So Chelsea can't overtake us, eh? There must be a word for that, teams that fail right at the end? Begins with 'b'...
Despite another dreadful performance, we are Champions League, but this squad needs major improvement in the summer if we are going to stay amongst the elite. Sissoko is not a CL player and Wanyama has not been the same since his injury. My cousin, who was at the game, summed it up best with this text: 22 players run around a football pitch for 90 mins, most of them giving the ball away or falling down, Harry Kane scores, Spurs win. Have no idea what has happened since the Chelsea game, we were flying then and could match anyone in Europe, but we seem to have hit a wall since. Watched the end of the Kremlin FC-Huddersfield game on PVR. The final minutes and celebration were brilliant, congrats to David Wagner and co. for staying up AND helping us get into CL. The despairing look on the Chelski supporters and players was absolutely priceless.
Sissoko needs to go. He was average at best. Wanyama was pretty solid defensively, and with somebody like Dembele or Winks ahead of him, would have looked much better. Vert was not typical. Neither was Kane Dele had one of those matches where he tried to be too fancy Eriksen suffered because nobody was moving. Sanchez was fairly solid, better than v. Watford (I missed the WBA match), and looked like I have seen him several times this season - his speed allows him to get back into position when an error is made. He was also challenging in the air, too. Son seemed lost out there, but more because nobody was moving around, and thusly the ball was not moving. Davies struggled attacking most of the first 60, until Kane scored. Then he got better as the game opened some. Trippier was the only player notable in both both haves. Him and Lloris, who was solid at the back. This was another match like Watford. Both teams had chances, but the teams at the top of the table know how to find a way to get the ball in the net. Newcastle, like Watford, were let down by poor finishing. Of course, that does not bode well when facing teams like Juventus.
my job. not theirs. and it's very done. I've put in as much worry, dread, and fear this season as I have in years, and I don't intend to do so again until August. 3rd would be nice, and I very much hope we get it. we should. but we've been rather shit, and I won't be surprised if we don't. either way, I'm not gonna worry about it. well ... unless we're just holding on in injury time come Saturday. I probably won't be able to help it, should that come to pass. but I don't intend to worry about it.
I get that. If Spurs want to get anywhere in CL or league or FA Cup, they play every match until the final whistle on the final day of the season. And now that the 4 CL places have been decided, Spurs have the opportunity for ManU to slip up concentrating about the FA Cup final. Spurs are back in the CL for the 3rd season running and getting a grand introduction to the new stadium. I'm happy. But 2nd is a possibility, and, well...I believe. Damnit, pook, you are not gonna take that from me.
I've been so ill this past week that I completely forgot this was happening and to watch it. Glad job was done in the end.
OK, so 3rd or 4th it is, no matter what happens Sunday. Someone commented recently about taking a step back from last year. As far as the league record goes, no doubt, the stats prove that. But we were playing at Wembley, and were never going to match that stellar home record in the last season at the old Lane. We also had a much better run in the Champions League this year. So overall I think it's been decent, and it'll be fantastic to go back to the new ground with CL nights and all.
That was me. I still think, if not a step back, it was a season where the team didn’t take a step forward. League was a step down, Champions league a step up, and FA Cup/Carling Cup was no change. I worry because the team feels very fragile, one big piece shoving off for greener pastures and the whole thing could come crashing down.
yeah, I have no real complaints about the 'regression' in the league, as I completely expected it - no way were we ever going to match the previous season's home results away from N17. In fact, we came to terms with Wembley rather better than I expected. That said, we were nowhere near as solid at the back as we'd been the two years before. Many blame the fullbacks, obviously we've missed Toby, and (most significantly for me) we've not had a consistent destroying presence sitting in front of the defense the way that Wanyama did last year, and Dier the season before. In that sense - defensively - I think it's fair to say that we've regressed in a way the does need addressing. But I do think we can be damn good next year. I quite reasonably expect us to improve ... which is just the opposite of how I felt one year back. I just hope the World Cup doesn't screw us over.
speaking of which, there was some ITK on SC today saying that "Poch is a very happy man today". I know he'd been wanting a new contract, and it could be that CL qualification has just secured it for him. If so, that's the biggest worry shored up. I think we can cope with losses like Rose and/or Toby, tough as they may be to swallow. It would be the loss of any single or combination of Poch, Kane, and/or Eriksen that would make me fear such a 'crash'. Hopefully that ITK ('Hercules', I believe) knows what he's on about.
Well, from last season, Alde, Wanyama, and Winks were all out significant amount of time this season, and Spurs didn't really suffer. On top of losing Walker. Yes, the loss of Eriksen or Kane would probably be a significant blow, but I think Spurs would end up being okay. The key is adding to what Spurs have. And selling Sissoko.