The Most Competitive Premier League Ever

[Never Mind The Pollocks]

I can see Spurs challenging for top 3 so long as they sign a top striker, so missing out on Villa would have hurt them. Paulinho is a great signing.

----Paulinho--Dembele--Sandro------
Lennon--------------------------Bale
--------------?----------------------

Lots of versatility too, with a 2 man midfield and Bale coming inside behind the striker. They need a better wideman than Sighurdsson though if they want to challenge.

That three in midfield could be a lethal trio and one of the most feared in the PL if it all comes together.

I think Holtby could be massive for Spurs next season as well and if they can upgrade on Lennon they will be a force. Di Maria???

Spurs then just need a clinical striker and they are rolling, they just need to leave the Europa and focus on the league and who knows???

Then what? If you can't handle the Europa league and a top 4 finish at once, how do they expect to handle the CL (and the domestic cups)? Let alone a title challenge.

Last season we cruised through the Europa league without even trying until we somehow ended up in the final. Mikel even said in an interview that he found it difficult to take the competition seriously (admittedly this pissed me off). On top of this we had penalties awarded against us in every single knockout stage and played a record number of games.

Not to gloat but it goes to prove that this Europa League "obstacle" mentality is a lame excuse. Spuds should be dominating that competition every year without it affecting their league performance. Considering that they're not, and claiming it's getting in the way of qualifying for the big boy table, they're probably just not as good as they think they are.

I think that just goes to show how well Rafa did for you lot.

 

[mancboy]

Spurs are banking to have a repeat performance of last season which still only put them fifth so why everyone thinks they are title contenders baffles me, i cant see paulinho making that much of a difference.

What you're saying is as asinine as me saying Manchester City are banking on dropping a further 11 Premier League points, as they did last season.

We're banking on surpassing last season's performance.

You really not think that having Paulinho, Kaboul (missing for all but the opening game last season) and Sandro (missing for the second half of the season) will make any difference?

Plus the fact we've got a manager with a full season's experience at the club under his belt.

And there will almost certainly be a few more new signings made before the window closes.

You really not think that having Paulinho, Kaboul (missing for all but the opening game last season) and Sandro (missing for the second half of the season) will make any difference?

To be honest no.

I do think having Fernandinho, Navas, a fit Aguero, a fit Rodwell, a fit Richards and Yaya not fucking off to ACON will though.

You relied massively on Bale last season. Don't lose sight of that.

It amazes me how much spurs fans cannot see how muh bale dragged em kicking and screaming to where they were last season and it was still only fifth and he will have to have to repeat that again this season for them to come in the top five again.

 

[Castiel]

I think that just goes to show how well Rafa did for you lot.

It also goes to show how great RDM is considering he won a CL/FA cup double with an inferior squad. Or are we engaging in more Orwellian double-speak?

 

[Matty]

What you're saying is as asinine as me saying Manchester City are banking on dropping a further 11 Premier League points, as they did last season.

We're banking on surpassing last season's performance.

You really not think that having Paulinho, Kaboul (missing for all but the opening game last season) and Sandro (missing for the second half of the season) will make any difference?

Plus the fact we've got a manager with a full season's experience at the club under his belt.

And there will almost certainly be a few more new signings made before the window closes.

As their will for everyone else mate. I could say the same about our team mate do you really think having aguero fit for a full season, not losing yaya for 7 games, vincent kompany for a quarter of the season, jack rodewell for a full season plus navas and fernandihno wont make a difference to us and make us better.

Everyone had injuries etc and stuff but the fact is bale dragged you out of the mud more times than not last season whether you want to admit it or not and sandro gets better the more he doesnt play as does kaboul, your optimism is fine and admirable but everyone gets injuries etc and you may be banking on bettering last seasons performance but so is everyone else and that is why i dont see you being title contenders.

The question remains though if bale doesnt have a wow of a season what else do you have, paulinho, haboul and sandro are not going to make much of a difference to your team purely because they have played for you before and didnt then so why would they now?

Well City have lost one of their best players (Tevez) and have a manager with absolutely no Premier League experience.

I'd say it will be very close as to which club comes out on top come May.

City have just 2 front line forwards left in Dzeko and Aguero (Guidetti as a backup, but seriously unproven in the Premier League). Even the blindest of fools can see we are clearly going to be signing at least one top level striker this summer, so the loss of Tevez isn't going to hit us as hard as you seems to be suggesting. Pellegrini may well not have Premier League experience, but neither did Laudrup last season, or Mourinho when he arrived at Chelsea, or Wenger at Arsenal, or Mancini at our place for that matter. Didn't seem to do any of them too much harm.

I'd say it will indeed be very close as to which club comes out on top come May........between City, United and Chelsea in a 3 horse race for the title. Spurs could have it in them to get past Arsenal for 4th, but that relies upon addressing some defensive issues, and revamping the forward line which is seriously weak by top level standards.

I can understand club bias, I too view my team through blue tinted specs at times, but there really needs to be a sense of reality to it all. Without the kind of investment that City and Chelsea have had it is pretty much impossble to jump from the level Spurs have been at for the past few seasons (in the 4th/5th/6th bracket, fighting for a Champion's League spot but not close to the title) to being a title contender, or winner for that matter.

Look at the facts, I know you enjoy those! The last 10 years, here's Spurs finishing position, and distance from the title.

2012-13 - 5th - 17 points adrift
2011-12 - 4th - 20 points adrift
2010-11 - 5th - 18 points adrift
2009-10 - 4th - 16 points adrift
2008-09 - 8th - 39 points adrift
2007-08 - 11th - 41 points adrift
2006-07 - 5th - 29 points adrift
2005-06 - 5th - 26 points adrift
2004-05 - 9th - 43 points adrift
2003-04 - 14th - 45 points adrift

So, in the last decade the closest Spurs have come to the title is 4th place, and even then they were 16 points behind the eventual winner. The last 4 seasons have seen Spurs plateau, and this is their current position too. You talk about the return of Kaboul and Sandro, and the addition of Paulinho, well those first two have been around for a couple of seasons, and made no real difference when compared to last season. Is Paulinho good? Yes. Is he going to make a huge difference? No. Like Fernandinho for us, he'll be a good addition, but he's not going to be a major impact player, it's not the role he plays. For Spurs to make the jump from 4th/5th and 15 to 20 points adrift of the title to being legitimate title contenders they need major squad changes, and a huge amount of money invested. That hasn't happened to date, and Levy doesn't seem they type (or for that matter have the funds) to spend the kind of money needed for such a meteoric, and rapid, improvement.

Spurs will finish in 4th or 5th place (alongside Arsenal) and will be 15 to 20 points behind whoever eventually wins the title. That's where they've been for 4 years and there's nothing to indicate this will change.

 

[Slicker than Sommeil]

Heard Bernard is hotly being followed by Spuds, Him in a midfield behind a striker or on the wing would be lethal with Bale.

- - - Paulinho - Dembele - Sandro - - -
Bernard - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bale
Defoe

Very good midfield, and if they can get another decent striker they will be a threat imo.

 

[GHoddle]

Heard Bernard is hotly being followed by Spuds, Him in a midfield behind a striker or on the wing would be lethal with Bale.

- - - Paulinho - Dembele - Sandro - - -
Bernard - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bale
Defoe

Very good midfield, and if they can get another decent striker they will be a threat imo.

I'd be very surprised if we got Bernard, even if we offered the money they want which I doubt we will, other clubs will be in for him too.

 

[Slicker than Sommeil]

Heard Bernard is hotly being followed by Spuds, Him in a midfield behind a striker or on the wing would be lethal with Bale.

- - - Paulinho - Dembele - Sandro - - -
Bernard - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bale
Defoe

Very good midfield, and if they can get another decent striker they will be a threat imo.

I'd be very surprised if we got Bernard, even if we offered the money they want which I doubt we will, other clubs will be in for him too.

I want him at City.
I reckon he'll be a bigger and better player than Isco.<br /><br />-- Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:40 am --<br /><br />

Heard Bernard is hotly being followed by Spuds, Him in a midfield behind a striker or on the wing would be lethal with Bale.

- - - Paulinho - Dembele - Sandro - - -
Bernard - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bale
Defoe

Very good midfield, and if they can get another decent striker they will be a threat imo.

I'd be very surprised if we got Bernard, even if we offered the money they want which I doubt we will, other clubs will be in for him too.

I want him at City.
I reckon he'll be a bigger and better player than Isco.

 

[Castiel]

This "unproven in the premier league" is a wives tale in my opinion. Ancelotti broke scoring records and won a double in his first season here. Mourinho goes without saying. There are just as many examples of successful managers in their first stint in this league as there are unsuccessful. Same applies to players. It's about individuals, some people thrive and others don't. Some just take a little time. Football fans love to generalise.

Is AVB proven in the premier league? What exactly has he proven? His first attempt was a complete disaster and he failed to achieve top 4 in his second.

 

[chris63]

Think spurs will make the 4 this season, but at who's expense ?
the scum ?

 

[Jack the United fan]

United and City battling for top two, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal battling for 3rd I think. Obviously 2 will miss out, one big time, and I think Spurs could well bottle it again. Either way I can't see the table changing much regarding top 4. They really need to make it this time though, they need CL football to have any chance at all of keeping Bale beyond this coming season.