With around three weeks to go until the Premier League kicks off again, at least one thing has been sorted; the fixtures. The other remaining ‘thing’ to be sorted, the Transfer Window, will hold our undivided attention for a while longer.
But with the release of the fixtures the upcoming season becomes serious. We have something concrete to consider and speculate on. We can examine the fixture list for all competing clubs and attempt to determine how the start of the season might progress and we can consider what would make for a successful season when it’s all over. It’s the time for all optimists, cynics, hopefuls, and dreamers, to show what they’ve got.
In this regard, nothing has changed for me since last season. I want to see eleven Spurs players on the park playing good football (however that is defined) as a team; a solid unit. I want to see Spurs finish in the top four with Champions League football on the horizon. I want to see a new and welcome Cup (any cup) added to our neglected trophy cabinet. And I want to be entertained. And I don’t think what I want is either unreasonable or unrealistic.
Looking at the list, the early games suggest we can be off to a very good start. A good start will give us something to build on and push us well into the season. We seem to have three winnable games before we meet United away. Three games to gain confidence and a belief when we face them. That game is followed by more winnable games. The United game could be crucial …. but not season-defining.
For those who believe in fairies, consider this. Our most successful season happened in 1960-61. This season is 2020-21. That season started with a home game against Everton (2-0). This season starts with a home game against Everton. I know, it’s freaky, isn’t it. (smile of amusement).
So, the questions are: What do we want? What is realistic? and …. Do you believe in fairies?
HT, isn’t that the goal every season a top4 finish and a cup win.
Have you not heard of Sports Science 123spurs – of course we can’t win a cup as well as compete in the league – ha ha!
I wonder if there will be any FFP investigation into Chelsea following the current transfer window?
With those already signed and those strongly rumoured to be joining their spending seems likely to be £200m plus, and that assumes a free transfer for Thiago Silva who will no doubt get a substantial signing on fee and massive wages.
Seems Mr. Abramovich is likely making another zero interest indefinite loan to the club to try and win a trophy as every other club struggles to spend big in the coronavirus affected market.
TQ
After the Man C debacle, Are there any FFP rules any more? Seems if you can put up enough money for a legal challenge, Fifa don’t have the b+lls to fight the case. Leaving us much as before probably the fairest Financially run club in Europe but sadly behind those who may not be playing by the rules in purchasing power.
Money talks m8.
Hi Niall, yeah that’s kind of the point I was making in a roundabout way, we all know the FFP rules are a nonsense and will never achieve what they were introduced to do. It must frustrate those clubs that operate in a sustainable way rather than become the plaything of the ultra wealthy.
not only a 50mil plus players, we of course will not match the wages they will be getting. We are likes of city and Chelsea getting the money, seems like the owners are just putting their hands in their deep pockets as no income from match days etc.
Indeed there seems some question on Chelsea / Man city financing transfers etc. over the last 15 years.
As for ENIC / THFC at the start of WHL development my ITK who knows Levy & Joe lewis said joe was putting in £148m towards the cost, Levy raised finance loans on the balance. I dont know if Levy paid joe back when he refinanced the stadium last year. Joe is now about 84yrs old, so I can’t see his loan carrying over his passing.. unless a clause in the loan has said it is transferable / assigns/ successors to joe’s estate.
Now Levy has low interest £173m Bank o England loan we don’t know how he is using this… I guess some of the expensive interest on the stadium loan was repaid and rest as working capital. ?
Haven’t commented in a while but been trying to keep abreast of everything written on here all the same in that time…………!
Sad to see Vert’s going to Benfica (although a good choice for him personally at this stage in his career and they are going places under JJ again and with a host of new signings including Vert’s himself aswell as Everton Soares, etc) – would have preferred to have seen him “up norf” at my favoured Porto LOL!
See we’ve signed Hoj and Hart (and Devine) – 2 (3) good solid signings – look forward to seeing more of them especially Hoj in that specific much needed DMC role.
Great to have a seriously experienced and good performer in Hart to push Lloris all the way and then there’s still Gazza for back-up to them also – very good competition at GK with the 3 of them (all being full international’s one might add)!
Credit to Levy and JM for getting Hoj for only £15m up front and re-couping £12m of that for KWP – great bit of business – in my view if KWP was good enough – JM/Levy would not be letting him leave when he still had 3 years left on his contract! Further as regards Hoj – any other time your looking at £30-35 even £40m for him most probably (captain at Southampton, loads of Prem and international experience, etc and still only just turned 25) so like I say great bit of business by our powers that be!
I’m somewhat in agreement with HT especially regarding Winksy – will be interesting to see a DM pairing of Hoj and Winks whilst N’Dombele hopefully gets upto speed and ready for a fight not to mention Sissoko vying also and even Fernandes!
I’m now satisfied and happy that Winks is staying – still only 24 and plenty of room for improvement left – I don’t think the pure defensive role in that double DCM pivot pairing is his forte (height and strength for example lacking – something that will not be the case with Hoj), on the other hand playing the more advanced of the double pivot role and being involved in the transition between defence and attack could suit him down to the ground – very good player to have in there and will bleed for us and loves the club aswell as being English and thus home-grown – many, many positives to young Winksy if one looks carefully enough like those already mentioned and also very technical as is a great passer, good moving with the ball at feet, even has a bit of decent bite to him, etc) – indeed cheers for the rollocking last November HT LOL!
I see Sess is being considered for a more prominent role this coming season possibly at LB and will not now be loaned out – glad to hear it – wanted him signed and had high hopes for him – hoping to see all this lead to fruition finally.
As regards further signings for the 1st team squad still hoping for a new RB and a STR at a very minimum!
As regards sales in respect of the 1st team squad – Rose only has 1 year left on his contract and the touted £5m for him is still money but given Sess is still so wet behind the ear’s at LB – I wouldn’t be too disappointed or even surprised if Rose stayed and saw out his contract helping us out with regards to our 4 pronged attack next season – Prem, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Europa League (will come back to expectations as regards these later)! Hell I might even be willing to give Danny a new 2 year contract next summer depending on how performed over the season and if wanted to stay! Davies, Rose and Sess would be a great trio of options at LB for me!
Aurier is being touted as available for sale (which would normally not really disappoint me in the slightest) and I have already stated I want a new RB signed, that said we’ve already lost Walker, Trippier and KWP over the last 3 years at RB so losing an experienced player like Aurier despite all his faults of which I am one who usually calls him up for – might be a step too far considering if a new RB does come in he will need time most likely to settle and we still have to see how the likes of Tanganga and maybe even Foyth take to the RB role properly (not going to mention Fernandes – as he’s a CM by trade and that’s where he’ll likely have to prove himself if he’s going to be signed and stay with us long term)! For me I WANT a new RB, but can take Aurier staying for another season if necessary, although barring some spectacular miracle next season of improvement – next summer with only 1 year left on his contract would want him sold as do not want him being given a new contract!
Which brings me to Foyth – hoping to see something from him this coming season with only 2 year
s left on his contract – especially at RB ideally but even at CB if possible so that he fulfils that promise of when 1st arrived and we can then give him a new contract and see him develop into a fine regular Prem and Argy international player.
As regards our youngsters – good to see Parrott and Skipp and Eyoma having gone on out on loan to lower league clubs were hopefully will play week in, week out – hopefully will come back much better, rounded professional’s for the experience. As for the likes of Fagan-Walcott, Cirkin, White, Bowden, Roles, Etete and Clarke would also be good to see some or most if not all of them going out on loan aswell just as the other 3 mentioned have done and for the same reasons. That said might be time to get rid off the likes of Marsh (soon to be 22), Georgiou (23 already), Tracey (22 already) and Sterling (soon to be 22)……!
Good to see Amos has gone and wish him well (wonder what we got for him in the end?!), probably the same as regards CCV – soon to be 23 and never going to be a 1st team squad player for us and with only 1 year left on his contract – best to get something for him now and move him on finally – would still expect a decent sum as he’s a full USA international and got quite a bit of Championship experience including a great 2nd half of the season at Luton by all accounts indeed many saying he was the best player of that time and instrumental in helping to keep them up!
Looking forward to what JM can offer in his first full season in charge and so far naturally as a fellow Portugeeza I have backed him all the way including wanting him brought in before he even arrived – I think he can also get the balance right between winning and decent attacking footy to boot – with players like Sess, Winks, N’Dombele, Lo Celso, Dele, Moura, Bergs, Lamela, Sonny and HK10 and perhaps a new STR also – that’s a lot of technical tasty to help entertain us aswell as fire in the goals to get us the all important wins on a regular basis and I’m hoping and even reckon that JM will exploit this to the max!
Which brings me to my expectations – will no doubt be a tough season given it’s more cramped for starters and we’ll be trying to challenge on 4 fronts (not to mention all the international footy for our players on top as there are plenty of them) thus ideally a big squad will be required hence why I’d still be willing to keep the likes of Rose, Aurier and even Foyth for atleast another season, etc!
We need to be looking to challenge for a top 4 spot and this last season since JM came in – his standard was top 4 as regards points won – so it bodes well for next season especially with the right tweaking (good start with Hoj and Hart) but no doubt will be very hard with Liverpool and Man City likely out of sight again and Man U and Chelski looking to spend big money to atleast secure their top 4 spots again from this last season – so will be very hard but I still think there’s all to play for especially like I say with JM having averaged a top 4 spot points haul on aggregate overall since coming in!
In the cups I have to admit I’ll be looking for long runs in all 3 of them and hopefully we can win atleast 1 of them but for that we’ll need like I say a big, strong squad so further clever tweaking required for now so that fatigue does not become an issue in any of the competition’s when we have to step up be it the Prem or any of the 3 cup’s we’ll be playing in!
Forgot to add Whiteman and Austin to that youngster’s list of potential loanees……!
GK – Lloris, Hart, Gazzaniga
RB – Newbie, Aurier
CB’s – Toby, Davy, Dier, Tanganga, Foyth
LB – Davies, Rose, Sess
CM – Hoj, Winks, Sissoko, N’Dombele, Fernandes
RW – Moura, Lamela
LW – Sonny, Bergs
ACM – Lo Celso, Dele
STR – HK10, Newbie
New RB and STR needed – then I think the squad is deep enough to fight it out on 4 fronts (aswell as all the international footy that there will be also) – ideally, ideally a LCB also if we could to properly replace Vert’s having left!
Foyth/Tanganga can also offer cover at RB if needed.
This is why I’d look to probably keep Rose, Aurier and Foyth atleast 1 more season each – even if it means Rose walking on a free next summer and we get less for the likes of Aurier/Foyth with then having only 1 year left of contract each!
Lamela is another who next summer will only have 1 year left of contract based on keeping him this next season – question is do we give the persistent crock a new 6 figure weekly contract again or do we sell him for what we can get finally next summer?!
Hi EJ
It’s been a while since you posted but you made up for it there. What next “war and Peace” lol.
Re your suggestions on Lamella, Aurier etc.
My opinions would be opposite to yours, which doesn’t often happen (lol).
However I would move on Lamella, not because I don’t like him or his play, but, because I think we have reached a tilting point in his Spurs career. He is probably as close to his apex as he can get at present and I feel given his age, his past injuries and the time left on his contract, plus the fact that we have a few players who can cover this position, I would let him leave and get our best price.
Froyth, whilst not being given the best chance should for his own career move on.
Aurier, I feel he has a mistake in him in almost every game, and, certainly has lost us points. If the Italians want him, I’m happy enough for him to go.
Rose I’m sort of with you, but I feel he has had a fall out with JM. And statements by him in previous seasons have alienated him with Levy. I feel with Rose the Transfer of Kyle Walker and his success really unsettled him and he wanted a taste of that, but on way or another it didn’t happen for him and to a degree I feel he threw his dolly out of the pram a bit.
Given their contracts and in order not to have the same debacle we had with Toby, Verts, Erikson, I would sell these guys get a few quid buy Stkr, RB, LCB.
Just my opinion m8 but I understand your side of the argument.
There are reports that Ndombele has had a training ground altercation with Bergwijn. Troubling if true although it has been denied but we know how these things often turn out despite these denials.
I guess we would all like to know what is going on with Tanguy, this latest report taken together with earlier reports of a falling out with Jose seems to suggest all is not well behind the scenes. Could this turn out to be a costly mistake?
My own view is that it would be a shame if we can’t make it work, there is no doubt the guy has tremendous talent and could be a powerhouse in midfield. Would be a pity if he cannot overcome what appears to be an attitude issue, maybe he just cannot adapt to a new country and the pace of the PL?
TQ…you ask what is going on with Tanguy? a very good question, and to be honest we have no bloody idea, just the usual rumour mill, fall outs behind the scenes etc, eating all the pies, just not interested to name 3.
I ask another question could the rumour mill and close scrutiny by the media, has brought about “depression”? thus a mental problem of some kind, to be honest I have no idea.
As you say and I agree I would like to see him power housing our midfield., I suppose we will just have to wait and see. COYS
PompeyYid/TQ2Spurs, my guess is that Jose doesn’t want Tanguy. I suspect we won’t see much of him in pre-season or at the start of the premier league and that Jose may try to move him on before the window closes (5th October ). I suspect he thinks the money can be better used elsewhere. A big shame because he is super talented and he offers something very few players do, I think Jose should do all he can to get the best out of him but I don’t think it will happen.
DH…..I fear you could be right in which case it’s a question of whether or not we are going to lose out on what we can get from his sale. £56m or whatever it was he cost us could certainly be better invested if he isn’t going to fit in with us for whatever reason.
DonnyH, you are probably right there regards moving him on, but I would much prefer your line “Jose should do all he can to get the best out of him” because I do believe other than the “popper DM postion” as in Hoj, the position and type of play N’Dombele brings is the missing link in our midfield. COYS
The England squad has thrown up at least one odd choice…..how does Michael Keane get in ahead of Lewis Dunk? You could also argue how Dier gets in ahead of him if you’re not a Spurs supporter. Looks like Dele is going to have to up his game if he wants to get back in the national squad.
Harry Maguire going cheap. Bless him..silly plonker. I AM THE CAPTAIN OF Man U!!! I am rich.
I like N’Dombele…lovely skilful footballer, streets ahead of our other midfielders. We have to make him fit and work for us. We need some excitement in our sterile midfield. I also like the unfortunate Joe Hart…far better than Loris in commanding the box and infinitely better at distibution with TWO feet. Not such a good shotstopper though. Still need a marauding right full back and that very, very elusive backup striker. Watched the friendly against Ipswich and thought we looked OK. Can’t believe Dier and Winks have been included in England squad.
ND good to hear from you mate first of all – hope you and your’s are keeping well!
I’d hope the club could come up with enough to get the RB and STR without needing any more sales in financial terms! LCB I’m going to keep quiet on for now especially as it is already a stretch to expect a new RB and STR without any more sales and having to finance from normal revenue! Hopefully Toby, Davy, Dier, Tanganga and Foyth prove to be enough!
So I’d be willing to give Rose, Aurier, Foyth and Lamela another season to at the very least help out giving the cramped season coming up and us going for it on all 4 fronts not to mention a packed international schedule aswell and we have plenty of international players as we all know!
Worst case I guess we’ll have to sell to buy – so CCV definitely can go, then it all depends but the obvious choices are Rose, Aurier, Foyth and Lamela!
I would like to see them stay around though – Aurier can offer competition/cover to a new RB whilst Tanganga/Foyth attempt to demonstrate their capability there for example (not to mention at CB), Rose can cover Davies whilst Sess gets upto speed and Cirkin gets another year under his belt, Lamela is great cover for the likes of Sonny, Moura and Bergs – perhaps whilst Clarke gets upto speed also, etc, etc, etc!
Then in a year’s time see where we are – Rose most likely to leave on a free – but then hopefully Sess and Cirkin will be that much closer to challenging Davies, Aurier could be sold with the new RB fully bedded in hopefully and also seeing how Tanganga and Foyth have got on – both at RB and CB, indeed if Foyth is successful give him a new contract otherwise sell him on with only 1 year left and as for Lamela – probably sell him with 1 year left on his contract and see how Clarke has progressed or look to get someone else in.
let’s sign messi, to dare is to do
EJ all fine this end. Hope you and yours are keeping safe and well.
I totally see your point here.
And either your or my argument or some where in the middle is the right one.
There is a case to put forward for each of these players either to stay or go and they could be 60/40 depending on which way you view it.
I think Rose is, a decent player whose head is in the wrong place. If he gets his act together who knows.
Lamella if he stays injury free then why not keep.
Froyth if he is keen to stay, and, we can find a position for him then I’m fine with that.
Aurier for me needs to go.
However equally if they all left and new recruits brought in for positions as these are somewhat fringe players I would be happy enough.
Good to see ya back m8.