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Gareth Bale sends us into the Champions League!

Discussion in 'Tottenham Hotspur' started by redwhiteandermblue, May 1, 2016.

  1. redwhiteandermblue

    redwhiteandermblue Well-Known Member

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    after all (if not quite in the way we might have guessed a few years ago). No CL qualifying, now, with the doomsday scenario out of the way, it’s straight to a minimum of six games in the group stages. Daniel Levy must be the happiest man alive right now.

    This is an absolutely fantastic achievement for the team this year. <party><cheers>
     
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    Last edited: May 4, 2016
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  2. PowerSpurs

    PowerSpurs Well-Known Member

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    Yes a great achievement
     
    #2
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  3. The RDBD

    The RDBD Well-Known Member

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    One more PL point, and you can change the title of this article. ;)
     
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  4. "Thanks for that Brian"

    "Thanks for that Brian" Well-Known Member

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    Base camp for our ambitions in the next 5 years. Next season is going to be fascinating. Mauricio Pochettino wants his transfer business done early. Quite right too, as the transfer market is going to be like the wild west come the end of July.
     
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  5. The RDBD

    The RDBD Well-Known Member

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    Easier to do when you are guaranteed CL group stages.
    Any prospect wanting to use that one as an excuse (true or as wage slut) does not have
    the 'waiting to see what happens in the CL qualifiers etc' excuse.
     
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  6. littleDinosaurLuke

    littleDinosaurLuke Well-Known Member

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    What do you mean Utd can't overcome a goal difference deficit of 27?:oops:
     
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  7. humanbeingincroydon

    humanbeingincroydon Well-Known Member

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    If you were playing Villa you might have had a chance...
     
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  8. The RDBD

    The RDBD Well-Known Member

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    Only a theoretical "might" though. :)
     
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  9. littleDinosaurLuke

    littleDinosaurLuke Well-Known Member

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    There aren't 27 games left though
     
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  10. Citizen Kane

    Citizen Kane Danny Rosebud

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    <laugh> Brilliant!

    How was the game today Lidls? I tuned in and Morgan equalised precisely 5 seconds later, so I did football a favour and switched it off and went out to the garden instead.
     
    #10

  11. littleDinosaurLuke

    littleDinosaurLuke Well-Known Member

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    I would have been in the garden but it was raining
     
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  12. Spurf

    Spurf Thread Mover
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    It's a great achievement as you rightly point out @redwhiteandermblue but it shows how the team has moved on this season when you consider that most of us would be disappointed with 4th.
    At he beginning it was 5th maybe just maybe 4th. This was to be a season of consolidation for Pochettino but don't forget we had a poll on here last August asking the question, Is Pochettino out of his depth, 30% thought he was. He has raised our expectations way beyond that now.
    It's looking good that we will keep this squad and this manager and add to it during the window.
    It will be harder next season because the Sky top 4 have had a lesson in complacency that they will be desperate to put behind them. All face major rebuilds which as we know does not always produce instant results but they will enter the season perhaps more determined than they have been for some considerable time.
    Despite that I think us Spurs can be very optimistic (LOL is that even possible for Spurs fans) we are truly in a better place then most, if not all, of our competitors.

    Just one question, what will happen to Leicester next season, I suspect that most pundits will be expecting them to return to the lower regions of the PL following their 'wonder season' but will they?
     
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  13. Roo

    Roo Well-Known Member

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    Leicester have enough quality in their first XI to be a match for any premier league team, as we've seen this season. They know what their strengths are and they've played to them.
    However, as we all know, playing in Europe is a big test on a squad. Leicester wont be able to play the same players twice a week, which'll mean they could be faced with lots of new faces coming in over the summer. We know all too well how hard it is to integrate too many players at once! If this then results in 5 or 6 changes between mid week and the weekend, the football suffers.
    I certainly don't think they'll plummet, but it will be a big test. They'll need to really get things right over the summer. At least they've got a great manager in place with tonnes of experience to make it work.
     
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  14. The Huddlefro

    The Huddlefro Well-Known Member

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    I think what Leicester's continued success this season shows is that the gap between the cadre of players in the PL who are considered the 'top players' and those considered to be in the tier below, is mostly down to effective management, mentality and consistency. If you can get a group of players all performing at their best for the majority of a season, rather than for the odd match, then the oft-used phrase 'any team can beat any other in this league' becomes 'any team can win this league'.

    Repeating it next season is a possibility as long as the players can perform to the same consistently high standard again, if Ranieri can manage them effectively again, if other teams don't manage to find a way to beat Leicester because most haven't managed to yet. Key is keeping the group together as well and as everyone keeps pointing out they'll have European games and travel schedules to deal with and will have to integrate players to mitigate those extra commitments too.

    They've come up so fast that the possibility of them dropping off again is real too, you can't dismiss the idea that this season has been a bit of a 'perfect storm' for Leicester - just because they've been fantastic this year after almost being relegated last year doesn't mean they'll be fantastic again next year. I wouldn't like to predict it myself as then I might end up looking like as much of an idiot as all those Harry Kane one-season-wonder naysayers do now. Interesting to see what happens though, both to Leicester and Spurs.
     
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  15. PowerSpurs

    PowerSpurs Well-Known Member

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    All clubs have much too high transfer market turnover driven by an incorrect understanding of the very small differences between players.
    Better results can be achieved by improving your current players especially if you sign them young and trust them to develop.
     
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  16. Dier Hard

    Dier Hard G'day mate!

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    Great achievement for us, youngest squad in the league with bags of potential, superb manager set to commit to a five year deal, new stadium on the way having already built a new training ground which seems to be paying dividends already, just literally can't find a fault with the club at the moment.

    As for Leicester, I think their season next year will depend on what happens in the Summer, if they lose one or two of their key players (namely Mahrez and Kante) then I think they'll struggle, I know they've hyped their scouting network but it's just not that easy to replace key player after key player with unknowns all the time. If they keep the squad then I'd fancy him as a Europa League place contender.

    The team I'll be keeping an eye on though is Everton, I think they could be in serious danger. I'll be amazed if Lukaku is still in an Everton shirt come the first game of the season, they're losing a top keeper in Howard (albeit passed his prime), I doubt Barry has another good season left, similar for Jagielka, Baines is no spring chicken either, Stones isn't living up to the hype, few murmurs that Barkley may look to leave too whereas the rest of the squad hardly feel you with much envy in terms of quality (Lennon aside, of course :), maybe Coleman too), so from an outsider's perspective they need big investment which isn't exactly something Everton have been known for. I think a cheeky fiver on their relegation may be placed for me
     
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  17. deedub93

    deedub93 Well-Known Member

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    We've not finished above the goons yet, I'm not celebrating until we get another 4 points.
     
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  18. The Changing Man

    The Changing Man Well-Known Member

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    Disappointing night but another step tonight top 3 almost guaranteed and one win from 2nd
     
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  19. SpursDisciple

    SpursDisciple Booking: Mod abuse - overturned on appeal
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    Not almost, definitely. City can pip us only by winning all their games and that would mean Arsenal can't catch us.
     
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