milo
Jack L. Jones
They are probably crapping themselves about us being a couple of years ahead of them in building a team that can challenge for the title and that team is young and improving fast.
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Pau Lopez
- Thread starter Lemonade Money
- Start date
They are probably crapping themselves about us being a couple of years ahead of them in building a team that can challenge for the title and that team is young and improving fast.
DubaiSpur
Ian Walker
I posted it elsewhere ('Transfer Speculation', I think) but that really could apply to most teams, maybe all of them.
Problem is that, in my view and as I mentioned above, we've been performing somewhere around our max potential on each of the last two years. Now whilst that potential of ours can inch higher, other teams can gain more by, for example, Pep and Mourinho having had a full year and pre season, Koeman having had one pre season, those managers adjusting their squads to more what they want in terms of style/type of players...and that's even before you get on to those teams all likely to be spending far more than us this summer.
Even before you add in the Wembley factor, maintaining a top 3 or 4 position next season will be very challenging and our likely delays in signing players makes Poch's job that bit harder
Yermiyahu
Scott Parker
So what do you suggest the club does?
Glenda's Legs
Paul Walsh
There haven't been any rumours at all that I've seen about Vorm going. Although I suppose that might change once we announce Lopez. Personally I think we'll see Vorm stay for another season. Hence my question mark over McGee. Time will soon tell.
My initial point was - in response to your possibly tongue-in-cheek sarcasm about our rivals quaking in their boots over our lack of ambition - that I don't believe the Lopez transfer reflects on that at all as it is clearly not a transfer linked to the first team. Rather it's just tidying up loan business.
And yes, I do have confidence in our transfer policy. Of course every manager wants to get players in for pre-season. That's the ideal scenario. But every manager will also know that is easier said than done. We are progressing very well as a club and have a lot to offer anyone who wants to join us. But we don't yet have the financial pulling power of our immediate rivals. I don't believe that is a reflection on our transfer policy. It's just the way things pan out as players, and agents, and clubs, hedge their bets. I reckon we'll have at least one new signing (not counting Lopez) by the time the team goes to the US. If we don't, it will be unfortunate, but nothing to do with our ambition.
And just by way of managing expectations: One of the journalists who covers Tottenham has said that the word from within the club is that we want to focus our activity on signing new young talent.
Of course that could just be rubbish. It could be a smokescreen. Or it could be part of the ambitious, long-term project' that Poch and Levy have agreed upon.
It feels that we are SO close to something very special and I'm happy that we have the right level of ambition, acting within our means, to get us there.
Yes it's raised by the same people who can't fathom that we are working in a different transfer market to the Chelsea and Emirates Marketing Project etc and generally have to wait a little longer to conclude signings. It's the same every year and each time we end up being just fine....
How do you know what our max potential is when so many of our players are below 25 and haven't even reached their potential yet, and out coach himself is nowhere near the finished article?
milo
Jack L. Jones
Our team has far more than an inch of progress in it. We have a young team where many will be hitting their peak years together. We cannot outspend the other top four contenders but they cannot buy what we have.
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Agree that a young squad like ours can improve quicker than a squad of 28 year olds. However any new manager has various quick-wins which improve results such as players getting used to the system, adjusting the squad to having the right type of players to suit that system etc. We had those things in the bag two years ago, however Koeman doesnt have those yet, Pep doesnt, Mourinho doesnt. And other clubs do have young players - Man C have Sane, Jesus and Sterling for example. Plus others will spend far more than us. Plus we have a new 'home' to get used to next year.
Our potential will continue to increase by our players improving, but others have that in addition to greater increases from other means. Its not just that after supporting Spurs for 30 years that I'm used to disappointments, however I do see huge headwinds for us next year and a real struggle to stay top 3
Bedfordspurs
Chris Waddle
Actually recently second seasons have been harder for teams for the reason you stated above
They get a free pass for season one but season two the expectations and pressure changes massively
Managers who have won trophies recently have lost their job in the second season with two obvious ones like Van Gaal and Ranieri.
We will have less pressure due to the Wembley factor IMO as people will use it as part of a reasoning for a failure as you have already said. And your comment about young players is very true but only city have players of a similar age to us and they should get better (well sterling won't)
milo
Jack L. Jones
And if you see the glass being half full you could say that Guardiola has never had to start from such a low base, Mourinho's powers have been on the slide since Madrid, Chelsea were fortunate to only have to fight on one front last season, Wenger doesn't have it in him to turn around Arsenal, Liverpool under Klopp are behind us at the same stage under Poch and Everton has a mountain to climb to be genuine contenders. Whilst we have something that none of them can buy, stability.
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
I just meant in terms of achievements and regard
Lopez - 22 YO, 1 full La Liga season, Spain's U21 GK, recently called up to Spain's senior squad
Pickford - 23 YO, 1 full EPL season, England's U21 GK, recently called up to England's senior squad
rosenthal
Sebastien Bassong
Maybe they'd take notice if we'd spent 30m on Pau instead of getting him on the cheap.
parklane1
Tony Galvin
Doubt it, some will always want more.
Gazza
Jimmy Neighbour
Ok don't get funny 31m
alekaras
The ITK of IDK
Weren't you predicting doom around this time last year (and the year before that) only for us to finish second with a record points total, in spite of injuries to key players? If anything is going to affect us this year it's Wembley and not whether we sign half a new team, or just one reserve goalkeeper.
Bullet
Colin Calderwood
Indeed, AdamB is at the far far far far far far end of 'the spectrum'
Rorschach
Ricky Villa
You'd have to think that Vorm might be on his way out if this Paul Opez guy signs. Vorm is good enough to start in more than half the PL teams IMO and he is not getting any younger. I wouldn't begrudge him a move if it materialised (except to our rivals). Buying O'Pez for 2.5mil and selling Vorm for 12.5mil is a deal covered in Levy goo.
Lemonade Money
Dimitar Berbatov
Nope! I was actually quite optimistic this year from what I remember - we had a couple competitors going into transitional years. I just think that we need 3 or 4 decent additions this summer to get some depth and I fear that we won't get them, let alone get them before the end of August
Perhaps others are further along in the rehabilitation from viewing us as very spurs-y than me?!?!?