Is WHL sold out in every match, is it realistic to expect to fill the new one?
The Spurs thread | 2016-2017 season | Serious thread - wummers/derailers will be threadbanned
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Is WHL sold out in every match, is it realistic to expect to fill the new one?
Capacity is 36,763. They tend to average about 36,000. Not sure if thats away fans not buying or home fans.
I would think so. As of February the waiting list for season tickets was over 50,000.
Argentina eyeing Pochettino. Can't see him taking the job at this stage of his career but I'd be interested to see the candidates to replace him if he did.
No "top manager/coach" is interested to coach a national team.
Conte did it, in fairness.
Yeah but only for two years and he had no other good job offer in 2014.
And if you want earn money then you don't take the job as national team coach.
IIRC he left Juventus because he wanted to coach National team.
@GlastonSpur
You don't have a great first XI, if you had one you'd have won the league last season, you wouldn't have crumbled at the end of the line and you'd have had more than 70 points.
Spurs right now is operating in a different transfer market than other top teams, it'll be more clearer soon when united, city, arsenal and chelsea are done spending. For spurs to make that extra push, you don't need just depth, you need to attract top players to keep up with other top teams, stand still and i guarantee you other teams will take your place and easily.
As for those chickens, you've absolutely no idea what you're talking about. The glazers aren't sugar daddies, they wouldn't spend a dime we don't have on transfers, if we spend 200m this summer, it's be because we can, it's because the money is there, if we need to sell we'll sell, and once we reach our limit we'll stop.
You don't have a great first XI, if you had one you'd have won the league last season, you wouldn't have crumbled at the end of the line and you'd have had more than 70 points.
Spurs right now is operating in a different transfer market than other top teams, it'll be more clearer soon when united, city, arsenal and chelsea are done spending. For spurs to make that extra push, you don't need just depth, you need to attract top players to keep up with other top teams, stand still and i guarantee you other teams will take your place and easily.
As for those chickens, you've absolutely no idea what you're talking about. The glazers aren't sugar daddies, they wouldn't spend a dime we don't have on transfers, if we spend 200m this summer, it's be because we can, it's because the money is there, if we need to sell we'll sell, and once we reach our limit we'll stop.
Winning the league is not just down to a first XI. It also depends on squad depth in terms of how good the replacements are for first XI players that get injured or suspended or just need resting. And IMO it's this latter aspect - squad cover/competition - where we've most needed improving, hence the signing so far of Janssen, Wanyama and (imminently) N'Koudou.
I think our first XI is pretty good - well balanced, cohesive and containing a good degree of talent. I can't think of any Prem team that would be especially confident of beating them in any given match.
I agree that we're operating in a different transfer market compared to other top teams. This is partly because (a) we're funding a new stadium (b) we in any case generally operate a transfer strategy that doesn't revolve around spending big money on big names, but looks to rely instead on good scouting; and (c) we're also focused on youth development and bringing through younger players into the first team squad.
I don't agree that we necessarily need to sign "top players" (by which I assume you mean expensive, big names) to keep up with the other top Prem teams. Indeed, some of those teams might need to first catch up with us, bearing in mind both the league table last season, plus the likelihood that several of our younger players will improve further next season, plus the settled nature of the Spurs squad/team/manager.
So given that we're improving our squad depth this summer, and noting again that several of our younger players will likely improve further next season, I don't believe that Spurs are standing still. Whether big spending by United, City, Arsenal and Chelski will displace us from the top 4 remains to be seen.
As for the rest of your post, I'm not going to get into discussing United's finances in this thread.
@GlastonSpur and any other Spurs fans.
Where do you think you'll finish this season, and what would be a successful season, and what would be a poor season?
Thoughts on Pochettino being linked to Argentina job?
Where do you think you'll finish this season, and what would be a successful season, and what would be a poor season?
Thoughts on Pochettino being linked to Argentina job?
I think we'll finish in 3rd place, or top 4 if not ... but my view may change by the time the transfer window is nearly closed and the season about to start.
A successful season would Top be 4 and making it out of the CL group stages, or otherwise at least winning one of the domestic cups. A poor season would be failing to do any of these things.
Poch won't abandon Spurs, the CL and the Prem to take the Argentina job. Maybe later in his career he'd be interested, but not now.
As i've pointed out in another thread, the salaries national teams offer are no where close to what premier league managers make. So even if Pochettino fancies the job, he wouldn't take a huge pay cut to do it.
I don't think that 'when the season is about to start' is any time to judge either. I remember when United signed Di Maria many thought they were going to rip it up, didn't Chelsea start last season as favourites with a settled side improved upon ? We need at least to let all the teams, managers and players settle in and see what tactics are being utilised to see whether progress is being made.
In the Top 6 predictions thread I even said that I expect the Top 4 after 10 games to be West Ham, City, Spurs and Arsenal as I believe United, Liverpool and Chelsea will need more time and all start with tougher matches :
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/top-6-prediction-2016-2017.419615/page-8#post-19552520
Marathon not a sprint and all that jazz.
I agree with you to a certain extent though think you are underrating our first 11 a bit (and also neglecting the fact it is an inexperienced and young side which contributed to us falling apart at the end of the season) - however we gotta be realistic. The fact is we are a second tier club in the Premiership and we do not have the finances to attract the 'top players' you say we need - we cant offer the wages or the transfer fees of any of the 'top tier' teams (Chelsea, Man Utd, Man City, etc.). What we do instead (and do well imo) is rely on scouting and our youth set-up to attract younger less established players and hopefully improve them (Poch is one of the best coaches in the country and he is here for that reason). We have a stadium to build and we simply will not be in a position to spend big until it's built.
We are doing very well considering our position though and for that I am very happy. As a Man Utd fan (depending on your age tbf) you can't understand what it is like to support a team who is not able to splash out enormous fees for players most seasons
I think we have to aim for top 4 again and it would be a fantastic achievement again if we managed it. A poor season I guess would be to end up 5th/6th and to not have any successful cup runs (including the champions league which I would hope we would get to knock-out stage).
This is all fair enough, and of course predictions can (and usually do) change once the season gets underway and has been going for a while. But making a prediction after the season has begun is doing so with the benefit of a degree of hindsight .... all fine, but not as much of a fair challenge as making a prediction before the season kicks off.
I can't believe last season they still finished below Arsenal.
Classic Spurs
Classic Spurs
Their signings have been questionable too thus far. I like what they're trying to achieve and that's build a squad on the cheap but Wanyama and that new striker are pretty lacklustre signings.I can't believe last season they still finished below Arsenal.
Classic Spurs
They're doing a Liverpool basically. I think Spurs will finish between 5th and 7th next season, scrapping it out with Liverpool, Southampton and Everton. They benefitted from ourselves, Liverpool and Chelsea being extremely crap last season. That won't happen again.
Did we need many signings though? I don't think we did as our team performed well last season and is young and improving - what we needed was better back-up to support what is already there and we have done it this window. We needed a back-up to Dier we now have Wanyama, we needed back-up to Kane - we now have Jansen. We needed a bit more pace in attacking areas - looks like we are about to sign NKoudou (who I know is quick although I don't know much more about him tbh).
So far it's met what was needed in the squad and imo are solid and not questionable in the slightest (every signing is a risk of course). What areas of our first team do you think needed strengthening? I can't think of any outside of those areas already mentioned.
Also as for 'doing a Liverpool' as you suggest you couldnt be more wrong - we are making targetted signings to cover weakness in the squad and are likely to end up with 3 new players in needed positions. Liverpool would love to be in as stable position as Spurs right now.
What you see as a weakness I see as a strength - we are a settled side and do not require much to keep improving - our young players will start this season with a years experience in the Premiership some of them didnt have this time last year and a years worth of Poch's coaching - they will be better.
Capello, Hiddink, van Gaal, Lippi, Scolari, Terim, at a stretch Del Bosque...
And what age are they? Poch is a young coach - no way would he be interested in taking an international job at this stage in his career.
Replied to a claim which said that no top manager/coach would want to manage a national team, also some of them did manage nat. team "at their prime".
Yes spurs need to strengthen their first team. Teams that wins league titles, CLs continuously improve their first team so in this case Spurs have to improve if they want to win trophies.
Also Fergie always said you have to bring new faces to keep everyone on their toes, to challenge first team players.
Spurs did well last season but lot to improve. One of our poorest year and we finished just 4 points behind Spurs and we have done lot to address that by changing manager and signing very good players. Arsenal already signed very good midfielder and linked with strikers to improve first 11. City have signed good players and linked with few more good players. On top of that that have superb manager.
Can see Spurs finishing outside top 4.
Agree with this, all successful teams improve year on year .Pool did it in the 70's/80s and Utd in the 90's/00's
We used to sign a top player and one for the future. Seems these days we buy a whole new team btw.
I highlight we have improved competition for places by improving our squad in areas we needed more depth - you state that Fergie said you need to 'bring new faces to keep everyone on their toes' but then in the next sentence seem to dismiss what I said and say we have 'a lot to improve'. We have improved and will continue to improve. You may have a superb manager but so do we and unlike yours (assuming you are a Liverpool fan) Poch has already proved himself in the Premiership. Liverpool have finished behind Spurs almost every season for the last 5 years or so, if anybody needs to improve its Liverpool.
Yes, in 2 positions you have improved the depth but haven't improved your first 11. Yes Spurs have lot to improve, you finished just 4 points above 5th placed team. The way you and other Spurs fans talk about your first 11, it's as if you have won league titles multiple times and your first 11 can't be improved at all.
Point is, you finished behind Leicester and Arsenal who have made signings to improve their first 11, 4 points ahead of United and City who have changed managers and signed few first team players.
I'm not a Liverpool fan. I'm ManUtd fan.
Ok apologies for the Liverpool assumption!! I guess we go back to expectations of a Spurs fan vs the expectations of a Man Utd fan and the difference in finances, etc. of each club. Spurs have probably the best 11 currently we can realistically hope for given our wage structure and the way the club is run - we are relying on good coaching and giving experience to young players to improve the team over time rather than spending large sums on new players to replace them with. In that sense we are progressing exactly as we would hope a club like Spurs would so when I do not see where we could improve our first 11 right now it is within that context I'm speaking. I mean of course there are better players in the world than everybody in our team and technically we could improve the team by bringing them in at great expense, we just dont work like that (and also just cant given the money situation).
We are doing well, we should improve next season and I remain hopeful we will have a great year. Will we be in the running to win things? No idea, I hope so but realistically we are not in the elite group of clubs who can expect to be challenging every year. Maybe once we get stadium, etc. in place that might change but until then... nope.
Leicester have sold Kante - a key part of their first XI team last season, yet somehow their first XI has improved according to you.
You also equate first XI improvement only with the signing of new first XI players and ignore the idea of the development of existing first XI players. But the fact is that Spurs first XI contains several young players who are more than likely going to improve further next season (because they now have another year's Prem and footballing experience under their belts) ... and this of itself would improve our first XI. Alli is only 20, Dier and Kane are still just 22, Lamela and Eriksen are only 24.
Moreover, signing new players intended to improve the first XI doesn't necessarily mean that the first XI in question will actually be improved. They may not adapt well to the Prem (if they're from outside it), they may not settle well in England (if they're from abroad) and they'll take time to gel with the rest of the team. Spurs have a settled XI and continuity of playing style and manager. That can count for a lot ... perhaps more than you credit.
I said before that I can't think of a single Prem team - whether with lots of big name and expensive new first XI signings or not - that will be especially confident of beating Spurs first XI in any given match.
Fair enough, I still dont agree with few points like how Spurs can't or won't pay to sign better players. Even teams like Palace are making 30 Million bids, new TV money means every club have enough money to improve their teams.
I said players to improve first 11. Yeah I forgot Kante's departure.
This holds true for every PL team, not just Spurs.
Yes, there is a risk. With new signing there are chances first team can be improved or not, without signings it's sort of given the first 11 won't. I have seen lot of posts (from Spurs fans) about this settled team, I don't agree with it. Even the settled team can achieve so much if players are not very good. Also with all the hype, Spurs finished just 4 points ahead of United and City who had poor season.
Again this is true of any of the top 6-8 teams, not just for Spurs.
Yes you keep telling yourself that.
True but they are not building a massive stadium at the same time.
Yes you keep telling yourself that.
OK, then you tell me which Prem team will be confident of beating a Spurs first XI in any given match?
I don't think any teams have strengthened quite to the level United have just yet which could work in Spurs's favour. Arsenal have signed a good midfielder but still lack a star striker and with many talented players seemingly off the market they may yet fail to sign one. Gundogan is a good signing for City, granted, but it remains to be seen how much his injuries catch up with him and if he can improve a pretty poor midfield. Chelsea have made a good solid signing in Kante but rumours of Costa leaving are worrying for them.
Bias aside it wouldn't be a surprise for me to see Spurs finish in the top four and it wouldn't surprise me to see them push for the title, they have a strong starting 11 and good depth now. I imagine they'll make 1 or 2 good first team signings which will see them push on. Pochettino is a very good manager and has shown to be quite adaptable. Delle Alli and Harry Kane both having another season under their belts will be a huge factor that cannot be ignored, adding Wanyama to an already very solid team to beat and with the experience of CL football next season I fancy them as dark horses for the league.
Any of the teams above you in the betting odds for the title. City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. They won't all beat you every time, but they will be confident they can and should.
Sorry, forgot to include Glaston's quote in the above post.
Any of the teams above you in the betting odds for the title. City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. They won't all beat you every time, but they will be confident they can and should.
Any of the teams above you in the betting odds for the title. City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. They won't all beat you every time, but they will be confident they can and should.
I actually think they've done well so far with Wanyama and Janssen, although that's not enough obviously.
If he had asked you the same question at the start of last season I imagine your answer would have been the same. Then last season happened and in the 10 league matches Spurs played against these sides they lost only once (to an own goal against United on the opening day of the season). So how you can say, after a season where they were only able to beat Spurs once in ten tries, that these teams will suddenly feel confident they will win their games against Spurs this season strikes me as a bit odd.
They'll all certainly feel they can win, as top teams tend to feel about every match they play. But I can't imagine they'd all feel confident they will win the two matches they each play against Spurs in the season ahead. On some level this might just be a semantics argument, but i do also feel you're selling Spurs a bit short. Which, fair enough. You're certainly entitled to your opinion.
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