Season Expectations

[africanspurs]

Ah the old "weaker team" excuse

Grow up

what on earth?

but its true though, the team is weaker this year than last year.

at least natural talent for talent wise it is.

not saying that automatically makes a worse performing team but shouldnt the fact that the two most talented players left and new manager come in with new ideas be considered even a little bit?

 

[billyiddo]

Stop laughing like a child

me, a child? aren't you the one bickering with another poster about who started the official Ekotto thread?

:ross:

 

[southstand1882]

Absolute horse brick. Why, because Gollum left?

The most over-rated player we've had in years.

Bale and Lennon are still on the wings, and have IMPROVED

We've added genuine class with Vertonghen and Dembele.

And we now have a WORLD CLASS keeper

Defoe and Adebayor are still here.

Sandro is raping the entire premier league.

It's a shame VDV is gone, but he only gave us 60 mins per game anyway.

We are not weaker at all. We are the same as last year, and will probably strengthen in January.

Weaker, my arse

 

[southstand1882]

me, a child? aren't you the one bickering with another poster about who started the official Ekotto thread?

:ross:

There is no argument. I am merely pointing out a fact.

You are a strange poster.

 

[africanspurs]

Absolute horse brick. Why, because Gollum left?

The most over-rated player we've had in years.

Bale and Lennon are still on the wings, and have IMPROVED

We've added genuine class with Vertonghen and Dembele.

And we now have a WORLD CLASS keeper

Defoe and Adebayor are still here.

Sandro is raping the entire premier league.

It's a shame VDV is gone, but he only gave us 60 mins per game anyway.

We are not weaker at all. We are the same as last year, and will probably strengthen in January.

Weaker, my arse

so here we have the main difference. its just that you didnt really rate the contribution of modric and VDV like some other people. which is fair enough

world class keeper aside i can appreciate what your saying. there is always more than one way to skin a cat

personally speaking......losing king, VDV and modric all in one window ... was a big blow. we havent replaced that quality in their respective positions..talent wise anyway we havent. not to mention that kaboul, BAE and dembele all had lengthy time out

productivity though is another matter..we still seem to be producing results in tandem with how we were last season....slightly worse but all in all about the same

i do kind of see where you are coming from if i am totally honest about the team being roughly the same as last year. the continuity issue isnt nearly as big a problem as people are making out

 

[southstand1882]

so here we have the main difference. its just that you didnt really rate the contribution of modric and VDV like some other people. which is fair enough

world class keeper aside i can appreciate what your saying. there is always more than one way to skin a cat

personally speaking......losing king, VDV and modric all in one window ... was a big blow. we havent replaced that quality in their respective positions..talent wise anyway we havent. not to mention that kaboul, BAE and dembele all had lengthy time out

productivity though is another matter..we still seem to be producing results in tandem with how we were last season....slightly worse but all in all about the same

i do kind of see where you are coming from if i am totally honest about the team being roughly the same as last year. the continuity issue isnt nearly as big a problem as people are making out

Nullified by the introduction of AVB, Hugo, Dembele, Dempsey, Siggy, Verts and huge improvements in other players

We are not weaker at all

I have more confidence in our squad this year, than last year

We beat United at Old Trafford. I rest my case

 

[Gutter Boy]

Without in any way trying to undermine/divert the thread, it might be interesting to read this alongside the equivalent thread from the summer, to see how views have changed: http://www.glory-glory.co.uk/showthread.php?2154-*Official-2012-2013-expectations*

It actually looks like people have higher hopes now than they did then.

I said in July we'd be in a 3-way battle for 2-4th. So a 3-way battle for 3-5th isn't far off.

 

[africanspurs]

Nullified by the introduction of AVB, Hugo, Dembele, Dempsey, Siggy, Verts and huge improvements in other players

We are not weaker at all

I have more confidence in our squad this year, than last year

We beat United at Old Trafford. I rest my case

i dont understand how you can rest your case base on one result. does that mean that teams that beat them are as good as us ? or that we are better than teams they beat.?

not one of the players you mentioned amounts to the natural talent and quality of modric....you cant buy a number of lesser players and equate that to the quality that was lost...both dempsey and siggy are squad players..modric and gets into real madrids team..do the math....demebele is what i would call a world class role player but he'll never be modric or VDV in regards to all round skill set and natural quality. he is a great player for us and for the role he is employed as we couldnt hope for better but we lost an all round true to the bone playmaker in modric

pretty sure that with the comments you have come out with that this will all fall on deaf ears anyway.

agree to disgaree

 

[glorygloryeze]

I must say, we have a good chance of finishing 4th but we MUST improve our results against our Top 3/4 rivals:

Chelski - Lost 4-2 Home
Everton - Lost 2-1 Away
Arsenal - Lost 5-2 away
West Brom - drew 1-1 home

We can't afford for any of those teams to beat us again in the reverse fixtures; in fact we really need to win at least 2 (possibly) 3 of those reverse fixtures to stand a good chance of finishing top 4.

I think mentally the Manure hime game might be the most important for the rest of the season; AVB blew a 3-0 lead last time he hosted them; we blown more laeds against them than prob anayone else. Manure rarely get beaten at hime by a rival and then away in the reverse fixture.

If we even get a drawn in that Manure game, provided we haven't lost against QPR that will give tyhe players, coaching staff and club so much belief going into the remainder of thseason, and especially in the reverse fixtures against our top 4 rivals

 

[JPG_357]

At the start of the season I expected us to finish 7th to 9th, but feared worse. Now I definitely expect top 6 and think we'll get 5th, but can now look more to the upside of that prediction than the downside I was fearing after those early games this season.

 

[Pandy]

so here we have the main difference. its just that you didnt really rate the contribution of modric and VDV like some other people. which is fair enough

world class keeper aside i can appreciate what your saying. there is always more than one way to skin a cat

personally speaking......losing king, VDV and modric all in one window ... was a big blow. we havent replaced that quality in their respective positions..talent wise anyway we havent. not to mention that kaboul, BAE and dembele all had lengthy time out

productivity though is another matter..we still seem to be producing results in tandem with how we were last season....slightly worse but all in all about the same

i do kind of see where you are coming from if i am totally honest about the team being roughly the same as last year. the continuity issue isnt nearly as big a problem as people are making out

VDV: Talented but doesn't have the fitness or work ethic to start in an AVB team, wouldn't have been happy on the bench.
Replaced by Dempsey/Sig: Two hardworking players, both provide a genuine goal threat and Dempsey could replace VDV goals short term, Sig long term. Both tidy in possession although obviously a downgrade in sheer talent. Both more tactically committed than VDV who loathed Mourinho's approach at Madrid, arguably an upgrade in terms of the squad.

Modric: Would have been a complete **** and never played a game, inevitable.
Replaced by Dembele: Genuinely don't think this was much of a downgrade, Dembele is stronger, quicker and nearly as slippery. Not as good at passing, but a decent shot which Modric always lacked. Difficult to do better.

King: Was looking very poor at the end of last season, the only poor spell of his recent career, it was time to call it a day.
Vertonghen: Added versatility, has also looked very composed similar to King at his peak, leads by example just like the King. Again, a downgrade but again it would have been difficult to do better considering retirement was inevitable for Ledders.

I really think we did brilliantly given the circumstances and only got hit badly in 'talent' terms on VDV, but we gained in terms of application.. VDV was a hero but he was a bit too maverick. Thought he might have had a role to play deeper in our midfield but ah well... not doing great in Germany either IIRC.

 

[Pandy]

i dont understand how you can rest your case base on one result. does that mean that teams that beat them are as good as us ? or that we are better than teams they beat.?

not one of the players you mentioned amounts to the natural talent and quality of modric....you cant buy a number of lesser players and equate that to the quality that was lost...both dempsey and siggy are squad players..modric and gets into real madrids team..do the math....demebele is what i would call a world class role player but he'll never be modric or VDV in regards to all round skill set and natural quality. he is a great player for us and for the role he is employed as we couldnt hope for better but we lost an all round true to the bone playmaker in modric

pretty sure that with the comments you have come out with that this will all fall on deaf ears anyway.

agree to disgaree

Didn't see this before I posted. Yeah would agree we have lost that something special with Modric. I think Dempsey would be excellent behind Adebayor in lieu of VDV if given the chance though.

 

[Crawley]

Was Modric really that good though?

I mean generally.......not just in our team.

The recent published poll in Spain, asking who was the biggest flop transfer this season has Modric top.

 

[Modric THFC]

Was Modric really that good though?

I mean generally.......not just in our team.

The recent published poll in Spain, asking who was the biggest flop transfer this season has Modric top.

He can't get a game in his best position of deep lying playmaker because of Xavi Alonso.
It would be like us complaining about Vertonghen when he's been stuck out at left back most of the season.
I've no idea why Madrid wanted him tbh. I doubt Mourinho had anything to do with it.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

I genuinely believe we have the 4th best team AND squad in the Premiership but I'd be content with top six this season. Whether Bale or Sandro will be happy with anything other than a Champion's League spot is another matter entirely....

 

[Spursalot]

Expected challengin for fourth. That's where we have been thus far this season, and i still expect us to be challenging for fourth by the end.

What richer clubs can spend may decide it though.