Tottenham's mental issues when a trophy is in sight

Dancfc

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This has been something that has made me curious for a while and the events of this week makes it a relevant time to bring it up again.

They are an excellent side capable of putting fantastic winning runs together and not only that, they have totally outclassed every big team they have faced at some point most more than once. However every time they either start to be spoke about as either serious title challengers or get to a semi in a cup, they never fail to wilt and it seems to have now got to the point even the players believe they can't cross that final line to Silverware.

Did the events of 2016 do even more damage to those guys than we realized or is it something a lot more deeper? Because such a consistently good team as what Spurs have been under Pochettino not only failing to win a trophy but not really looking like doing so either is unheard of.
 

crossy1686

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You can call Spurs bottlers, which it certainly would appear they are, but the reality is that it's down to resources more than anything.

They've bought players from weaker leagues who were relatively unknown before for low fees and combined them with reserve team players from their academy. At no point have any of these players been 'winners' in their careers and therefore have never learned what it takes to win trophies. You pay top whack for players that know how to win and Spurs aren't able to do that.

This is why I think Pochettino is naive when it comes to the ignoring the cups. That mentality has to start somewhere, the players have to get a taste for winning silverware in order to want to demand more themselves and each other and win those big trophies.
 

FujiVice

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The last time Spurs won the FA cup was the year after Fergie won his first trophy. Madness, really.
 

We need an rvn

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adexkola said:
Over/Under on how many times the word "bottlers/bottled/bottle" will be used in the first 40 posts?

Over 20 for me.
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well three of them have come from you already so I'd say over 20 times that the words "bottles/bottled/bottle" will be used ;)

But they do appear to bottle it in big games when it really counts. Doesn't help when you manager comes out and says it will take 5-10 years to change the mentality when he's already have x years at the club
 

B20

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If anything they are overperforming. The British myopic obsession with bottle is a bit dull really.
 

Reapersoul20

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No bottle. Haven't had any for decades. Impossible to argue with this, given all the evidence.
 

adexkola

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We need an rvn said:
well three of them have come from you already so I'd say over 20 times that the words "bottles/bottled/bottle" will be used ;)

But they do appear to bottle it in big games when it really counts. Doesn't help when you manager comes out and says it will take 5-10 years to change the mentality when he's already have x years at the club
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Yeah, make that 27 (accounting for the post I'm quoting)
 

Random Task

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Pardon me for pointing out the glaringly obvious, but referring to the team currently sitting third in the table as 'bottlers' is nonsensical.
 

Big Ben Foster

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Remember them doing the same a couple times when CL qualification was in sight. 2006 and 2012 come to mind.
 

Dancfc

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B20 said:
If anything they are overperforming. The British myopic obsession with bottle is a bit dull really.
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In general consistentcy yes, but you would expect them to have taken a few of the chances that have presented themselves trophy wise.

Whenever they have a chance to become a serious player in the title race they mess it up no matter who against and this decade they have had numerous semi finals and won once against a league one side, that's a shocking record.
 

Eric7C

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Dancfc said:
This has been something that has made me curious for a while and the events of this week makes it a relevant time to bring it up again.

They are an excellent side capable of putting fantastic winning runs together and not only that, they have totally outclassed every big team they have faced at some point most more than once. However every time they either start to be spoke about as either serious title challengers or get to a semi in a cup, they never fail to wilt and it seems to have now got to the point even the players believe they can't cross that final line to Silverware.

Did the events of 2016 do even more damage to those guys than we realized or is it something a lot more deeper? Because such a consistently good team as what Spurs have been under Pochettino not only failing to win a trophy but not really looking like doing so either is unheard of.
Click to expand...
Another way of saying that they BOTTLED it. I think Poch said it as much post-Burnley: "“I am so frustrated, because we didn’t show more attitude than Burnley, we didn’t show more energy than Burnley, we didn’t show more ambition than them, fighting for big things — the Premier League."

The club doesn't have the ruthlessness required to win trophies, and that includes Poch, Levy and all the fans who makes excuses for them.
 

steakpie

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If they don't win a trophy with this side, I can't see them ever winning one
 

Rimur

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They aren't bottlers. Their Chairman is just too cheap to add squad depth and with more than 50 matches a year to play, it is impossible to win with no depth in the squad.
 

Sky1981

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On the serious note the narratives also effects the players and the club and the manager.

When people make excuses for losing as so many tottenham fans here has written, and how pochetinno lauded as genious because he finished 3rd (often accompanied by the ussual budget stuff) it's understandable they never thought they're capable of winning. My guess is they feel relaxed that they've punch above the 4th position and accept they're not good enough to overcome city.

They never show the grit, stubborness, mental fortitude when they actually have a chance to push to 1st or 2nd. A team under sir alex would have fought harder in the match where you can possibly gets into 2 pts ahead of your next rival, not completely meltdown not once but many times.

Once or twice is understanable but tottenham losing at crucial matches has becoming like clockwork
 

SalfordRed18

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Finished 3rd in 2 horse race once. That was impressive.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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Sky1981 said:
You expect 3rd. But called your manager genious to get 3rd.

Or do you expect 6th?
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Nooooooo we don't.

We 'expect' to challenge for top 4. We are comfortably in third, we praise Pochettino for building a squad capable of this when he took over with us in 6th.

Us finishing 6th (Behind Liverpool, Man City, United, Chelsea and Arsenal) would hardly be armageddon either. All these clubs spend more on transfers and wages than us and possess world class players and top level coaches.
 

BalanceUnAutreJoint

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That "finished 3rd in a two horse race" meme has really made people misremember how the league table looked like towards the end of that season.
The only reason why people thought Spurs had a chance to win the league is because it was Leicester who was at the top of the table and even 30+ games into the season people still thought it was possible for Leicester to go on a losing streak.
Spurs were never really that close to Leicester pointwise, I don't think you could say Spurs bottled anything really.


I do think their FA CUP performances have been shocking though, especially last year against us in the semifinal.
 

Meep

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Stupid comment by Pochettino, almost Mourinhoesque in its brainlessness. Trying to put the blame on others and it all just obviously comes right back in your face as you are the person most responsible.
 

Sky1981

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SquishyMcSquish said:
Nooooooo we don't.

We 'expect' to challenge for top 4. We are comfortably in third, we praise Pochettino for building a squad capable of this when he took over with us in 6th.

Us finishing 6th (Behind Liverpool, Man City, United, Chelsea and Arsenal) would hardly be armageddon either. All these clubs spend more on transfers and wages than us and possess world class players and top level coaches.
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See my previous post. Exactly what i described. You guys unconsciously happy with 3rd. You make a narratives how finishing 3rd is a job well done.

It's a jib well done if you're offered that at the start of the season. But when 2nd is 2 match away you fight for it. Not hiding behind budget etc.

In 1 match budgets means nothing. 2 weeks ago you're at a point where if you beat burnley you're 1pts away from city. It doesnt matter how many billions city spent, win that game and you're close to 2nd. 1 game at a time.
 
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