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Management Did reaching the Champion league final paper over some cracks?
- Thread starter superstaryid
- Start date
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We were not ahead at HT in a single CL match last season, so yes. Every single game was a struggle, even against PSV.
Just one season before we bitchslapped Real Madrid with ease in the group phase, our football was poor last season.
Just one season before we bitchslapped Real Madrid with ease in the group phase, our football was poor last season.
Rarely looked great all season imo, some valid excuses for that, no signings, Wembley, injuries, too many at the world Cup etc.
I really feel we were extremely lucky to get top 4 in the end and Ajax must feel like they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Yes massively, we played shit last season and was very lucky that United and Woolwich also where shit.
However we where also very unlucky with injuries but that's why it's so important that we get the depth in this window so that won't happen again
However we where also very unlucky with injuries but that's why it's so important that we get the depth in this window so that won't happen again
Only if you were myopic Magoo.
If you were a fan with any kind of objective judgement you knew 13 Premier League defeats were cracks beyond our defence or defensible.
If you were a fan with any kind of objective judgement you knew 13 Premier League defeats were cracks beyond our defence or defensible.
Even the most diehard fan would admit that we were extremely fortunate to make the final last year.
We were a solid quarter final team level - but by God we got the rub of the green in the quarter final and then the semi final. 9 times out of ten we lose either or both those ties.
Guardiola's team selection in the first match was terrible to say the least.
Top 4 we ultimately deserved - not by the fact that we were so superior to all the other teams, just that Man U and Woolwich combined to pretty much self destruct.
So yeah - it papered over the cracks..... BUT... There's no reason why we shouldn't have been surfing the crest of that wave into the transfer market and into this season.
We were a solid quarter final team level - but by God we got the rub of the green in the quarter final and then the semi final. 9 times out of ten we lose either or both those ties.
Guardiola's team selection in the first match was terrible to say the least.
Top 4 we ultimately deserved - not by the fact that we were so superior to all the other teams, just that Man U and Woolwich combined to pretty much self destruct.
So yeah - it papered over the cracks..... BUT... There's no reason why we shouldn't have been surfing the crest of that wave into the transfer market and into this season.
Brilliantly put.
We definitely had some mitigating circumstances, I think Poch himself referred to this many times saying we had to overcome many things that other teams didn’t have to deal with. No stadium, no transfers, massive injury problems, Lloris being arrested and convicted, Son going to two different tournaments mid-season, Dembele leaving in January, it was a strange year.
Will still get disagrees though......
We certainly had the rub of the green in the champs league games, for pure drama it was amazing but we had var to thank against Man City, thanks to Eriksen being too casual with the ball in injury time.
That said and as others have pointed out, that despite son on his travels, injuries, no signings and no pre season for a lot of our players it did show what we can achieve.....probably why I am sharing the frustration others are showing with our lack of new signings so far......hopefully the next week sorts that.....
That said and as others have pointed out, that despite son on his travels, injuries, no signings and no pre season for a lot of our players it did show what we can achieve.....probably why I am sharing the frustration others are showing with our lack of new signings so far......hopefully the next week sorts that.....
Last season is done. History.
Come On You Spurs!!!!
EDIT: We got to the ECL final because we beat other teams fair and square. Football isn’t decided on who ‘deserves’ to win. Otherwise we would have won the league the season <shudder> Leicester won it. They played ugly, atrocious, drug enhanced football while we played like gods. And yet they scratched their way to the title with a series of dull wins based on having a coked up centre forward playing on the counter attack. I don’t care who ‘should’ win, or even if we win by pure fluke. It’s the game.
Come On You Spurs!!!!
EDIT: We got to the ECL final because we beat other teams fair and square. Football isn’t decided on who ‘deserves’ to win. Otherwise we would have won the league the season <shudder> Leicester won it. They played ugly, atrocious, drug enhanced football while we played like gods. And yet they scratched their way to the title with a series of dull wins based on having a coked up centre forward playing on the counter attack. I don’t care who ‘should’ win, or even if we win by pure fluke. It’s the game.
We were poor most of last season, but honestly I doubt any of us will see a stretch of drama like we had in the CL ever again in our lifetimes. Even winning the EPL wouldn't really match the situations we came out of to reach last year's final. Certainly any drama in the domestic cups would not match last year's CL.
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The guy I sat next to at at Wembley agreed it was the worst the team had played under Poch but there was a certain resilience that meant we would win games. Both said it was down to the team getting older and more experienced.
Back end of the season as we lost a lot more games I think tiredness was the main factor.
Added to a lack of options in the squad.
1 signing this summer won’t be what Poch was hoping for.
But a “better” season of injuries will be just as important.
Back end of the season as we lost a lot more games I think tiredness was the main factor.
Added to a lack of options in the squad.
1 signing this summer won’t be what Poch was hoping for.
But a “better” season of injuries will be just as important.
When I think back only a few seasons, we didn't look like a team who could get out of the CL group stages. Now we do look like one. That's a laudable achievement, because it's so hard. Progress under Poch has been steady and significant. When you get to the level we're currently at, progress becomes much more difficult and it's easy to fall back. One day we will, but not yet, I hope.
We should be thankful for the wonderful times Spurs have given us recently and pray they continue for as long as possible.
Trophies would be wonderful, but what is more important is that we're a true, proper football club in a world dominated by success bought with foreign cheque books. There are no 'papered over cracks'. In pure footballing terms, we're a success. Currently, there is no more successful a football club in England than Tottenham Hotspur.
^^all 100% my opinions. Don't ask me to justify, because I won't, and I don't give a flying fuck if you disagree with any or all of it, so don't waste your time telling me.
We should be thankful for the wonderful times Spurs have given us recently and pray they continue for as long as possible.
Trophies would be wonderful, but what is more important is that we're a true, proper football club in a world dominated by success bought with foreign cheque books. There are no 'papered over cracks'. In pure footballing terms, we're a success. Currently, there is no more successful a football club in England than Tottenham Hotspur.
^^all 100% my opinions. Don't ask me to justify, because I won't, and I don't give a flying fuck if you disagree with any or all of it, so don't waste your time telling me.
If we papered over cracks then so did EVERY other team!!
City lost games - didn't make it past quarterfinals AGAIN!
Liverpool lost games - We were the better team (the best in a poor game) in the final. They got a pen that shouldn't have been a pen. We had more shots, 3 times more shots on target, more possession, more passes in final 3rd, their 'keeper was given MOTM.
Had Barca not missed two open goals Liverpool wouldn't have gone through.
Liverpool finished 2nd in their group the same as us, also the same as us they did it with the same number of points as the 3rd placed team.
Man U were spanked
PSG lost games (lost to MAN U!!) PSG absolutely bottled it AGAIN!!
Atleti dropped into Europa!
Juve didn't get past the 1/4's got utterly spanked by the team we deservedly beat in the semi-final.
A lot was said about our poor start in the group stages, our results were shit but we actually played well and with the exception of ONE game, home vs Barca, we completely outplayed our opponents. I'd say we were playing much better football in the CL than we were in the League.
We still did it playing all our games apart from City and Ajax away from home, we still did it with 90% of our first 11 having has 5 days pre-season, which followed the worst injury list I can remember. Seriously, what other team had to contend with this?
Did you know that Spurs were the only one of the four English teams in European finals who won their semifinal tie on expected goals!!
City lost games - didn't make it past quarterfinals AGAIN!
Liverpool lost games - We were the better team (the best in a poor game) in the final. They got a pen that shouldn't have been a pen. We had more shots, 3 times more shots on target, more possession, more passes in final 3rd, their 'keeper was given MOTM.
Had Barca not missed two open goals Liverpool wouldn't have gone through.
Liverpool finished 2nd in their group the same as us, also the same as us they did it with the same number of points as the 3rd placed team.
Man U were spanked
PSG lost games (lost to MAN U!!) PSG absolutely bottled it AGAIN!!
Atleti dropped into Europa!
Juve didn't get past the 1/4's got utterly spanked by the team we deservedly beat in the semi-final.
A lot was said about our poor start in the group stages, our results were shit but we actually played well and with the exception of ONE game, home vs Barca, we completely outplayed our opponents. I'd say we were playing much better football in the CL than we were in the League.
We still did it playing all our games apart from City and Ajax away from home, we still did it with 90% of our first 11 having has 5 days pre-season, which followed the worst injury list I can remember. Seriously, what other team had to contend with this?
Did you know that Spurs were the only one of the four English teams in European finals who won their semifinal tie on expected goals!!
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Did we look like a team that could get out of the CL group stages last season? We were on the ropes for most of the group stage . Inter let us through by f-ing up rather than us doing something spectacular.