We were always going to decline somewhat after losing players of the calibre of Bale, Modric, VDV and King.
Nobody even realistically expected to challenge for the top 4 this season under Pochettino. The competition is very strong.
You have Chelsea & Emirates Marketing Project who were pretty much nailed on for 2 births. You had Arsenal who are always there and there abouts no matter how badly they start a season, Wenger always manages to get it turned around and get them in there. They've also added Sanchez to what was already an impressive array of talent. Man Utd have a proven manager in Van Gaal and have bought some superb players in. The reality is it is only going to take Van Gaal a bit of time before they are motoring as the quality in that squad in forward areas and midfield now is very strong. The defence will prevent them from a title challenge, but they will be there and thereabouts top 4 wise.
You've also got Everton & Liverpool who will provide very tough competition as the season goes on.
What I hoped for was that we'd get more football out of the clearly talented but inexperienced players we had on the books, that we'd see a more coherent and simple approach, a more ruthless and quicker attacking approach, where we'd look to dominate and pressure teams, particularly at home and score more goals.
It's not rocket science.
As much as our squad has deteriorated in terms of quality and as much as people want to lay the blame at Baldini and Levy's door, for me the squad is still high on quality.
People bitch and moan about the players, but even a total tool-box like Sherwood managed to get the current squad consistently beating most teams that weren't top 4 contenders, including very strong sides like Everton, Southampton and Man U at Old Trafford again.
Basically we gave everyone at the least a toe-to-toe game under Sherwood bar Emirates Marketing Project, Chelsea and Liverpool. Even the goons were pretty fortunate to escape WHL with a win in the league game and the cup game was tight until Rose had his brain-fart.
The football wasn't great under Sherwood and the performances were a bit disjointed, but we were effective and always offered a threat to all but the best teams.
This says to me that there was something considerable for a decent manager to get his teeth stuck into.
The players we bought are not bad players IMO, bar Paulinho (who I just think is weak mentally and won't perform consistently out of Brazil as a result). If we take the 7 players we signed famously with the Bale money I'll go through them one-by-one:
*Chiriches - he is a good footballer and has had good games defensively. We were very defensively tight at the start of AVB's second season with Chiriches in the team and he also played a fair amount under Sherwood. There is something to work with here. He has performed in the Champions League and did well in the game versus Chelsea where he was brought to the attention of English football. There is something to work with here for a good coach. Not maybe the best defender in the world, but what are we talking abotu here? He was brought in as cover to replace Caulker in the squad ultimately, so we're just looking for someone with the ability to slot in when required, not a stalwart at the back who is going to dominate.
*Capoue - he's out of form at the moment, but he started this season and the season before that well. I also feel he's being asked to carry out a role that he isn't comfortable with. He's been made the lynchpin of the team and that's not his bag. With a bit of movement and good coaching around him there is a player in there if we're not expecting him to be the next Vieira or midfield engine room.
*Lamela - Really this is his first season in English football and his first run of games in a Spurs shirt. Last season was a write-off due to injury and he's clearly a bit rusty and trying to get into the swing of things. I've seen enough in the cup games to suggest there is definately a player in there. It might not be the Bale replacement super-GHod we might have hoped for, but there's definately a very good degree of talent there coupled with a work-rate and desire that if harnessed correctly with good coaching should see the lad go far.
*Eriksen - We all saw what he was capable of last season when allowed to play his game. For me he is potentially our best player and rather than ask him to do a dog's body role out on the wing, you need to build the team around him like Sherwood tried to do. He's clearly capable of getting into double figures for goals and assists in the PL.
*Chadli - The only one that has started to perform under Pochettino. He clearly likes the more forward role he's been asked to play and is a genuine goal-threat. He should make double figures this season for goals which is a very good return for someone that was signed as a squad player.
*Soldado - There's clearly a player in here. His general play is very good. His confidence in front of goal is clearly shot, but I don't honestly believe its something a decent coach couldn't work on. Is he over priced at £26m? Probably. Is he someone for the garbage bin? Probably not.
I've covered off Paulinho who IMO was a genuine mistake in the transfer market. They happen. There might even be a player in there somewhere as he's had a couple of good games, but his mentality and confidence needs some kind of rocket before he'll be a PL player or possibly even a player that could make it in a decent European league IMO.
We also have a group of young players that are clearly talented. People moan about Townsend, but he looks a different player for England, where you'd think the pressure would be even higher. He looks more relaxed, more confident, he seems to make the right decisions playing for England as to when to shoot, when to pass, when to cross, when to take on his man and his shots for England tend to end up in the net rather than row Z.
You have to ask why he looks so relaxed and confident playing for England where he constantly looks like he is trying to force it when playing for Spurs. I'd also point to the fact that he looked very good under AVB at the start of last season before his injury.
For me it comes down to coaching and the way the players are given clear instructions a simple plan and confidence and calmness by a manager. Mason and Kane are also clearly talented.
Vertonghen got in the team of the season after his first season. There's clearly a player in there also.
My point is that you can't just compare the squad to the one Harry had and say 'well it's not good enough, it's all Levy and Baldini's fault'.
News flash: It isn't. The finger can certainly be pointed, we can ask questions of them and their decisions.
Ultimately, i'd suggest that our squad is more than capable of producing football of a much higher quality than that displayed so far. I'd also suggest that our defenders have shown at previous clubs and even at Spurs under previous management that they are capable of defending at a level higher than a conference team.
I'm not asking us to go out and compete with City and Chelsea or even Arsenal.
I only ask that we play some decent stuff in keeping with the high level of player we have on our books, despite what some may suggest and that we are able to put pressure on and create chances against the likes of WBA, Saudi Sportswashing Machine and Stoke at home. We might not win every game against such teams, but I'd expect our current squad to put them away 9, 8 or 7 times out of 10 given the normal rub of the green.
If you're telling me despite all flaws you can point to our squad that you would think it reasonable for the squad to finish below 8th in the table given the talent available, i'd honestly question it.
For me a decent level of coaching should be able to get performances out of this current squad without any new additions. If the coach is unable or unwilling to do so, then you have to start questioning his worth to the club. I though Poch showed an ability to adapt his methods to the players available at Southampton.
My worry is now that he is going to pull a bit of an AVB and moan about the squad not being suitable for his 'principles', retreat into his shell and end up getting sacked and moan that 'well, if they'd have shelled out £40m for Rodriguez and Schneiderlin I might have been able to achieve something, but becuase they thought i might be able to play some decent attacking football with Eriksen, Lamela, Chadli, Kane, Adebayor and Soldado, it wasn't going to work out'.
The performances have gone from promising to downright awful and have remained so for at least 3 or 4 games.
The buck stops with Pochettino for me. I'm firmly of the belief that far from what people might moan about, for all bar 6-7 managers in this league, they'd love to work with a squad of the depth and quality that we have at our disposal.
Even Mark Hughes commented when the game finished at the weekend that Spurs have talented 'individuals'.
Well Poch's job is of moulding those individuals into a team that is at least equal to the sum of their parts. I have to say that so far, while i'm prepared to wait and see, i'm very worried that he's overcomplicating things and making this job a lot harder than it needs to be.
