The Race for 4th

[YB123]

These sort of results are just one offs . A couple of seasons ago Liverpool won 7 away to Palace and were poor for a number of games after that . We once put 9 past Wigan and could harely score a goal in the next 5 games. United just lost it completely after playing well in the first half.
the question now is can we catch United Because there is every chance Liverpool will catch us.

I'd have more faith in Brighton.

 

[Marty]

Arsenal seem to have done OK without it. Just can't see the point in having little to no chance of wining a trophy. I would rather win the league cup or Europa conference cup than get to the quarter finals of the Champion league.

They have now, but it's taken them six years to figure it out.

 

[mr ashley]

we can't even rebuild with it.

we have serious issues.

This is exactly the problem
We didn’t use the revenue gained from qualifying last season- we used the £150m from investment

I appreciate that this argument is unpopular- it seems like the fa cup defeat has really got under a lot of peoples skin.
I know the apparent disinterest in winning things has got to me

 

[Lukasz]

Which top player have we bought in with the pull of CL?

This, the whole „Champions League pull” regarding transfers is bullcrap. Nowadays two things get you good players: shitload of money or competent scouting team.

 

[Trotter]

Sadly I think missing out on champions league is what we need.
a kick up the arse to sort the direction of the club.
kane leaves, son sold and we have to start all over again
In the past that would have been written off as unlucky but not anymore

Personally each year would like us to qualify for champions league, but then finish 3rd in group so we drop down to a competition we have realistic chance in (also I much prefer some of the places we have been in Europa League as opposed to the Champs League)
Not wanting to qualify for it is just biting nose off to spite face

 

[spursfan77]

we can't even rebuild with it.

we have serious issues.

It is why I’m not sure it’s even a bad thing missing out on it. It makes sod all difference to who we buy and just seems to make players want more money and be more expensive. I like being in it for the prestige but we don’t actually use being in it to push the club on a level.

I think levy is happy getting fourth and that’s a trophy for him. He’d be happy getting that because pushing on to win things is too much effort, too much hard work/difficult and costs too much money.

 

[only1waddle]

This, the whole „Champions League pull” regarding transfers is bullcrap. Nowadays two things get you good players: shitload of money or competent scouting team.

Yep, we'll still attract decent players, just the level down from top drawer, what we need to start doing is buying better technical players for the money, and that's more than possible with as you say competent scouting.

 

[mr ashley]

Personally each year would like us to qualify for champions league, but then finish 3rd in group so we drop down to a competition we have realistic chance in (also I much prefer some of the places we have been in Europa League as opposed to the Champs League)
Not wanting to qualify for it is just biting nose off to spite face

Look I would love us to really push United for third and even overtake them.
but after the last few weeks I can’t see it
It feels much more likely than in a couple of weeks time we’ll be out of the CL, in fifth (at best) and facing all manner of upheaval in the summer

I don’t really want Kane to leave. I want him to sign a new contract, win things and go on to become the all time pl goal scorer - all for spurs.

Sadly I don’t see it happening though.

Then we’ll get told we have to cut our cloth accordingly, despite having the best go kart track in the western world

I’m tired of it. I’m looking for any way to get it to change

 

[Trotter]

Look I would love us to really push United for third and even overtake them.
but after the last few weeks I can’t see it
It feels much more likely than in a couple of weeks time we’ll be out of the CL, in fifth (at best) and facing all manner of upheaval in the summer

I don’t really want Kane to leave. I want him to sign a new contract, win things and go on to become the all time pl goal scorer - all for spurs.

Sadly I don’t see it happening though.

Then we’ll get told we have to cut our cloth accordingly, despite having the best go kart track in the western world

I’m tired of it. I’m looking for any way to get it to change

Totally agree, I don’t think we will get 4th, haven’t really all season, and based on how well we have played this season, don’t think we really should be anywhere near 4th place material, and are only in the hunt due to the awful seasons Chelsea and Liverpool have had (plus having played more games than most, we would be 7th if those around us win their games in hand)
But I would rather still get the money into the club so there is chance we may invest it, than give the chairman a ready made excuse not to

 

[worcestersauce]

Posted a few weeks back I was confident we'd make top four as all our injured players were back then we lost Lloris, Bentancur and Bisouma as well as Sessignon and they won't be the last so it's less and less likely. That's why it's such a bloody shame we didn't we didn't prioritise the cup.

 

[Mr Pink]

I don't really care about 4th....

They'll be no discernble change until we see new ownership.

 

[Bobbins]

Looks like joining Newcastle in the Europa League.

Yesterday's result was the killer - yes Liverpool have the momentum which will almost certainly catch us, but our inability to even get a draw in a game like Wolves away is such a terrible indictment of the weaknesses in our team. We consistently throw away draws into defeats which not only damages our points total, but buffs our opponents and psychologically demonstrates our lack of strength.

We have lost that ability to play badly and at least avoid defeat, let alone grind out a win. 9 losses in the league already this season is bottom half of the table form, the worst in the entire top half until you get down to Villa in 11th, and our goals conceded is the same, the worst in the table until Villa.

Newcastle have lost form but without cup distractions can now probably push again. Liverpool are obviously on the charge and out of Europe. United will see this result as a blip and go back to the steady improvement they've been showing.

Not getting CL will be seen as a disaster but worse will be the manner in which we've thrown away what will prove to be one of the easiest 4th place finishes in recent years.

We're going to be back where we belong.

 

[stormfly]

If we finish 4th this year then no one can say “the premier league is the best league in the world” ever again. We have been absolute pony for most of the season and if we end up being the 4th best team in this league then something is seriously wrong

 

[BorjeSpurs]

If we finish 4th this year then no one can say “the premier league is the best league in the world” ever again. We have been absolute pony for most of the season and if we end up being the 4th best team in this league then something is seriously wrong

What makes it the best is the quality outside of the biggest teams. Southampton are 19th but have done the double over Chelsea. Everton are 18th but have beaten Arsenal. Leeds are 17th but are the only team to have beaten Liverpool at Anfield.

 

[SUIYHA]

Looks like joining Newcastle in the Europa League.

Yesterday's result was the killer - yes Liverpool have the momentum which will almost certainly catch us, but our inability to even get a draw in a game like Wolves away is such a terrible indictment of the weaknesses in our team. We consistently throw away draws into defeats which not only damages our points total, but buffs our opponents and psychologically demonstrates our lack of strength.

We have lost that ability to play badly and at least avoid defeat, let alone grind out a win. 9 losses in the league already this season is bottom half of the table form, the worst in the entire top half until you get down to Villa in 11th, and our goals conceded is the same, the worst in the table until Villa.

Newcastle have lost form but without cup distractions can now probably push again. Liverpool are obviously on the charge and out of Europe. United will see this result as a blip and go back to the steady improvement they've been showing.

Not getting CL will be seen as a disaster but worse will be the manner in which we've thrown away what will prove to be one of the easiest 4th place finishes in recent years.

We're going to be back where we belong.

The bigger concern I have is less about whether we can play badly and still grind out a win. It's the fact that we don't seem to have that extra gear like Liverpool showed today. How many times this season have we really clicked and blown the opposition away? At a push you could say Palace and Leicester, but in both games we were crap in the first half and were lucky to go in level (same with Liverpool today I suppose). Even with a supposedly "favourable" run of fixtures, what is there to give us the confidence that we can go on a winning run and pick up form? Even when we're at our "best" we're just grinding out results in close games that could have gone either way.

Our season died the moment Bentancur went down against Leicester. Please prove me wrong Tottenham but barring some miracle like Danjuma and Porro finding their feet and taking the league by storm then I just don't see us keeping pace here.

 

[Cavehillspur]

The bigger concern I have is less about whether we can play badly and still grind out a win. It's the fact that we don't seem to have that extra gear like Liverpool showed today. How many times this season have we really clicked and blown the opposition away? At a push you could say Palace and Leicester, but in both games we were crap in the first half and were lucky to go in level (same with Liverpool today I suppose). Even with a supposedly "favourable" run of fixtures, what is there to give us the confidence that we can go on a winning run and pick up form? Even when we're at our "best" we're just grinding out results in close games that could have gone either way.

Our season died the moment Bentancur went down against Leicester. Please prove me wrong Tottenham but barring some miracle like Danjuma and Porro finding their feet and taking the league by storm then I just don't see us keeping pace here.

Who is this Danjuma you speak of...

 

[Kingellesar]

Champions League is obviously where every team wants to be but I wish as a club we would take the other European competitions seriously.

Having seen some of the team who have won them in the past decade or so, we could easily have gone on to get one of them but we are too arrogant.

Still a long way to go in the season, we now have a 5 game spell where we have to put a 5 win run together otherwise I think we will slowly slip away from the top 4.

 

[Caco]

We won't get top 4 and we don't deserve it. Could go into the whole lack of consistency, manager not backed, players aren't good enough rant, but what's the point. Simple fact is we're owned by a shower who only want to have a club involved in the topflight and have a stadium that brings in additional revenues. As long as we have ENIC, we won't challenge for any trophies, we'll never genuinely invest in the first team with a view to making genuine progress and if we manage to win a cup it'll be down to luck of the draw. Pretty sure the players all know this too which probably explains the piss poor performances against teams they should beat and then only occasionally turn up in the grudge games, they're getting paid either way. In my time, Spurs have never approached a big team with a view to buying their best players and this for me is the difference between going through the motions and giving it a go. We buy the sideline players from big teams, like Moura & Van De Vaart, or else the ones who are passed their best like Perisic. Our owners will never part with the type of money required to get genuine quality needed to enhance the team, as a result we will never compete. Based on the investments in Newcastle and potential similar in UTD, we are effectively missing out on one of the last chances we're likely to have at getting top 4.

 

[Caco]

Champions League is obviously where every team wants to be but I wish as a club we would take the other European competitions seriously.

Having seen some of the team who have won them in the past decade or so, we could easily have gone on to get one of them but we are too arrogant.

Still a long way to go in the season, we now have a 5 game spell where we have to put a 5 win run together otherwise I think we will slowly slip away from the top 4.

I'd take a Conf League Cup win over a last 16 Champions League any day, but it brings very little revenue, so can't see it happening.

 

[CookieYiddo]

I think 5th place is where i would put my money now but there is still lots of football left, Utd could go into a tailspin from this result you just don't know.