New Season Expectations/Predictions/etc.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

A brand new, shiny thread for a brand new, shiny season.

At the risk of asking the obvious, what are ye're expectations?

Before I give mine, I have to say, this is only the second or third season that I'm really looking forward to as a Spurs fan (08-09:( and 10/11 being the other), we (already) have some fantastic players, and coupled with a savvy manager we can finally make a realistic push at the Manchesters, but not the title.

And I'm going to say it now (even though it's obvious), anything less than 4th is a failure. No 2 ways about, I don't care if we set a new points record, 4th is the absolute minimum. And I think it will be an absolute battle. It's extremely hard to judge how each of the top 5 from last season will get on, but I think it's safe to say Arsenal are our biggest contenders.

Also, isn't it so nice to be looking up rather than looking over our shoulders. You can make the point that we have been looking up for the past few seasons, but we've also been looking over our shoulder at Liverpool especially. I have absolutely no fear of Liverpool now, I think there is only 5 contenders for the top 4 spots, Liverpool are fighting it out for 6th.

Last year I said I would've been happy with 6th considering the departures, and overall, 5th was a massive achievement. I also said last year a few times, that under AVB we will push for the title - realistically - within 3 seasons, and I see no reason to change that now.

We are making phenomenal progress as a club, and we're just a few short strides away from becoming a truly European club. But a word of warning, from my (painful) experience of being a Spurs fan, whenever I was optimistic coming into a season, we generally underperformed, the now infamous 08/09 season is still fresh in my mind (the Geovanni free kick at the lane:(). Let's hope this set of players will live up to the expectations and secure us Champions League for next season. And please, oh bloody please, mind the f*cking gap. If we blow another lead for CL this season I think I'll have a heart attack.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. Roll on the new season.

DubPerryman

I agree with your views... very much.

I was a big supporter of bringing AVB to the club, that's why I was happy for last season to be a 'transitional' year... 4th place would have been a bonus, rather than an expectation.

This year is different. AVB has influenced the club culture and has created the dressing room to implement his tactics. As you said, 4th is the minimum now. I want us to be a feared team amongst the premier league elite, a contender.

White Heart Loon

We should be aiming to win it with the investment that's been made (and more coming hopefully). It's very possible with 3 of last years top 4 teams having new managers and the other not looking like their investing much. The hurdle I feel is getting over the first few games. Utd won it last year with a poor side, if Bale stays our first team this year is much much stronger on paper. Moyes didn't inherit a great squad.

Realistically, I'd be happy with top 4

Kiith

Top 4, or it'll be considered a failure of a season.

There's no reason, with the squad that we have, that we should be anywhere outside the top 4. I think Chelsea will win the league anyway, with City in 2nd. Utd have a new manager for the 1st time in 26 years, so there'll definitely be a some changes there, which will (hopefully) affect their performances. Arsenal haven't improved at all, and they only barely finished above us last year.

So roll on the 'Fight for 3rd place' thread :P

Cianan2

I honestly think, with our signings thus far, we are in contention for the league. That being said, we cannot be too cocky - top 4 and I'll still be dancing!

Here's hoping that due to 3 of the top 4 having new managers, and the other lot not buying much, it all works in our favour though...

Leinstersqspur

With the right manager (check) and a great squad of players (check) there is no reason why we shouldn't aspire to be title contenders. The loss of Sandro last season was a huge factor for us so notwithstanding injuries a title push should be on the cards!

Can't believe no one has said it yet "and we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory"

Audere Est Facere

golfball37

If we get no serious injuries there's no reason* why we can't win the bloody thing.

*Apart from being Spurs

SuprSi

Agree with everyone here. Despite the Bale saga, I feel optimistic about this season and I'm looking forward to Sunday. If Bales stays and we don't strengthen any more, we'll have a much stronger squad with a familiar manager. If Bale stays and we strengthen some more, who knows what could happen. The other clubs (excluding Arsenal, but they haven't strengthened yet) are in a state of flux, to some extent, so as already mentioned the top 4 could look very different at the end of this season.

My main hope for the club this season is top 4. I don't care who we displace, but 4th spot has to be the minimum aim. This is probably our best chance of doing it as we have arguably the strongest squad we've had in many years.

Roll on the new season and let's hope things go well!

DubPerryman

Here's a good article relating to this thread.... I was going to use the 'second album' analogy in my post last night, quite fitting.

http://tottenhamlive.com/blog/880-avb-second-album.html?

DubPerryman

SuprSi wrote: »

This is probably our best chance of doing it as we have arguably the strongest squad we've had in many years.

Good point.

I read in a blog piece, about Bale, somebody was suggesting this season is Bale's best chance of winning a Premier League title.

Which, is exactly the purpose of strengthening the squad as we've done. Maybe instead of RM turning his head, AVB/Levy and the rest of the background staff of turning his head to the possibility of the Premier League title being a true ambition this season.

Hatch99

Too early to say lads. If we keep Bale, top 4 is certainly the target, if Bale goes, he's a massive loss and will be near on impossible to replace.

I'll reserve judgement until the window closes.

Sugarlumps

Great to see so much positivity but title contenders is a bit of a stretch. Were going in the right direction finally, squad is getting stronger each season. We still lack that extra player or two plus the manager has only gotten his foot in the door. So I don't see us jumping from 5th to 1st place over night.

We might keep in the chasing pack until the New Year, but we'd need an injury free season and for Goaldado to claim the golden boot. We have a tendency to play poor against promoted sides and the bottom half clubs. The Europa League and who he’ll field will have a big say. The defence would need to be rock solid, something which we're not renowned for. We need goals this season and plenty of them from everyone. 4th place thank you very much.

Hatch99

Sugarlumps wrote: »

Great to see so much positivity but title contenders is a bit of a stretch. Were going in the right direction finally, squad is getting stronger each season. We still lack that extra player or two plus the manager has only gotten his foot in the door. So I don't see us jumping from 5th to 1st place over night.

We might keep in the chasing pack until the New Year, but we'd need an injury free season and for Goaldado to claim the golden boot. We have a tendency to play poor against promoted sides and the bottom half clubs. The Europa League and who he’ll field will have a big say. The defence would need to be rock solid, something which we're not renowned for. We need goals this season and plenty of them from everyone. 4th place thank you very much.

Fully agree. One step at a time. And if we lose Bale, it's massive, we are talking about one of the best players in the world. If we keep him, then happy days, but lets wait and see. I'd take 4th now but let's see what happens between now and then window closing.

golfball37

Our biggest problem as I see it is beating inferior teams at WHL. We need to make WHL a fortress. If we do this we'll contend for the title.

jobeenfitz

Well without the crystal ball its all guesswork and nobody is right or wrong yet. Bale staying or not could have an affect on our finishing position. Great to see a top class striker in. Seems there could be more top players coming in. I agree that 4th place is the minimum or else its failure.

Call me delusional but I think winning the premier league is possible with a few big IF's attached.

1. Sandro and Kabul don't relapse.
2. Soldado gets 20+ PL goals.
3. Another couple of top signings. (CB and Striker)
4. Bale stays or we sign a world class replacement with the money.

So I'm predicting 2nd with the possibility of 1st.

Hatch99

jobeenfitz wrote: »

Well without the crystal ball its all guesswork and nobody is right or wrong yet. Bale staying or not could have an affect on our finishing position. Great to see a top class striker in. Seems there could be more top players coming in. I agree that 4th place is the minimum or else its failure.

Call me delusional but I think winning the premier league is possible with a few big IF's attached.

1. Sandro and Kabul don't relapse.
2. Soldado gets 20+ PL goals.
3. Another couple of top signings. (CB and Striker)
4. Bale stays or we sign a world class replacement with the money.

So I'm predicting 2nd with the possibility of 1st.

That's a lot of if's

MrKingsley

I dont think we could or should be considered title contenders at all. We blown massive cushions just fighting for 4th place in the last two seasons. Until the players prove that they can hold their bottle in that situation the league is well out of our sights.

To me 4th is a must and I think we could challenge for 3rd but so much depends on how we perform in the first 6 games. Thats where we threw away so many points last year. We now have a settled squad, manager and style that should help us take 13-15 points from these games.

We have improved our squad without a doubt and if bale stays then that will add 10-12 points onto our tally in my opinion and get us CL.

Jesus i cant wait for sunday......................COYS!!!!!!!!!!!

SuprSi

MrKingsley wrote: »

I dont think we could or should be considered title contenders at all. We blown massive cushions just fighting for 4th place in the last two seasons. Until the players prove that they can hold their bottle in that situation the league is well out of our sights.

This is a very good point. We all said that if we blew our lead last season that we'd have this 'bottlers' tag every time we have a few points lead. Well that is still the case unless the team can prove otherwise. The first step has to be to last the season and get 4th or higher. Once that happens, the experience gained will help the following season.

White Heart Loon

Only look at last year, what happened under Redknapp shouldn't be used as he was at fault (and also sending out the same team each week without rotation). We bottled it last year because of a poor squad, losing Sandro last year cost us 4th place. Parker was a poor replacement and meant that Dembele had to be the defensive midfielder, then Parker ran forward did a 180 and passed the ball back. AVB sees this and signing Capoue goes a long way in fixing this.

Bodie Doyle

We should be challenging for the title.
Why not? Man Utd. have gone backwards, City have a new manger, Mourinho is probably the best in the business but you never go back.

Last season we achieved our record points tally.
Our manager was in his first year in charge.
We were without 2 of our most influential players through injury for the majority of the season.
Our strikers were woefully out of sorts.

And now:

Sandro & Kaboul are back.
We have added genuine quality in Paulinho & Soldado.
We have strength in depth.
Soldado. - a goalscoring machine. What we have been lacking for a while now.
This is now AVBs teams so lets see what he is made of.

But lets be honest - it all depends on Bale.
Keep him and this could be a huge season for Spurs.
Very exciting times ahead.

COYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

MrKingsley

Yes but we are going to get injuries this year as well. Things will happen off the field again like redknapp. Its up to the players to keep their heads on prooviding results

The players need to prove to themselves that they can perform over the whole season. If they can do that then ive no doubt that with a LB and number 10 we could challenge for the league in the following seasons

Dublin Spur

Man Utd + classless Moneybags Chesea and Man City will be the top 3

Between Us and the Woolwich Pikies FC for 4th and 5th

Liverpool 5th, followed by the rest.....

jobeenfitz

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Man Utd + classless Moneybags Chesea and Man City will be the top 3

Between Us and the Woolwich Pikies FC for 4th and 5th

Liverpool 5th, followed by the rest.....

Favourite's don't always win and the bookies are not always right.

Spurs can win the title and the 40/1 Corals are offering seems tempting. 33/1 with most bookies.

Gunners at 10/1 look skimpy.

2nd Row Donkey

I think that if we keep Bale we should be looking at 4th, but it should be comfortably 4th ... None of this limping over the line business or relying on other results to go our way on the last day of the season.

If Bale leaves and we get a reasonable replacement then 4th should still be the target.

I also predict Ade or Defoe will surprise us and score 15-20 goals this season... Maybe not EPL goals but EL and cup with 9-10in the EPL

Left Back on the Bench

the title is madness.don't think you can go from 5th to 1st.we're all looking at how great things could be.if soldado goes through a barren spell,sandro could get injured again or anyone for that matter.paulinho might not settle,the 1st few games with defenders out we could drop points.being a spurs fan has made me a pessimist unfortunately and losing a 10 and 7 points lead on our closest and biggest rivals has been hard to take
in other words id bite your hand off for 4th

ziedth

I reckon without Bale I would sad still be disappointed not getting 4the.

With zzz Bale I'd be again be delighted with 4th. But, a very small part of me. The 10 year old kid that started supporting spurs a couple of decades ago will begin to believe that this could be our shot. I would literally do anything to see us have a crack at it.

jobeenfitz

ziedth wrote: »

I reckon without Bale I would sad still be disappointed not getting 4the.

With zzz Bale I'd be again be delighted with 4th. But, a very small part of me. The 10 year old kid that started supporting spurs a couple of decades ago will begin to believe that this could be our shot. I would literally do anything to see us have a crack at it.

Almost ditto here except it was a couple of couple decades ago and I could remember what happened last month. Although I can still remember Bale and lennon's goals in that game last march.

bradolf pittler

Just to finish in the champions league places will do for me,Maybe finish ahead of the gooners as a bonus but not a priority.
Would also like us to treat the Europa and League cup for what they are,2nd rate competitions for our 2nd string players to get some game time.I think AVB and most of us got a bit carried away last season when it looked like we might actually win the Europa but i'm convinced it cost us in the end.Wouldnt shed a tear if we were out of both of those competitons by xmas to fully concentrate on the league.

Left Back on the Bench

bradolf pittler wrote: »

Just to finish in the champions league places will do for me,Maybe finish ahead of the gooners as a bonus but not a priority.
Would also like us to treat the Europa and League cup for what they are,2nd rate competitions for our 2nd string players to get some game time.I think AVB and most of us got a bit carried away last season when it looked like we might actually win the Europa but i'm convinced it cost us in the end.Wouldnt shed a tear if we were out of both of those competitons by xmas to fully concentrate on the league.

i can see him giving the Europa league a good go this year due to the winners getting a champions league spot

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Left Back on the Bench wrote: »

i can see him giving the Europa league a good go this year due to the winners getting a champions league spot

Not for another 2 seasons my friend.

Left Back on the Bench

THFC wrote: »

Not for another 2 seasons my friend.

oh right.if we've more depth in the squad id prefer the 2nd team to be playing

nipps

theres no doubt that this season for spurs is full of possibilities and potential successes. much of the focus has surrounded bales future at the club. imo, wether he stays or not (providing we get the suitable replacements eg. lamela/willian), our squad is stronger in quality and depth than last season. much to our surprise, levy and lewis are fully backing avb and baldini, who have played a blinder in this transfer window with shifting deadweight and ambitious signings and were not finished yet.

if bale goes and we sign the players being touted, i reckon the squad will be stronger as a whole and we will be less reliant on one player. should this happen i would maintain the stance that anything less than 4th in the league would be a failure. if he stays, it goes without saying what the target is.

of course much will depend on how avb plans on approaching the other competitions we are competing in. as we all saw last year the team suffered because of playing the 1st team in the EL and it reflected in the latter half of the season. i really hope avb prioritises the league this year and rotates his squad for the other competitions. that being said should we progress to the quater/semi finals in any competition, i wouldnt have a problem with us having a go at some silverware. but imo id rather get 4th than win something like the fa cup.

with three of last years top 4 after taking on new managers and the gooners not having had a busy window which sees there squads fairly thin, the opportunities are there.

i think our season could be defined by how well the incoming players gel with the team and avbs style of play. a lack of coherence early on could see us drop points. but if we hit the ground running it will be a very exciting season at the lane. should our key players stay injury free, i realistically think we can compete for 3rd.

its alot of ifs and buts and i suppose we'll just have to wait and see. either way i cant wait for this season to kick off!

ziedth

Left Back on the Bench wrote: »

i can see him giving the Europa league a good go this year due to the winners getting a champions league spot

I didn't know that was coming it. It's only fair really. Hard to see second place Scottish team more deserving of a crack at the CL then the EL champs.

2nd Row Donkey

I propose we wipe this thread clean of all previous comments and re-open it on Sept 2nd when we have finished signing everyone!