Pochettino has not fallen into that trap yet.
I don't think Benteke is worth £32m but it is better to be able to play him when they don't have Sturridge or Ings fit than ask Eric Dier to play up front. Yes, we've got a better 11 but we no longer have large numbers of expensive experienced players to put into the first team when there are injuries or losses of form. We've got a manager who has been specifically recruited to use our young talent. That's fine but we need to be prepared for them to fail in the short term and not get on their backs. Patience is a virtue. We need to get behind the current regime because what they are doing makes sense and is working. Yesterday I saw a united club - Manager, players and fans all as one. Long may it continue.
"I think Levy sacks managers when they start doing things that were not part of their plan when they joined and Pochettino has not fallen into that trap yet." I do wonder what the key term "X" is for the Faustian pact Pochettino has made with Levy (X =qualify for the CL with a fair amount of developing/Academy talent in the squad etc) .
