Its funny because I could reverse that whole thing when it comes to blind happy clapping..
For me the things we have progressed from last season are: (note, to be fair to Poch, I will only take the comparison to last years train crash of a season)
Fitness
Belief
Work ethic
Some individual players
Stayed the same:
Outcasting of certain players for personal reasons
Too many games where we look diabolical and clueless
Poor subs
Final position (with any luck)
Lack of tactical plan
Consistency
Targets failed
Style of play (bar 2 or 3 games, and the odd spells sometimes)
Regressed:
Flexibility with working formations
Some individual players
Final position? Possibly
You can even look at progression and regression within this same season.
Before Christmas, I was impressed with:
Aggressive pressing
A distinct approach to the game
Changing up the team
Eriksen
Mason
Some flowing football
All of those things have regressed this year.
If you feel thats overtly negative, feel free to point out what you strongly disagree with.
Id say its a fair outlook on the season, personally.
I remember giving Carlito Brigante a good slating around the time we beat Chelsea, when he said our luck would soon run out and we were all blinded by Eriksen and Kane's late goals.
I dont think we were lucky at all...I think Poch had worked hard on the players and instilled something...but fuck me, if you cant see that its worn off since then and the likes of Eriksen look like someone whos just got back from The Somme, then I dont know.
By the way, what happened to Townsend? I dont rate him at all.....but remember when Poch did? And he would play every single week without fail? And then he scored for England and was on cloud nine?
So Poch dropped him, never to be seen again......
Actually, Townsend started several games after that, until he just didn't accomplish anything, and was then benched.
I see a definite tactical plan, but I find the problem is at this point the squad has some fatigue issues (Eriksen in particular is just gassed after the mileage he's racked up), and we still have the black hole in central midfield which distorts everything else. We press, but without a real CM who can do the breaking up/holding, we're too easily taken out of position and then gutted. This may be an inexperience thing (Mason and Bentaleb), or a talent thing (both are creative types, not guys who end opposition threats), and I don't think the solution is something you measure in tackles or interceptions, but it's a big problem. Neither Capoue or Stambouli have been able to show themselves to be that guy, and without one, the whole system struggles to function consistently.
There is definitely no plan B, and a lack of flexibility, but no manager has all the tools. I think the club has taken the position that Pochettino needs more guys who can deliver on plan A, rather than beating on him for not having a plan B.
I don't know if that will work out, or if we can actually get a whole squad who can do plan A (at least, not all in one window), but I hope we can, because when it works, it's a lot more fun than anything I've seen from AVB or Sherwood.
For me, it's progress over the two previous seasons. I would like it to be the start of a return to the level of the team from now 4-5 years ago, but that will only come in time, as it did then.