I agree with the sentiment but I've never really understood how a football team can target a position in the table: that depend on what everyone else does. It's reasonable to expect that we should be getting something like: eight wins and two draws against the bottom 5 (26 points), six wins, three draws and a loss against the bottom middle five (21 points), five wins, three draws and two losses against the top middle five (18 points) and three wins, two draws and three losses against the other members of the top five (11 points). This would come to 76: that would get us in the top four for sure, but the key is not to mess up against the weaker teams: surely that's a matter of concentration and motivation, not some long term plan or drive. If we could beat each team in the bottom half of the table home and away that is 60 points by itself and why would we not be aiming and expecting to win such matches
Quite possibly. It's not only that the likes of United, City and Chelsea can buy the best players and accelerate their chances of winning glory, but it's also the fact that they inflate the price of decent players, across the board. There is absolutely no way that any of us are going to get a look-in on a player if any of these teams express and interest in him. It's not just the money, it's the glory that goes with winning things. Arsenal are finding out the true cost of falling down the pecking order, and God help them if they fail to make the CL next season! LFC were in the same position, and were in serious danger of financial collapse. The only thing that saved them was the ability of that Yanky outfit to buy them at a knock-down price. That's the only reason why they've been able to come back so quickly, but it has been at the cost of spending huge amounts of money on some very ordinary players.
Obviously, Redknapp and the players will be driving to get as many points as possible. I just think our glass ceilng is 4th, ATM. Naturally, if we continue our current form, we will smash that ceiling to pieces. But I don't expect us to keep doing this well, our current run is simply phenomenal, given it also includes topping our Europa group as well.
I think there's little doubt about it, Chelsea were in massive trouble before RA saved them. We could have picked up some of their players on the cheap. Even better, had RA taken over us instead, we'd have won Prem titles by now, I'm pretty sure. Naturally, some/most Spurs fans would have been against us doing that, but I'd have loved it, no danger.
I really couldn't give a **** what a Liverpool fan thinks. We're 2 points up against them after 8 games, they can continue to dismiss us if they like. Having said that our last 4 performances haven't been great, lets hope we can produce a few more comfortable wins in the next few matches.
This is precisely the reason I think we can do well this season! The top teams grind out results even when the performance is below par! We have had a couple of away games so hoping we turn on the style at home next!
I worry that this may be the level that we're going to be at for most of the season. Over the last 4 games we've been playing just like last year but with perhaps a little more luck.
The problem is that we need to stay top of the current form table until the new year. We have a run of 'easy' games until the new year with the notable exceptions of Chavski and Stoke. We need to be at least 3rd at Christmas.
I think we've been a lot better than last year, and if anything, been unlucky not to have scored more due to some good keeper performances. Robbo made some very good saves over the weekend, as did Friedel to be fair. Tim Krul made some good blocks for the Geordies, especially the one in the dying moments when Defoe was through. Against the scum, Adebayor and Scotty had golden chances saved by Szczczczczczczczny and Bale hit just wide after their centre backs misjudged the bounce. If they'd gone in, would have been another 5-1 but I'd take any scoreline over them if it meant we get 3 points. I've been impressed with the football lately, we're playing well and scoring more than one a game, which last season, seemed a tough task.
Now we have a rest period this week, I would expect Spurs to be re-energised and play at a higher pace and level v QPR. We've been running on empty for weeks with injuries and Cup games to cope with, it's simply phenomenal we've done so brilliantly against all the odds. If we can get back a couple of players, and keep the whole first team off the plane to Rubin, we have a great chance now to fight on a level playing field with clubs like Toon and Pool, who aren't in Europe.
Cheers Chappaz,pool fans are still slagging us off,so if we do it will be very enjoyable,they buy's are'nt as good as they think
That's the key thing for me. We slaughtered a strong 'Pool side with half our team injured and the other half knackered. We are, quite simply, phenomenal You can tell that by the way the Mickey Mousers keep slagging us off. It makes me laugh at them and pity them in equal measure.
We created a lot last year too and squandered chances, like our last 4 games. You can look at it both ways. Szczesny's save for Adebayor was excellent but Walker's goal was fortunate, as perhaps was VDV's
Well said HIAG, our run has indeed been that, phenomenal, and a lot of Spurs supporters I know in person or on the net (not particularly on this forum, BTW) have disappointed me with their 'underwhelmed' attitude. Then again, seeing as so many Spurs supporters tend towards negativity, moaning and whinging, I shouldn't be surprised by that
What I particularly love about it, Ghoddle10, is the fact that the media is so distracted by City's (completely expected) dominance in the EPL that they have totally missed our quiet revolution. If the Toon can draw their games against City & United, and if Chelsea continue to play like half-wits, we could find ourselves in 2nd spot, come Xmas. Now, wouldn't that fill you with Xmas cheer
