I'd go along with that. It's the performances especially against City, Chelsea & Liverpool recently which is why a lot of people seem negative as we haven't had many good performances against them since 'Arry left. A top 6 finish is decent for us according to the budget we have compared to the rest of the PL, until something like a new stadium or some arab/american/russian buys us to become his next play thing then we shouldn't expect more.
There are high expectatations amongst Spurs fans. I think the reasons are historical. The 60-61 side was very successful and set many records along the way, many of which still stand. They did so playing a certain type of football, which remains the blueprint for the style of foootball the Spurs players are expected to produce now, over fifty years later. Although this success was a long time ago, Spurs have had teams and individual players along the way who have given hope that the glory days could be rekindled- Villa, Ardiles, Hoddle, Waddle, Gascoigne, Ginola, Klinsmann, Sheringham, Bale, van der Vaart - and there are many more. In the 70s, 80s and perhaps even the 90s it was conceivable that a team with good players could go on a run and win the title. There were perhaps eight or more clubs who had a realistic expectation of being champions if they held it together. Nowadays money talks - only four clubs have won the title in the past twenty years and two of those only joined the top table because they had vast sums of money pumped into them, well beyond the amounts the clubs could have ever managed to raise for themselves. But even then, it is difficult to readjust expectations when Redknapp produced a team, which might have made a challenge, but for injuries and a loss of focus on his part because of external events. Liverpool fans are in the same boat; it's nearly 25 years since they won the title but the club is still associated with being serial winners. They expect that a resumption of normal service is just around the next corner. The contrary would be the expectations of the West Ham and Southampton fans. They can really enjoy being 4th and 5th.
Anyway having expectations is what being a football fan is all about. Why would you watch if you did not EXPECT. Spurs are always nearly there or thereabouts, which makes our 'EXPECTATIONS' all the higher.
That's fine provided that it doesn't lead to pressures on the coach and players. I'm HOPING for 4th and a cup or two. I expect 6th and no trophies.
Once you've been there, you never are going to fully accept anything else. It's even more difficult for those of us who were there in those days - we remember how good we were. Also, over the years, we have competed with the top clubs, signed some of the world's best talent, etc. yet somehow, we still have never found that magic, that balance, that consistency to once again reach the very top. So, yes, I expect more. I realise that in this modern age of multi billionaire owners we can no longer compete financially, or for the top players, but I somehow still expect more. Expect us to win something for a change, at least.
"The older fans compare us to the glory days. The newer ones have been through some extraordinarily bad breaks." And the inbetweeners compare the side to the teams of 1980-90. In terms of league position, the same level more or less. In terms of cup silverware, very poor.
I sometimes think we Spurs fans are like Mose's people when he parted the waters and walked through.In our case,more often than not,those same waters come crashing down on us and we finish up in queer street!
so halfway through we are on 31 points and scored 24 goals. On course to finish with less goals and points than last season and in a lower position even though last season we had the turmoil of AvB & Sherwood.
Or we're 2 points off 4th, in both cups and with the new manager having finally got the measure of Adebayor and the new players looking settled in. Plus we have a manager whose methods are having a visible, positive impact on our performances. There's always reason enough to be optimistic in my head at least.
I can't see us having any real success in the future , under our owners , sky dominance and Premier league status quo . The game has moved on and realistically we have been left behind . So I have no expectations and there seems to be a general air of growing apathy supporting Spurs . As the banana boat always sinks many find the pain of the constant knocks to hard to endure . The empty seats at the Lane , media disinterest and less internet talk have a knock on effect. The pursuit of pleasure is so limited that we all tend to clutch at straws. The next star ( but not that good) , the cheap signing , the academy players , the rare good performance and financial pragmatism . So as our stature gradually diminishes we just bare and grin it . Roll on 5 years nothing will have changed . I would like as Jacob Marley not to wear my chains of bitterness and regret but it's in my blood and sadly can go nowhere else.
Spurs this year are my favorite kind of team: young, improving and doing fairly well, though not spectacularly. No one saw us as a top four team this season, so there shouldn't be any pressure. Rooting for established winners is overrrated, IMO. We are indeed doing worse than we were last year from a points and goals standpoint. But we're doing much better compared to other teams, both in the league and in one cup, and are on a five game undefeated streak. The team is very up and down as far as attractive football goes, but the players are putting in a shift. (EDIT: yes and no to the above. We are doing much better in the League Cup. But we’re only one point closer to fourth now than a year ago. I believe our GD is 2 better, and we’ve scored two more goals, despite having three fewer points. So a bit better, overall, but not a huge difference.)
