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Welcome Ange: To Dare is to Didgeridoo

This is exactly how I feel about it also. There appears to be not one outstanding team in the league this year and I can't see anyone jumping ahead and staying there.

However, this does leave me with the slightly annoyed feeling that if not for the somewhat freakish events of the Chelsea game and the damage it has caused us we would still be right in the mix up top with every chance of staying there.
Had it not been for that freakish Chelsea game, we'd be easily in first place. The thing is that, even with a depleted squad, we thoroughly deserved to win against Spam and Villa. And against Wolves we were really comfortable until the 91st minute. Yeah, we didn't play our best game, but we could have seen out that win. That's 9 points we literally threw away. Even if we had managed just 6, we'd still be joint top with Woolwich.

I know people are saying we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves and that this is year one of the rebuild, but given the state of all the other teams it's a unique opportunity. And we have the quality and the performances to challenge for the title. I think we still can. Just need the rub of the green to go our way, because we're doing everything else we need to do.
 
I look at the way we have played and feel good. I don't think we deserved anything at Wolves. We was hanging on.

But Villa was a travesty with the chances we made. And Spam was outright wrong. All this whilst we are playing with a depleted squad and an ever changing rotating first X1.

It's frustrating though that every week we lose a player somehow to something. Suspension or injury. I think it's pretty amazing we are still rolling so well..
 
I look at the way we have played and feel good. I don't think we deserved anything at Wolves. We was hanging on.

But Villa was a travesty with the chances we made. And Spam was outright wrong. All this whilst we are playing with a depleted squad and an ever changing rotating first X1.

It's frustrating though that every week we lose a player somehow to something. Suspension or injury. I think it's pretty amazing we are still rolling so well..
That's the thing, if we play the way Ange wants us to, we put in performances worthy of winning games no matter who is on the pitch. I can't remember any other time when that was the case. Even under Poch, if we lost a couple of starters we struggled. We've lost up to 5 at times and we're still rolling along. That in itself is what makes me believe the title isn't out of our reach. 4th should be a shoo in.
 
Tough to get the players you want in Jan though, I’d hate to add 2 or 3 players to the squad who weren’t really what we wanted long term and then we have the situation of the last couple of seasons in trying to flog even more dead wood. We’re finally starting to see the end to that particular nightmare, I’d hate to add to it.

I hope we’re not afraid to use the loan system in Jan if the opportunity comes up.

Agree on only signing players the "recruitment team" (including Ange) believe are real solutions. Not so gaps or emergency options. Players we'd want to sign come the summer anyway.

Our recruitment has been really good recently so reasons to be optimistic about that continuing, though of course everyone signs a dud once in a while.

Loan with an option or obligation to buy would be fine for sure. Not convinced about loans without those clauses.

Hope we go into January with a very clear plan, ideally already some stuff being worked on before the window actually opens.
 
Thinking about the mid season transfer window, I think we need a much stronger defensive options. we've seen how cuti, vdv, udogie and porro has transformed us at the back - not only clean sheets, but also the ability to have less in defence and more options in attack.

i've always believed in building from the back and for angeball it seems like its even more important and urgent that we get more defensive options in first. And while Maddison's absence is noticeable, despite Maddision and Solomon being out we are the only team that continues to be scoring in every match. So to me, our main issue unfortunately, still is, defending. But I am sure we can find upgrades for Dier and Davies quite easily.

Its great that guglielmo has been injury free (touch wood) and I am not sure how our current backups will do playing from the back with feet. Upgrades on dier, davies and perisic plus a capable stand in for romero (due to him being a red card magnet) would not increase the quality of defensive options but also perhaps provide new options in attack (think long ball assisting toby) . That's five transfers already to work on for Lange and the new recruitment team.
 
Thinking about the mid season transfer window, I think we need a much stronger defensive options. we've seen how cuti, vdv, udogie and porro has transformed us at the back - not only clean sheets, but also the ability to have less in defence and more options in attack.

i've always believed in building from the back and for angeball it seems like its even more important and urgent that we get more defensive options in first. And while Maddison's absence is noticeable, despite Maddision and Solomon being out we are the only team that continues to be scoring in every match. So to me, our main issue unfortunately, still is, defending. But I am sure we can find upgrades for Dier and Davies quite easily.

Its great that guglielmo has been injury free (touch wood) and I am not sure how our current backups will do playing from the back with feet. Upgrades on dier, davies and perisic plus a capable stand in for romero (due to him being a red card magnet) would not increase the quality of defensive options but also perhaps provide new options in attack (think long ball assisting toby) . That's five transfers already to work on for Lange and the new recruitment team.
Reality is we'll have to prioritise and "gamble" that we get away with lacking some of those quality options.

Even though we're still scoring and our goals for is more impressive than goals against I think there's a lot of potential for development with a good signing in more attacking areas too.

RCB, left winger, Bissouma backup would be my three priorities. Not necessarily in that order.
 
Reality is we'll have to prioritise and "gamble" that we get away with lacking some of those quality options.

Even though we're still scoring and our goals for is more impressive than goals against I think there's a lot of potential for development with a good signing in more attacking areas too.

RCB, left winger, Bissouma backup would be my three priorities. Not necessarily in that order.

According to media, Ange's priorities for January are CB, midfielder and a attacking option (trying for 3 in)
 
According to media, Ange's priorities for January are CB, midfielder and a attacking option (trying for 3 in)
Ange is literally the first coach we've had who seems to actually see the holes their squad has and wants to address them. I'm really not comfortable with this. I'm used to the coach lying to themselves about how strong the squad is and then failing because they don't have the components they need. Or them just being blind to obvious holes. Ange isn't like that.

Me no likey. 🤣
 
Ange is literally the first coach we've had who seems to actually see the holes their squad has and wants to address them. I'm really not comfortable with this. I'm used to the coach lying to themselves about how strong the squad is and then failing because they don't have the components they need. Or them just being blind to obvious holes. Ange isn't like that.

Me no likey. 🤣
TBF he is one of the most experienced coaches we have recruited with 27 years experience
 
Had it not been for that freakish Chelsea game, we'd be easily in first place. The thing is that, even with a depleted squad, we thoroughly deserved to win against Spam and Villa. And against Wolves we were really comfortable until the 91st minute. Yeah, we didn't play our best game, but we could have seen out that win. That's 9 points we literally threw away. Even if we had managed just 6, we'd still be joint top with Woolwich.

I know people are saying we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves and that this is year one of the rebuild, but given the state of all the other teams it's a unique opportunity. And we have the quality and the performances to challenge for the title. I think we still can. Just need the rub of the green to go our way, because we're doing everything else we need to do.

IF we are fully fit and firing we're still going to find Liverpool hard to beat this season, same with Emirates Marketing Project. There's been ample scenarios where teams around us are in transition in the past and it will happen again. Salah could leave Liverpool, City could not win the league and have a hissy fit, Man Utd could, well, continue the way they do now. I'm almost certain Chelsea are not going to compete while they have agent Poch in charge, and the current transfer policy, and the likes of Villa are dependent on fitness of key players (like us I guess).

Next season with the right signings it won't matter how good or bad the top teams are, it will come down to the games between us and them, because I genuinely believe we will be that good.
 
Australia, Japan and Scotland don't count though o_O /s
Yeah
Farmers leagues where he only trained cattle and chickens I guess 🐮
it was always my argument when he joined (and I say that as someone who hadn’t followed his career). It’s all relative and you can Only beat what is in front of you
what’s key of course is how and why you do it
with Ange we can see the how and hear the why
it’s great
 
IF we are fully fit and firing we're still going to find Liverpool hard to beat this season, same with Emirates Marketing Project. There's been ample scenarios where teams around us are in transition in the past and it will happen again. Salah could leave Liverpool, City could not win the league and have a hissy fit, Man Utd could, well, continue the way they do now. I'm almost certain Chelsea are not going to compete while they have agent Poch in charge, and the current transfer policy, and the likes of Villa are dependent on fitness of key players (like us I guess).

Next season with the right signings it won't matter how good or bad the top teams are, it will come down to the games between us and them, because I genuinely believe we will be that good.
I agree
right now with what Ange has done with the time and resources available you can only be optimistic
and optimism from the start point we will be in should be to aim higher and higher
 
It's not even optimism. Optimism is pretending that Conte can deliver Tottenham shaped football. Or that Kane will stay and sign a new 7 year contract.

I'm being pragmatic. Ange + premier league standard players seems to equal virtually unplayable offence and somewhat vulnerable defence. Add defensive depth and more time and the facts point to us beating 17 or 18 of our league competitors, with only really City and Liverpool offering truly elite challenges. I suppose the goons might too but I expect them to fold under pressure in a way the scouse and blue moon won't.

We are not dealing with a flash in the pan here. If we can get Ange the squad he needs this is going to be the best Spurs side in my lifetime (I'm 45).
 
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