A couple of years ago I think it was Jamie Carragher that said on MNF he thought it was basically impossible for Spurs to improve their 1-11 as it had everything and that they only needed a couple of better squad players to go on and win a Championship. A couple seasons later and all of a sudden there's probably one or two of their players that would regularly start for City or Liverpool and to be honest United and Chelsea on recent form. Spurs chose to not really properly invest when they were genuinely considered as one of the top two or three sides in the league from 2016-2018 and I think they could potentially be regretting that. For example that team that finished in 2017 with 86 points, if they had added a couple of top top players that summer they would certainly be in better position now and might have picked up some silverware along the way and when you look at the squad they have now and combined with their managerial situation it really does show how quickly football can change.
Spurs - punished for not investing whilst at the top?
- Thread starter RyRoc
- Start date
When were they ever at the top? Keane summed it up best tonight. Spurs will always disappoint. He was in a savage mood tonight.
When they finished third in a two horse race.
The ultimate punishment is yet to come. It'll be the mess left behind from Mourinho.
They didn't had the money to invest and still don't.
Punished for getting rid of the best manager they've ever had more like.
I doubt anyone was expecting them to last long at the top. They were always meant to return to where they belong. Well they have been even more crap this season but even if they improve next one, I don't expect them to be anything more than 5th or 6th.
The biggest shame actually, is that in their few great years when they looked like a top team under Poch, they managed to win feck all for their fans to remember this period. Now these few great years will be totally forgotten few years from now. 1 or 2 cups here or there would have made this period much more appreciated and remembered, but it ended up with disappointment whenever they were close to win anything, the league against Leicester and the several times they reached semi finals of cups or CL final.
They'll never be good enough to repeat this again and now they won jack shite to cement it.
The biggest shame actually, is that in their few great years when they looked like a top team under Poch, they managed to win feck all for their fans to remember this period. Now these few great years will be totally forgotten few years from now. 1 or 2 cups here or there would have made this period much more appreciated and remembered, but it ended up with disappointment whenever they were close to win anything, the league against Leicester and the several times they reached semi finals of cups or CL final.
They'll never be good enough to repeat this again and now they won jack shite to cement it.
Punished for sacking their manager.
Should have cleared out the deadwood and backed Poch to build a team.
The likes of Dele Ali downed tools....should have fecked him off.
Should have cleared out the deadwood and backed Poch to build a team.
The likes of Dele Ali downed tools....should have fecked him off.
This
I know it isn't a trophy but from 2015-17 there was that stat which showed over the two seasons they had accumulated the most points. While that won't win you anything, it does show that you have the basic structure of a very good team and they didn't capitalise on it by spending a bit more. The stadium build probably meant that they couldn't and still can't but I do wonder if they could have risked a bit more than they did would they be in a healthier position.
In 2016 and 2017 they were very much in the race for the title , ok they didn't win it but they were very close and probably considered on paper as the best side in England. They have regressed so much so quickly.
Harry had to go
Re-build with what though? They'd still need money for it, which they don't have.
They wanted a fancy new stadium instead of silverware
It was inevitable really. Spurs were playing well above their ability with Poch. We all knew Spurs would never invest heavily on their squad, they dont have the funds. Can see their key players like Son and Kane leaving in a year or two.
They kept the same players for too long, they should have done what liverpool did and sell a few of their best players to reinvest in the team. Players like Dier, Rose and Toby could have gone for good money at one point. But they tried to be too smart about things.
They’d be best to learn from United & tie the talent on the pitch down inspite of his wants/needs.
He’ll be long gone soon enough & following his usual transfer targets will leave them devoid of assets once he’s gone.
He’ll be long gone soon enough & following his usual transfer targets will leave them devoid of assets once he’s gone.
They have spent 114mil since June 2019.
Covid has screwed them big time.
Probably have to sell in the summer.
Covid has screwed them big time.
Probably have to sell in the summer.
Exactly. They got too big for their boots. In the end they couldn’t invest with the new stadium and that has caught them out. Sacking Poch was not going to resolve that problem.
From a title challenge and CL final, to struggling to finish in the top 8...
Reality hits hard when you sack the best manager you've ever had. Spurs fans got big headed and genuinely thought it was a good idea, now they're stuck with a manager that struggles to get 1 shot on target in a game
Reality hits hard when you sack the best manager you've ever had. Spurs fans got big headed and genuinely thought it was a good idea, now they're stuck with a manager that struggles to get 1 shot on target in a game
Fixed.
100%, Poch knew the squad needed refreshing but they bought nobody.
Also Levy feckin deserves it for being a twat in general and for giving Mourinho a job.
Also Levy feckin deserves it for being a twat in general and for giving Mourinho a job.
Harold Kane holds them back.
Replacing him with Mourinho did even less to help..
This is an interesting summary of their missed transfer opportunities over the past few years: https://worldofhotspur.com/the-sliding-doors-of-pochettinos-reign/
It is remarkable to think that a team with so many high-quality young players and a manager that the fans and plays believed in would end up winning nothing. Ultimately that period of time just masked what has been Tottenham's issue for quite a long time, that is, executives more interested in building a financial asset than a successful football club. Daniel Levy seemed more concerned with having the the best stadium in Europe rather than the best team.
In a highly competitive league you can't afford to not invest or stand still. Fergie was the master at recognising top teams have only a lifetime of only 3-4 years before they need to be refreshed. United's current squad are in a very similar point to what Spurs had 5 years ago, a very promising young side with the potential to go to the next level, and I hope they don't make the same mistake by choosing not to spend.
It is remarkable to think that a team with so many high-quality young players and a manager that the fans and plays believed in would end up winning nothing. Ultimately that period of time just masked what has been Tottenham's issue for quite a long time, that is, executives more interested in building a financial asset than a successful football club. Daniel Levy seemed more concerned with having the the best stadium in Europe rather than the best team.
In a highly competitive league you can't afford to not invest or stand still. Fergie was the master at recognising top teams have only a lifetime of only 3-4 years before they need to be refreshed. United's current squad are in a very similar point to what Spurs had 5 years ago, a very promising young side with the potential to go to the next level, and I hope they don't make the same mistake by choosing not to spend.
Good times
Thanks
They'd been playing rubbish for over a year already when Pochettino was sacked.
The CL final didn't really help them. People were still bleating on about it months after as if it was some massive achievement and ignoring the fact their league form and general performance levels had been nose diving for ages even before they reached the final...also ignoring the fact they lost the final after 1 minute which isn't really that amazing an achievement.
Getting rid of Pochettino wasn't really an error. He had long enough to turn it round and didn't. Getting Mourinho in was never exactly going to go well though.
The CL final didn't really help them. People were still bleating on about it months after as if it was some massive achievement and ignoring the fact their league form and general performance levels had been nose diving for ages even before they reached the final...also ignoring the fact they lost the final after 1 minute which isn't really that amazing an achievement.
Getting rid of Pochettino wasn't really an error. He had long enough to turn it round and didn't. Getting Mourinho in was never exactly going to go well though.
They probably were out of money by the time their new stadium thing got finally completed. Levy was probably expecting some kind of magic from Poch.
But Poch pretty much knew the end was near when Levy failed to invest over what they had already. Poch fired himself really with some awful performance.
Levy choosing Mourinho was a different thing altogether, but by then the damage was done.
But Poch pretty much knew the end was near when Levy failed to invest over what they had already. Poch fired himself really with some awful performance.
Levy choosing Mourinho was a different thing altogether, but by then the damage was done.
When Mourinho was at United, he wanted to buy many of Spurs players. Now that he is in Spurs, I think he wants to replace them.
Maybe they could have fleeced someone for Kane and invested that in 3 quality players, also should have sold Eriksen a lot earlier than they did.
The guy will want to replace players everywhere he goes, just how he is in his later career
Maybe but in that case they most likely wouldn't have been at the top without their best player. Keep in mind that they are not a perrenial top team, their recent top form is entirely linked to Kane and a few other players like Eriksen, without them they are the regular Tottenham, London's Everton.
Mourinho must be feeling kinda weird about everything. Everything he was doing in the past and was working, it just doesn't work anymore. He used to set up teams with unbreakable defense. Now his teams lack goals for fun. He used to have his teams doing good counters, not anymore. He used to be able to grind results even when in poor period. Not anymore either. I don't think he's even enjoying football anymore. Every match for him is a torture. He looked like he restored his fun for the sport in the early few matches with Spurs but once it went south he reverted to being gloomy and not enjoying it anymore.
At this point he's persistent on hurting his legacy of his earlier career by staying in Premier League. People will start to forget how he was a charming character and great manager up till last season in Madrid. He needs to take a step down and go to a much weaker league with less intensity where he can just have some fun there, then move to manage national teams.
They're missing Eriksen big time. Absolutely no creativity whatsoever. I know he's stalled compared to his early seasons but I think they've missed Alli a bit too in recent games.
They tried but their good fortune with transfers ran out years ago. They got Alli, Alderweireld, Eriksen, Dier, Dembele etc at bargain prices pre 2015 and couldn't repeat the trick. It harder to find such deals these days.
They signed no one the summer before last. I think that’s where it started going wrong. Last season they were good in spurts, obviously got the CL final, but they really looked along at times. Wheels came off thereafter. A tired squad.
Yes makes sense, I think Son is actually their most important player of recent couple of seasons and its possible with smart investment they could have bought in a couple of quality players by letting someone go and built around Son. Even keeping Kane and selling Alli and Eriksen could have worked out better for them, this is all being said with hindsight though
Yeah true I suppose. But then again hiring a manager who’s famous for throwing his toys out of the prom when he doesn’t get his targets seems even stranger.
I would have sold the ‘troublemakers’ in the squad to build some funds. Alderweirald, Ali, Rose would have been the first out the door then their was rumours about stupid money being offered for Dier too.
Either way massive mistake firing Poch, it will set them back years after Jose fecks them even more.
Yeah hiring Mourinho was always such a stupid decision.
I think letting go of those players is easier said in hindsight. They got really good value out of all those players - especially because most of them were underpaid for a long time. They tied them up to long deals, so towards the end of those deals those players were earning a lot less than players at other clubs. So even if they sold the likes of Eriksen early, they would've had to replace him and the replacement would also end up earning more in wage.