SquishyMcSquish
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- Joined
- Jul 4, 2018
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- Tottenham
Spurs have done well to reach the CL final (luck on route v Ajax,City) but don't let it disguise what was average league season of 13 defeats and 26 and 27 points off the top 2.
It was an average league season BECAUSE we reached the Champions League final.
We don't really have the squad to play Ajax/Dortmund/City home & away whilst also focusing heavily on the league. We were also ravaged by injuries this season, with our best player out for months at a time with ankle issues and our midfield decimated at times. Those injury issues in combination with a deep run in the cups led to us finishing fourth and so far behind 1st/2nd.
Had we gone out of the CL early, I have no doubt whatsoever we would have secured 3rd, comfortably behind 1st/2nd but nowhere near as far. The cup run really took it out of us both physically & mentally and isn't comparable to Arsenal & Chelsea having to play the likes of Sparta Prague and Frankfurt, we were playing elite European teams regularly and it showed.
I think the team lost focus on the league after it became crystal clear we couldn't win it, and all the focus went on a competition we still had a chance in. We've looked jaded/lacking in concentration in many recent league games against poor opposition, and a completely different team when we play in Europe. That's not just down to a lucky cup run, it's clearly because the squad had their priority .. which is an issue, and shows how much we need better depth going forward so we can compete in 3-4 competitions, we still have the worst depth out of the top six.
Our starting XI when all are fit I would say are far above average, not quite 'brilliant' but a very, very good side capable of beating anybody on their day. But we get easily bogged down by having numerous games a week and injury issues have a bigger impact on us than other teams.