What Should Our Realistic Expectations For This Season Be ?

  • The Fighting Cock is a forum for fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Here you can discuss Spurs latest matches, our squad, tactics and any transfer news surrounding the club. Registration gives you access to all our forums (including 'Off Topic' discussion) and removes most of the adverts (you can remove them all via an account upgrade). You're here now, you might as well...

    Get involved!

Latest Spurs videos from Sky Sports

Sort by date Sort by reaction score
If we end up without a trophy but finish Top 4 again does that represent failure?

I'm not sure that it does.

If we win the League Cup will that silence the critics and satisfy a vocal minority of Spurs fans who almost seem embarrassed to support this great club?

Again, not that sure that it will.

Poch could go all out for the League and FA Cups but not sure it's worth it if it has a detrimental affect on our PL and CL campaigns. He should continue to rotate the squad until we are deep in either competition imo. What will be will be.
 
Whether we finish second or fourth doesn't matter that much as we won't win the league anyway, I would rather finish fourth and win the FA Cup. Anything more than the quarter finals in the CL would be a bonus, not much has changed in that regard.

Borderline deluded to think that Poch all of a sudden has got more than a puncher's chance to win the league or CL this season.
 
MDG said:
If we end up without a trophy but finish Top 4 again does that represent failure?

I'm not sure that it does.

If we win the League Cup will that silence the critics and satisfy a vocal minority of Spurs fans who almost seem embarrassed to support this great club?

Again, not that sure that it will.

Poch could go all out for the League and FA Cups but not sure it's worth it if it has a detrimental affect on our PL and CL campaigns. He should continue to rotate the squad until we are deep in either competition imo. What will be will be.
Click to expand...

For me the league is simply bread and butter; we live it from week to week... Finishing as high as possible isn't exclusively about CL qualification as far as I'm concerned. It's what truly defines our 'level'... Our marker.

As our critics will eagerly point out, CL final doesn't mean we're second best in Europe (similarly Liverpool arent the best for winning it) nor does a domestic cup mean we'd be amongst the UK's finest.
 
Airfixx said:
For me the league is simply bread and butter; we live it from week to week... Finishing as high as possible isn't exclusively about CL qualification as far as I'm concerned. It's what truly defines our 'level'... Our marker.

As our critics will eagerly point out, CL final doesn't mean we're second best in Europe (similarly Liverpool arent the best for winning it) nor does a domestic cup mean we'd be amongst the UK's finest.
Click to expand...

Of course, the league table never lies and you finish where you deserve to finish.

Don't get me wrong it would be great to see us lift either domestic cup or even both but neither are our priorities this season not over finishing Top 4 and going as far as possible in the CL.
 
MDG said:
No, I said the priority isn't in trying to win a domestic cup but rather to finish as high up in the league as possible AND do well in the CL.

If a domestic cup is won then great but I'm not going to be screaming for Poch's head if we fail to do so.

Also, check our history. We've had little periods where we've won a few trophies but we have two league titles to our name. That's not solely down to Levy and Poch is it?

You're just being a complete and utter dick as per fucking usual.
Click to expand...


So the target is the exact same target as the season before and the one before that and the one before that.

MDG’s Tottenham Future Expections.

2021 - Top 4 Finish and CL campaign

2022 - Top 4 Finish and CL campaign

2023 - Top 4 Finish and CL campaign

2024 - Top 4 Finish and CL campaign

2025 - Top 4 Finish and CL campaign

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

A ‘magnificent’ return in your own words.

You are absolutely right we had little periods of no silverware - what we haven’t had since the war is a compete decade with no silverware which what we just have had. This at a time when the club has had two of its most talented sides but according to you there is nothing concerning about this.

This is what happens when a supporter stops supporting the club and starts supporting its employees.
 
There is a really strange secondary argument which is something which I find insane and you can trace it in this thread. It goes something like this...

Spurs have failed to win some silverware domestically or in Europe, why aren't the fans angrier with the club and Pochettino for not delivering something which the squad is capable of?

The problem is that, for some progress isn't enough, that without tangible silverware the club is nothing but a failure. I honestly believe if we finish top 4 and won the league cup, the very same fans would not be satisfied in earnest, there will be something else.

When I started listening to the Podcast, most of the team would have sold their own grandmothers just to finish above Woolwich. Things have changed and we have progressed but that hunger hasn't been sated and in honesty I doubt it would unless we won the league or champions league, but everyone comes to the table with their own expectations.

The strange thing is what will these people do if their expectations aren't met? Boo at games? Start a Youtube channel, maybe write some pithy placards or start a twitter campaign. I wonder which club's set of fans has done this before???

 
The Hood said:
I have made my position abundantly clear - I expect teams with this level of talent to win trophies and will look at identify where the fault lies when it does not . That’s a perfectly normal thing to do what - what isn’t is to look immediately to excuse everyone and anyone at the club when this doesn’t happen which is what you and many others on here do.
Click to expand...

Let me know when you call your press conference...
 
JohnH said:
Top 3. The aim though, of course should be to win the league.
Click to expand...

I really do see this as an opportunity to create a top 3 of which we will be a part. Together with City and Liverpool we have an opportunity to pull away from the Chelsea/Woolwich/Man Utd, Evertons etc etc of this world and leave them all in our wake chasing the final fourth spot.
It's not enough to simply be above them, we have to create a gap between us and them which is sufficient to suggest we are now streets ahead as far as depth and quality of players is concerned.
"Realistically" that is possible and we do it by not losing 13 games in one season ever again. Lesson learnt I hope.
 
The Hood said:
So let me get this right not only is there no merit in those Spurs supports who question the reason for the clubs failure to secure silverware. There is also no merit in those Woolwich supporters who want Kroenke gone , a chairman who is easily one of the worst club owners in the PL whose tenure has resulted in a massive decline in the clubs fortunes. I can only imagine you during the Sugar era - ‘but if it wasn’t for Sugar we would had Maxwell’. ‘It’s an absolute disgrace that those supporters are protesting against the man who saved the club’. ‘Christian Gross will be our Wenger just you see!’ . You are the perfect supporter for the modern club - zero accountability for anyone, real supporters keep their mouths shut!
Click to expand...

I find it hilarious you don't, like most normal folk, find their behaviour utterly cringe inducing, if you want our fans to behave like that prick in the future, I want no part in it.
 
chubbs said:
It's incredibly hard to win a trophy - and all teams need help from lady luck along the way (some need more help than others).

One day she will smile on us.

Until that day arrives all we need to do is criticise, moan, gripe, abuse each other and melt, as all genuine supporters should.

Poch out.
Click to expand...
Oh don’t worry now the season has started there are certain posters who’ve not been on the go on here for the whole summer, now they’ve either been away on a long holiday......or more likely they can’t find fuck all to moan about we’ve signed someone won a dinky wee trophy(yes I know it counts for nothing) and other than the players who want out which the club can’t do fuck all about! everything been positive they’ll be itching to get on that keyboard bet they can’t wait for back of 7 on Saturday night!
 
I’m not buying this “miles behind Liverpool” thing.

We consistently finished above them for years then they added a CB and a GK and suddenly they are untouchable?? Yes the gap was huge last year, but not a fair reflection - we massively fell away, they won their last dozen games in a freaky title race.

WE WERE AHEAD OF CITY after 19 games....

I don’t see City getting another 98 points. I don’t believe Liverpool are miles ahead of us.

So the aim should be to win the league (not that I think we will by the way!)

Agree with comments that some of rivals are running through treacle and still getting to finals and picking up trophies, it is annoying that....

So realistically this year.

Top 3 but to be in the hunt beyond last years February meltdown.
I think City will win it. But I don’t see Liverpool locking up 2nd place.

Cups will be interesting.... bit of luck with the draw and who knows.... Palace last year we had no midfield and Chelski only beat us on pens (we should have gone thru on away goals!) so it’s hard to say we didn’t try for a domestic cup last year.

The extra players and being at home will all help - as will having a summer off for most of our players. The experience of the UCL should drive on “top” players - or show up those who just believe they are.
I think Kane will smash it this year. A 40 plus return if he plays most of it.

Plus we can’t possibly lose 20 games again right?!

I think we’ll have a good season.

:kanegoal:
 
In all honesty unless FA comes down hard on Man$$ity, we (or other Top 5 clubs) cannot hope to smash those cheaters off the throne. Last year Man$$ity took 98 points INSPITE of losing their most creative player for over 2/3 of the season to injury and another key player losing his head. With the 1st team in full strength, I don't see Liverpool giving them much of chase this season or next... so long as Pep stays on.

Limitless Money + Mancini or Pellegrini = threat to win EPL.
Limitless Money + Pep = Utter domination of EPL.

I am hoping either FA or UEFA comes hard on Man$$ity or Pep gets bored and leave Man$$ity for REAL challenge. That being said, I think we can challenge for 2nd place finish (which in my mind is really winning the PL). Liverpool is NOT light years better than us, we can over take them..
 
78Spur said:
Yes, I'm sneering at you and not at all pointing out that you're a miserable git looking to point the finger at the first opportunity like some entitled manchild.
Click to expand...


You’re right I’m a terrible supporter - I mean just how entitled can we get to expect one of the best sides in the league to like actually win something! Crazy talk.

We won a league cup in 2008 and beat a side with a billionaire owner to do that and yet we still want more. Unbelievable.

If only some didn’t have such short memories - do they not remember the ‘90s - that’s only 20 years ago. Look how far we have come since then. We should never forget Gerry Francis or Christian Gross and all future expectation levels should be set around that.
 
sammyspurs said:
But be honest....you wouldn’t give a fuck if he was slagging off Levy.....or Dier......but when it’s Poch, suddenly everyone gets offended and no one wants a trophy.
Click to expand...

Come on Sammy; you're way better than that bullshit.

(I'm pretty sure that equally you don't hold Poch exclusively responsible for us bagging no silverware in the last 11 years, so honestly, what gives....? What are you getting at with such a lame comment?)

When you look at his tenure, Poch (imo) has done a lot more right than wrong and has played a massive part in developing our players and moving the club forward.... Ditto Levy in terms of progress vs fuck ups.

Why does everything have to be such a black & white, binary & polar conflict? (...."Are you Poch or Levy out?")

I currently hate the diamond and question the gaffer for persisting with it, but in amongst my frustration he still got us to the CL final with it despite an injury crisis and no investment in the squad for a season.

You yourself hold the opinion that certain players don't show up for the big occasion (i tend to agree), but the same squad has propelled us where we find ourselves in recent years.

In truth very few of us tidily fit into the convenient box that the likes of The Hood (and yourself in the above post) or 'spend or die' idiots like John Thomas insist on putting us into.

Is it wrong to appreciate the trajectory the club is on and not believe anyone needs to lose their job (or in the players cases be resigned to training with the youth) because, for reasons not exclusively under our control, we haven't won a trophy under this manager? ...Why is this hypocritical as you insist on implying here?

Why should anyone outright EXPECT a trophy? ....How far back 'should' we have been 'demanding' one?

Yeh we blew some dosh this summer, but we don't operate in a vacuum.

If we finish this year pot-less and finish 2nd or 3rd.... Then what? Sack Poch? .........REALLY?
 
Last edited:
The Hood said:
Really that’s news to me? Funny because I seem to recall our supporter base mocking Wengers top 4 is a trophy obsession but seemingly the situation is different when it is us somehow.

The CL is the biggest con of the modern era - it’s deluded a whole generation of supporters into believing it’s the gate way to the elite and that domestic cup tournaments no longer matter.
Click to expand...

That’s because the evidence says it’s true - last time we won a trophy it didn’t prevent our best two strikers leaving, and the manager getting the chop just 8 months later, whereas when we first qualified for the CL just 2 years later, we kept everyone important and added a player like Rafael Van Der Vaart who previously wouldn’t have glanced in our direction.

Players like N’Dombele and Lo Celso wouldn’t consider us a desirable destination had we finished outside the top 4 and picked up a domestic trophy.

Fact is the league is the bread and butter. We should be aiming to compete for that, if not then we must make sure we get inside the top 4.

2nd priority is the CL - The increased revenue and profile it brings us means we can then go for a higher standard of player, pay bigger wages and with no little irony, set about building the kind of deep quality squad that can win domestic cups.

I didn’t truly realise what a big deal the CL was until that report of the usual media room at Hotspur way (which is only 7 years old btw) not being able to accommodate everyone in the press conference building up to the final. Imagine.

For club owners and players domestic cups are a nice filip but short lived- So many examples of clubs who’ve won domestic trophies and it made no difference to their status - Portsmouth, Wigan, Swansea, Man City - or managers of big clubs who won a domestic trophy and the board/fans still wanted them gone because they were uncompetitive in the league or failed to reach the CL; see Dalglish, LVG, Wenger & Conte.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom