Every season (from Poch to Conte) we put finishing in the top 4 as our number one priority.
But what do we really achieve by finishing in the top 4?
• We don’t attract or sign top players.
• We don’t really come close to winning the Champions League (bar one extraordinary season in 2019).
• We don’t retain our best players (apart from Kane, but that will likely change this summer).
• We don’t win the Premier League or put in sustained title challenges.
All that happens is we effectively throw domestic cup competitions by fielding weakened teams, get knocked out of Europe and then rinse & repeat.
What’s the point of it? What are we actually trying to achieve? The only answer can be increased revenues and profit.
Meanwhile we Spurs fans continue to be ridiculed by rival fans about our inability to win trophies.
To say I am angry about last night’s exit from the FA cup is an understatement and personally I hold Conte accountable too.
Is Top 4 a Curse or a Blessing For Spurs?
posted on 2/3/23
You do retain your top players.
Can't think of one you have sold for a while.
posted on 2/3/23
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 3 minutes ago
You do retain your top players.
Can't think of one you have sold for a while.
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Apart from Kane we've not had any top players for a while that other clubs have been interested in. But we do have a history of selling our best players (Walker, Bale, Modric, Berbatov etc. etc).
posted on 2/3/23
It all comes from Levy..... 4th=CL= big money. Its the biggest financial reward for the smallest financial outlay.
As was proved last night, he's given Spurs a squad incapable for fighter on multiple fronts.
There is zero interest from ownership in winning anything. The clubs exists solely to generate revenue for ENIC.. nothing else
posted on 2/3/23
comment by Gezza-Spurs (U18952)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 3 minutes ago
You do retain your top players.
Can't think of one you have sold for a while.
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Apart from Kane we've not had any top players for a while that other clubs have been interested in. But we do have a history of selling our best players (Walker, Bale, Modric, Berbatov etc. etc).
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We lost Eriksen (player wouldn’t renew contract) still to be replaced
We lost Dembele (took over a year to replace) however the replacement wasn’t up to the level. Only Bentancur recently replaced that hole in MF.
Alli form fell of a cliff and we lost him
As you say but we haven’t lost our top players for a while. But the problem for me has been not shifting on players average players and replacing with better.
posted on 2/3/23
It’s a curse
Ever since the “top 4 trophy” became a thing, we’ve put less and less priority into domestic cups. We used to do the opposite, prioritise cups mainly because we had little to play for in the league apart from getting into UEFA cup or the intertoto or whatever
posted on 2/3/23
Couldn't agree more Gezza.
I don't know what we're doing anymore. I could see that loss coming a mile off and within the first five minutes of the game, I could see which way it was going to go.
To my mind, that was the most important game of our season and we blew it. So much hinged on that game. Hope of a trophy gone. Hope of Kane staying gone. Hope of turning around an abject season gone.
What were we resting for? Seriously? Wolves away? Do me a favour. We scramble and scramble to get in the top four and to what end? Money? Progress? I certainly haven't seen any since we've been in the CL. We were a better side in 2016 when we first started qualifying again under Poch. Arsenal haven't been in the CL for ages but now they've built a side closing in the PL title. Finishing 4th is not a stepping stone to success. It's a curse, not a blessing.
We were masters of the arts when it came to sniffing out top players before they became big - Bale, Modric, Dembele, Alli, Eriksen, Toby, Jan etc. Now we have CL money, we've suddenly decided to drink from a different well. We're trying to compete with the truly big clubs for the ready made players and we've made an absolute pigs ear of it.
I think it all comes down to not know what we are. We're neither a big boy bully that can cherry pick the best players with little care for money, nor a small time charlie dipping into the lower leagues for players. We float somewhere in between which makes club direction a little foggy.
posted on 2/3/23
comment by fridgeboy (U1053)
posted 20 minutes ago
Couldn't agree more Gezza.
I don't know what we're doing anymore. I could see that loss coming a mile off and within the first five minutes of the game, I could see which way it was going to go.
To my mind, that was the most important game of our season and we blew it. So much hinged on that game. Hope of a trophy gone. Hope of Kane staying gone. Hope of turning around an abject season gone.
What were we resting for? Seriously? Wolves away? Do me a favour. We scramble and scramble to get in the top four and to what end? Money? Progress? I certainly haven't seen any since we've been in the CL. We were a better side in 2016 when we first started qualifying again under Poch. Arsenal haven't been in the CL for ages but now they've built a side closing in the PL title. Finishing 4th is not a stepping stone to success. It's a curse, not a blessing.
We were masters of the arts when it came to sniffing out top players before they became big - Bale, Modric, Dembele, Alli, Eriksen, Toby, Jan etc. Now we have CL money, we've suddenly decided to drink from a different well. We're trying to compete with the truly big clubs for the ready made players and we've made an absolute pigs ear of it.
I think it all comes down to not know what we are. We're neither a big boy bully that can cherry pick the best players with little care for money, nor a small time charlie dipping into the lower leagues for players. We float somewhere in between which makes club direction a little foggy.
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Spot On
posted on 2/3/23
Seems daft to think you cant go for a cup and finsih top 4.
Going for a league and europe and the fa cup might need a big squad but a top 4 finish and a fa cup is bread and butter for most teams
posted on 2/3/23
Its a blessing for Levy. Its all he cares about.
posted on 3/3/23
comment by fridgeboy (U1053)
posted 21 hours, 4 minutes ago
Couldn't agree more Gezza.
I don't know what we're doing anymore. I could see that loss coming a mile off and within the first five minutes of the game, I could see which way it was going to go.
To my mind, that was the most important game of our season and we blew it. So much hinged on that game. Hope of a trophy gone. Hope of Kane staying gone. Hope of turning around an abject season gone.
What were we resting for? Seriously? Wolves away? Do me a favour. We scramble and scramble to get in the top four and to what end? Money? Progress? I certainly haven't seen any since we've been in the CL. We were a better side in 2016 when we first started qualifying again under Poch. Arsenal haven't been in the CL for ages but now they've built a side closing in the PL title. Finishing 4th is not a stepping stone to success. It's a curse, not a blessing.
We were masters of the arts when it came to sniffing out top players before they became big - Bale, Modric, Dembele, Alli, Eriksen, Toby, Jan etc. Now we have CL money, we've suddenly decided to drink from a different well. We're trying to compete with the truly big clubs for the ready made players and we've made an absolute pigs ear of it.
I think it all comes down to not know what we are. We're neither a big boy bully that can cherry pick the best players with little care for money, nor a small time charlie dipping into the lower leagues for players. We float somewhere in between which makes club direction a little foggy.
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I actually think Levy and Club were and are blind sided by 'win something' critics. So they've gone to get win at all costs managers forgetting they need world class players. I think many can now shut up on thos serial winner B#ll. The fact is serial winners need world class players it's not the manager that makes them world class.
For me we should really be similar to Ajax or Dortmund in terms of recruitment and overall strategy. We should stop being obsessed with buying prem proven players because they cost stupid amounts but scout high energy technical players and be bold enough to play them.
Are last three managers are from the catenaccio school of football which will never excite Spurs fans.
Whoever we get next needs to add energy not just off the pitch like Conte but have tactics that encourage and demands energy from players.