Same Old Tottenham, Always Bottling It

Cina

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You finished 4th last year though, you did everything right. This season you went after the Europa and got it wrong.
They really didn't get much wrong. They got their highest ever points tally this season.
 

Snow

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Only two league games this year won by more than 1 goal.

Wigan always manage to ruin the campaign a bit for one of the top teams.
 

Fiskey

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Great season for Tottenham really, especially considering they sold Modric and VDV in the summer and Adebayor was total crap.
 

africanspur

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A few weeks ago you were ahead of arsenal on points with the same games played, so I think you did bottle it a bit.
Arsenal have picked up 26 points from the past 30 (since we beat them), with 5 clean sheets there.

You're going to drop points, always. The order you drop it in doesn't matter too much, its what happens over the 38 game season. Unfortunately for us, Arsenal went on a league running run of form for 3 months. We went on top 4 form for the past 3 months. Unfortunately, the difference between us wasn't large enough to make up for that.

I'm proud of what we've done this season. Competing with two clubs who have significantly more resources than us was always going to be difficult but we did well.
 

Dumbstar

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Arsenal lost RVP. That doesnt compare with losing someone like Modric. Conversely Spurs had a player that beat RVP to player of the season this year. Despite that Spurs dropped one position from last season. Sounds like bottling it I'm afraid.
 

kps88

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People tend to use the phrase "bottled it" every time a team lets slip a lead or position in the league.
 

Sparky_Hughes

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Spurs are deffinately on the right track and are doing so by being run properly, lots to Admire at whl.
 

Sixpence

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Arsenal always go on a ridiculous run from March onwards, Spurs have done very well this season in fairness.
 

alastair

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Arsenal have picked up 26 points from the past 30 (since we beat them), with 5 clean sheets there.

You're going to drop points, always. The order you drop it in doesn't matter too much, its what happens over the 38 game season. Unfortunately for us, Arsenal went on a league running run of form for 3 months. We went on top 4 form for the past 3 months. Unfortunately, the difference between us wasn't large enough to make up for that.

I'm proud of what we've done this season. Competing with two clubs who have significantly more resources than us was always going to be difficult but we did well.
Yep, all this talk of Spurs bottling it is very far wide of the mark.

All the late goals, all of the Bale heroics, it really isn't an example of bottling.
 

shaggy

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When people are writing out a post saying Spurs bottled it, consider Arsenal have taken 42 points out of 48.
Wow, amazing run.

Also going to be even harder for Spurs to crack it next year as Chelsea will 100% be there with Mourinho and co.
 

africanspur

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You finished 4th last year though, you did everything right. This season you went after the Europa and got it wrong.
What more could we really do? We lost 3 of our 4 best players over the summer. New manager. Long term injuries to some pretty important players.

Yet despite this, we got our highest ever PL points total, highest ever PL points total not to finish in the CL places. Not really much more we could squeeze out of the players tbh.

As I've said, any other season, we'd have finished 4th or even 3rd. Hell, 2 seasons ago, we'd have finished 2nd (yes, I know football doesn't work like that).

The only game imo which was directly affected by the Europa league was Fulham, straight after the San Siro.
 

Stobzilla

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They really didn't get much wrong. They got their highest ever points tally this season.
Good for them.

It is a hard one because yes, they have got more points, but they have slipped a place in the league.

Is that progress ?

I don't think so personally, discount Chelsea last season and Spurs qualified for the cl, this year they didn't. I know it is not that simple in the broader sense because of when they played their Europa games vs. Arsenal's champions league games but AVB should have prioritised IMO. He knew he didn't have a massive squad to work with to fight on both fronts.
 

RDCR07

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Has this been a 'successful' season for Spurs? Im not able to decide. I mean they fired Redknapp mainly since he did not make the Champions League and was hoping AVB would make the 4th spot but he didnt. But there has been a few positives. They scored the most points they ever have. The signings they made this season have been very good and Bale has been brilliant. Can they keep hold of their stars remains to be seen now that they did not make the 4th spot. Can they attract big players also remains to be seen. What ever happens we are all in for an interesting summer.
 

Castia

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Spurs will soon hit a crossroads though, they need a new stadium and without CL football will find it hard to not only fund that but to keep hold of their better players. They needed CL football more than ever this season it's going to be even harder to crack next year.
 

Aint gota Kalou

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Has this been a 'successful' season for Spurs? Im not able to decide. I mean they fired Redknapp mainly since he did not make the Champions League and was hoping AVB would make the 4th spot but he didnt. But there has been a few positives. Dembele has been good and Bale has been brilliant. Can they keep hold of their stars remains to be seen now that they did not make the 4th spot. Can they attract big players also remains to be seen. What ever happens we are all in for an interesting summer.
It was a transitional season, I think. They lost King (who still playing games last season), Modric, VDV and Kaboul (who was their best CB) this season, considering that they've done very well. The players they've signed have all been fairly successful and they've shown signs of adapting a more entertaining style of football and AVB is clearly better than Redknapp.

The problem for Spurs is that next season is going to be the hardest yet, United and City are sure bets, Arsenal are always there and I can't see Chelsea being as crap as they have the last two seasons, especially if Mourinho comes. Oh and Bale could leave.
 

africanspur

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Spurs will soon hit a crossroads though, they need a new stadium and without CL football will find it hard to not only fund that but to keep hold of their better players. They needed CL football more than ever this season it's going to be even harder to crack next year.
Thing is though, things like this are always hard to predict. A couple of years ago, saying Bale was better than Nani on here would have and did bring about ridicule. Now there's no contest. Similarly, every season we fail to crack the top 4 (it really does seem to consistently happen in the most agonising way for us doesn't it :lol:), everyone says we've missed our chance and we won't be able to do it again.

Then next season, we tend to come back. Only to somehow be deprived of it yet again. :lol:

But yes, I don't think consistent CL qualification is really realistic till we get the new stadium. Chelsea and Man City have kind of shafted Everton and us just as we were starting to get our shit together again from a shocking couple of decades in the 90s and 00s. Oh well.
 

Snow

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When people are writing out a post saying Spurs bottled it, consider Arsenal have taken 42 points out of 48.
41 out of 48 ;)

Losses to City, Chelsea, Tottenham, draws against Everton, United and Southampton.

Consistently beating the smaller teams. More teams should do that but of course it's much easier said than done.

Ultimately the margins were very slim regarding who finished outside the top 4.
 

buckooo1978

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typical spurs

tight when it mattered

why oh why didn't they buy a striker

had they bought one they would be reaping the rewards of Champions League football instead of slogging it out in the Europa League

waste of a season and you wonder will Bale want to stay

Nani plus 40 million?
 

Dumbstar

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typical spurs

tight when it mattered

why oh why didn't they buy a striker

had they bought one they would be reaping the rewards of Champions League football instead of slogging it out in the Europa League

waste of a season and you wonder will Bale want to stay

Nani plus 40 million?
Because they absolutely insisted on stealing Sigyrdson and Dempsey from under Brendans nose. Made zero sense at the time and zero sense with hindsight. No sympathy there for AVB I'm afraid.
 

Scrumpet

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Well they didn't succeed, so having checked my redcafe dictionary I can only conclude that they bottled it.
 

Snow

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typical spurs

tight when it mattered

why oh why didn't they buy a striker

had they bought one they would be reaping the rewards of Champions League football instead of slogging it out in the Europa League

waste of a season and you wonder will Bale want to stay

Nani plus 40 million?
What striker should they have bought?
 

Snow

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Because they absolutely insisted on stealing Sigyrdson and Dempsey from under Brendans nose. Made zero sense at the time and zero sense with hindsight. No sympathy there for AVB I'm afraid.
Stole them? No. Sigurðsson chose Tottenham over Liverpool because he thought they had a better team and I'm not even sure Liverpool even made a bid for Dempsey.
 

RDCR07

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Stole them? No. Sigurðsson chose Tottenham over Liverpool because he thought they had a better team and I'm not even sure Liverpool even made a bid for Dempsey.
Of course they bid for Dempsey. He was supposed to be their last day signing in August. But he also chose Spurs over Liverpool which is partly the reason Liverpool were left striker less apart from Suarez.
 

Snow

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Of course they bid for Dempsey. He was supposed to be their last day signing in August. But he also chose Spurs over Liverpool which is partly the reason Liverpool were left striker less apart from Suarez.
Nah. I'm pretty sure Dempsey didn't talk to Liverpool. Something about Liverpool not matching the asking price. I don't remember them having a bid accepted by Fulham.
 

RDCR07

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Nah. I'm pretty sure Dempsey didn't talk to Liverpool. Something about Liverpool not matching the asking price. I don't remember them having a bid accepted by Fulham.
First you said they did not bid for him. Now you are saying they bid for him but wasnt accepted by Fulham and then he did not talk to Liverpool.
 

buckooo1978

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What striker should they have bought?
Michu obviously.....(no one predicted how good he would be in fairness)

Berbatov would have been a good choice but there are any number of strikers they could have gone in for.....

even if they had outbid Liverpool for Daniel Sturridge in January I think his goals would have made the difference

going into the season with Defoe - decent but one dimensional and Adebayor - ineffectual and lazy 75% of the time was silly

for the last few transfer windows they have messed up flirting with buying players at the last minute to try and save a few quid and ultimately failing

they did it with Moutinho last summer
for the last couple of windows they have done it with Leandro Damião

if they actually did their business early and got things in place I think they would have achieved a top 4 place
 

Earthquake

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First you said they did not bid for him. Now you are saying they bid for him but wasnt accepted by Fulham and then he did not talk to Liverpool.
Liverpool tried to lowball Fulham, by something like 2m, expecting Dempsey to not go anywhere else with all his panty flashing at Liverpool, and IIRC saying he wouldn't play for Fulham again.
 

Carl

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This hasn't been comparable to last year. No bottle job from Spurs this time. They've had s great season.

It's a huge Summer for them.
 

GlastonSpur

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Hi Glaston. How you doing? :angel:
Disappointed we just missed out on 4th place, but encouraged by our getting to the 72 points mark.

It may be two steps forwards and one step back, but little by little we continue to generally progress ... despite all the muppets predicting otherwise each time we lose a Berbatov or a Modric.

We'll be in the mix for top 4 again next season.