By using properspursy.com services you agree to our Cookies Use and Data Transfer outside the EU.
We and our partners operate globally and use cookies, including for analytics, personalisation, ads and Newsletters.

  • Love the Shirt - Tottenham Forum

    Join one of the best Tottenham Hotspur Supporters forums on the interweb, Discuss the ins and outs of our great club with like minded spurs fans from around the world.


    Join us!

Next season's expectations?

B

Basskadet

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
So, it's confirmed. Next season will be spent at Wembley and, with that in mind and given our successes this season, I just wonder what people's expectations are.

You see, it is a little bit of a paradox in that, were we to keep this great team and stay at the Lane, expectations would be high, but the fact we'll be at Wembley where, let's be honest, we've struggled, expectations will no doubt be effected. The question is by how much?

Whilst I'm hopeful the guys can continue this form next season, I'm not going to lie, I feel a little bit like I just want to get it out the way so we can move into our new ground ASAP and start kicking on.

That being said, it is a worry that, having had so much success these past couple years, having a 'blip' next season might be fatal for this team just as they're on the verge of realising their potential. The vultures are already circling and were we to finish outside the top 4 (and it could even be lower given our Wembley record) will we be able to hang on to everyone? I hope so, but it has to be a concern.

All this upheaval, at this specific moment, does feel "proper Spursy" !!
 
skiathospurs

skiathospurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Trophy,probably a cup or at least be in the hunt.Cant see why we still cant have a good league run and be competing for top 4,this wembley hoodoo is over blown,and anyways its our sole home next year,and our focus,Poch will fix it,he`s got this,he always does.

Sounds a bit fanboy,but WTF am I meant to think oh shit woe is me,we are fucked,nothing we can do about it.Last year it was we cant do that again especially with klopp full season,mourinio,pep to city, and yet we have bested all of them.So I reckon with the new stadium looking dogs nutts,who doesnt want to be part of the adventure after the last 3 years?jump ship when you have seen it going up,and this group just gets tighter and tighter.?
We will be fine,wembley included.
 
Thfcire

Thfcire

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Not very high if I'm honest think we will struggle if I'm honest
 
Don Diaz

Don Diaz

Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
Fuck nose!! We could be brilliant again for the 3rd year running or something else. It will be interesting to see the comings and goings this Summer....either way whatever happens I'll be there to see it.

This is an amazing time to be alive in the history of our club. Truly historic and seismic changes, a brave new world emerging.

My expectation is that Poch and the players will give 100% it will be tougher again next year, Pep and Mourinho will have had a year each and few hundred million to spend, Klopp can't do much worse, the Scum who knows, can Chelsea cope with Europe?? Ha ha.

I expect we'll be fine, we have been for 135years and these are some of the most exciting times, at least during my lifetime, and my eyes have seen at least a few of the glories at White Hart Lane.
 
Yid

Yid

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Had no expectations this year and we have fucking smashed it...!!!

Again I'm not hoping for anything other than good football and the team grafting for every ball. If they do that we will have fuck all to worry about.

I think however, the club will expect to be competing in the champions league 2 successive seasons, and that will set a new benchmark for Spurs.
 
Dorset

Dorset

The Voice Of Reason
Founding Member
Fuck worrying about next season, let's finish this one then see what happens. I don't go in for this Wembley hood bollocks, we'll win a few games then carry on where we left off at the Lane. Expectations are like wasps, you think they're going to be all nice and cuddly then when you stroke them they piss on you and bite you - or have I got them muddled up with puppies again? Anyway, no expectations, just a nice commitment level mixture of 100% Graham Roberts, 0% Paulinho and we'll be sorted.
 
B

Basskadet

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
"Wembley hoodoo" does make it sound all mystical, as if we are under some sort of curse and that just makes it sound silly.

However, there are grounds where teams struggle, for whatever reason. For example, we struggle at Anfield but nobody calls it an "Anfield jinx" or whatever, it's just our record isn't good there and, as a result, when we go there any sort of result feels a bonus. The danger then is whether it becomes self-fulfilling.

Whichever way you look at it, our Wembley record is atrocious.

Now, that said, the best possible way of correcting a poor record is to play there as much as possible. If we can get over all the bad results we've had there, get used to the Wembley pitch and atmosphere and start getting some more positive results under our belt it can only help in the long run, surely

It's going to be very strange in the FA Cup tho. Any home leg we get will be played in front of a "home" crowd at Wembley, until the SF where, should we get there, we suddenly share the capacity.

However, this weirdly makes me quite hopeful for the cup next season. By the time it starts we'll hopefully be used to playing there, whilst the opponent will potentially feel the pressure of the National stadium. It could work out well for us in that respect
 
Don Diaz

Don Diaz

Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
The 'hoodoo' or whatever you want to call it isn't down to us, or anyone else. It's just that Wembley is so iconic I think other teams play better there or up their game. This goes for Premier League and European teams.

When you were a kid didn't you imagine playing at Wembley?

The club will also need to allocate a home end and allocate tickets accordingly so that the Park Lane can all sit West End lower and Shelf side next to them, that sort of thing would help.
 
skiathospurs

skiathospurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
"Wembley hoodoo" does make it sound all mystical, as if we are under some sort of curse and that just makes it sound silly.

However, there are grounds where teams struggle, for whatever reason. For example, we struggle at Anfield but nobody calls it an "Anfield jinx" or whatever, it's just our record isn't good there and, as a result, when we go there any sort of result feels a bonus. The danger then is whether it becomes self-fulfilling.

Whichever way you look at it, our Wembley record is atrocious.

Now, that said, the best possible way of correcting a poor record is to play there as much as possible. If we can get over all the bad results we've had there, get used to the Wembley pitch and atmosphere and start getting some more positive results under our belt it can only help in the long run, surely

It's going to be very strange in the FA Cup tho. Any home leg we get will be played in front of a "home" crowd at Wembley, until the SF where, should we get there, we suddenly share the capacity.

However, this weirdly makes me quite hopeful for the cup next season. By the time it starts we'll hopefully be used to playing there, whilst the opponent will potentially feel the pressure of the National stadium. It could work out well for us in that respect
I think wembley pitch is the problem,not the size and it sounds churlish but the length of grass and subsequently how the ball rolls.But we will either get used to that or stick Darren our heads groundsman on it with a sneaky mow nightime when the FA arent looking.If we start thinking of it as home,home it will be.After all NWHL we havent got a great record at yet,and no one is worrying about that ATM.
Another consideration is in the past when you meet teams at wembley its your chelsea`s,monaco`s not hull,sunderland,so the record there isnt completely representative because of opposition faced.
 
Chavhater01

Chavhater01

Player in Training.
"Wembley hoodoo" does make it sound all mystical, as if we are under some sort of curse and that just makes it sound silly.

However, there are grounds where teams struggle, for whatever reason. For example, we struggle at Anfield but nobody calls it an "Anfield jinx" or whatever, it's just our record isn't good there and, as a result, when we go there any sort of result feels a bonus. The danger then is whether it becomes self-fulfilling.

Whichever way you look at it, our Wembley record is atrocious.

Now, that said, the best possible way of correcting a poor record is to play there as much as possible. If we can get over all the bad results we've had there, get used to the Wembley pitch and atmosphere and start getting some more positive results under our belt it can only help in the long run, surely

It's going to be very strange in the FA Cup tho. Any home leg we get will be played in front of a "home" crowd at Wembley, until the SF where, should we get there, we suddenly share the capacity.

However, this weirdly makes me quite hopeful for the cup next season. By the time it starts we'll hopefully be used to playing there, whilst the opponent will potentially feel the pressure of the National stadium. It could work out well for us in that respect

Well that's done it mate, you've cursed us, we're now highly unlikely to get any home draws in the cup next season!

In terms of the Wembley 'hoodoo', Danny Murphy (yeah I know some may not like him),but he did a really good piece in the Standard about the so called 'hoodoo', he basically talks about familiarity, how when you play at your normal home, everything feels the same, the drive to the ground, seeing the same ppl before the match, sitting in the same spot in the changing room. Then goes on to talk about pitch dimensions etc, the most pertinent bit for me and as @Don Diaz said, it's the intimidation part, as an opposing player going to play at Wembley, you don't feel like your playing an away game, it's a motivating factor to play at one of the worlds great stadiums, there's just not the intimidation factor like there is right now with teams coming to the Lane, at the Lane they feel like they're in a cauldron, the fans on top of them, no time on the ball, I'm sure many feel suffocated but at Wembley it's just that much bigger with just a little more freedom, coupled with playing at the national stadium, it's just potentially not as intimidating.

My expectations for next season are pretty similar to this, also depends on who we can get in the Summer and how we adapt to Wembley, if we can get off to a flier then we can turn it into a bit of a fortress and I see no reason with a couple of additions, why we can't continue what we're doing. There aren't many better players out there, well at least those that are realistically attainable for our competitors, that are better than what we already have, so I'm not hugely bothered about who they all buy, it's about how we do as a team and whether we can improve again.

I'm just riding the crest of this massive wave we're surfing on right now, I never thought we'd be doing this well, this quickly, so not much will make me angry.
 
B

Basskadet

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
I think wembley pitch is the problem,not the size and it sounds churlish but the length of grass and subsequently how the ball rolls.But we will either get used to that or stick Darren our heads groundsman on it with a sneaky mow nightime when the FA arent looking.If we start thinking of it as home,home it will be.After all NWHL we havent got a great record at yet,and no one is worrying about that ATM.
Another consideration is in the past when you meet teams at wembley its your chelsea`s,monaco`s not hull,sunderland,so the record there isnt completely representative because of opposition faced.


In regards to NWHL, it's a fair point, but at least we'll still have a lot of that familiarity in terms of leading up to the match - the travel to the ground, the local faces and places, etc.

Also, NWHL will have been purpose built not only for a Premier League football club (rather than a national stadium, and the differences are quite substantial as there are no "home" nor "away" dressing rooms at Wembley for example) but purpose built for OUR Premier League football club. Wenger was talking about the issues they had moving into the Emirates, but I think we've learned lessons from their experience, and others, and I'm hoping NWHL will not only be rocking that 1st game of 2018/19, but it will be a bit of a cauldron for opposition teams - certainly something you cannot say about most modern stadia like The Emirates, The Etihad and, yes, Wembley.


Well that's done it mate, you've cursed us, we're now highly unlikely to get any home draws in the cup next season!

Don't worry, I surrounded myself with salt, closed my eyes and crossed my fingers, turned 3 times anti-clockwise whilst saying "Bloody Woolwich!" repeatedly into a mirror before I posted.

That ought to make sure no hocus pocus can effect us!
 
Last edited:
skiathospurs

skiathospurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
In regards to NWHL, it's a fair point, but at least we'll still have a lot of that familiarity in terms of leading up to the match - the travel to the ground, the local faces and places, etc.

Also, NWHL will have been purpose built not only for a Premier League football club (rather than a national stadium, and the differences are quite substantial as there are no "home" nor "away" dressing rooms at Wembley for example) but purpose built for OUR Premier League football club. Wenger was talking about the issues they had moving into the Emirates, but I think we've learned lessons from their experience, and others, and I'm hoping NWHL will not only be rocking that 1st game of 2018/19, but it will be a bit of a cauldron for opposition teams - certainly something you cannot say about most modern stadia like The Emirates, The Etihad and, yes, Wembley.
I agree,something about wembley the soulessness of the place,I am really not looking forward to going there as a fan from many perspectives ,none to do with team performance.Its just very corporate,red,the sound is boomy,you feel more distant from the pitch,yet old wembley running track and all wouldnt bother me.
My NWHL thing was many are writing us off because of wembley and yet in many ways NWHL is as unfamiliar as wembley.Think there is just a case of us reading too much into where we play,maybe once the lane is actually gone we will get over the angst.Its probably why I am so unsure as a fan about going,im just bummed out about WHL going after so many years and transmit that into wembley worries.
 
Dorset

Dorset

The Voice Of Reason
Founding Member
I think wembley pitch is the problem,not the size and it sounds churlish but the length of grass and subsequently how the ball rolls.But we will either get used to that or stick Darren our heads groundsman on it with a sneaky mow nightime when the FA arent looking.If we start thinking of it as home,home it will be.After all NWHL we havent got a great record at yet,and no one is worrying about that ATM.
Another consideration is in the past when you meet teams at wembley its your chelsea`s,monaco`s not hull,sunderland,so the record there isnt completely representative because of opposition faced.
It's the wrong type of grass, we need proper North London grass not that nancy stuff they grow in Northwest London, it's the wrong shape, the wrong colour and smells funny. The pitch is too big and too flat, we need a bit of a slope so we don't use up all our energy in the first half. The players miss the familiar smells of Diamond Kebabs (or Ganadlaf's - they're nice as well),so Levy MUST force Diamond Kebabs to move to Wembley, a helicopter link from the Brickies to Wembley should be setup immediately, the drunkened Yids could be whisked over to Wembley and they wouldn't know they weren't at the Lane because after it had been roughed up a bit and the bogs were unsanitised it would be SORTED geezer. Talking about the bogs, the very first thing Levy MUST do at the end of this season is to have them transported to Wembley, brick by brick, urinal cake by urinal cake - keep that old Lane Atmosphere. The turnstiles should also be transported to try and stop anybody not as thin as Peter fucking Crouch getting in without having to wriggle through and getting their personal bits squished. Of course it goes without saying that the burger van must be in place:


Wembley could be turned into a temporary home, it's already a total cunt to get home from for anybody who doesn't live within walking distance so it's nearly there.
 
skiathospurs

skiathospurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
"Wembley hoodoo" does make it sound all mystical, as if we are under some sort of curse and that just makes it sound silly.

However, there are grounds where teams struggle, for whatever reason. For example, we struggle at Anfield but nobody calls it an "Anfield jinx" or whatever, it's just our record isn't good there and, as a result, when we go there any sort of result feels a bonus. The danger then is whether it becomes self-fulfilling.

Whichever way you look at it, our Wembley record is atrocious.

Now, that said, the best possible way of correcting a poor record is to play there as much as possible. If we can get over all the bad results we've had there, get used to the Wembley pitch and atmosphere and start getting some more positive results under our belt it can only help in the long run, surely

It's going to be very strange in the FA Cup tho. Any home leg we get will be played in front of a "home" crowd at Wembley, until the SF where, should we get there, we suddenly share the capacity.

However, this weirdly makes me quite hopeful for the cup next season. By the time it starts we'll hopefully be used to playing there, whilst the opponent will potentially feel the pressure of the National stadium. It could work out well for us in that respect
Some uninformed pundits are saying make wembley pitch same as WHL here is the fact (from BBC sport)

Premier League rules do not allow them to change the pitch size to make it the same as at the Lane, where they have been in such brilliant form this season on a pitch that is 440 square metres smaller than the one they will play on at Wembley.
Where possible, Premier League pitches now have to be 105m x 68m but White Hart Lane only measured 100m x 67m and there was no room to extend it. Wembley's pitch is usually 105m x 69m but will be changed to 105m x 68m for Tottenham's Premier League games in 2017-18, the same size as the pitch will be at their new stadium
 
The Cryptkeeper

The Cryptkeeper

The Aussie Yid
Top 4 and a cup run would satisfy me, with proper title tilts for several seasons after that. We won't just walk into Wembley and beat up on teams like we do at the Lane. It will take us at least half the season to get used to the joint.
 
Don Diaz

Don Diaz

Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
I won't be happy unless we win the Premier league and the Champions league and our squad team wins the FA and League cups. Otherwise Poch should be sacked.
 
Dorset

Dorset

The Voice Of Reason
Founding Member
I won't be happy unless we win the Premier league and the Champions league and our squad team wins the FA and League cups. Otherwise Poch should be sacked.
I wouldn't give him that long mate - sack the 'not all that' tosser if we don't beat Kitchee SC in Hong Kong, that is the big one, a game we must win!
 
Nundy

Nundy

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Carragher was spot on last night about how we can improve next season in regards to buying. Apart from the right side of midfield it's going to be very tough. Just need to keep our players and don't buy silly. Just need to replace that clown sissoko
 
Motspur Hotspur

Motspur Hotspur

Player in Training.
I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of bone fide pace coming into midfield, should help shut down some of the that extra Wembley space late in the game(s). No idea who though!
 
Don Diaz

Don Diaz

Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
We've tried to buy two French 'pacy' wingers in the last two seasons and then not played either of them, so I'm not sure I get the point, the formation or the plan? Either that or both weren't good enough and the scouting was rubbish because we sold Townsend who had a bit of pace and now there is talk of Walker leaving, who also has pace.

The argument for pace as I understand it is when you need to sit back, defend and hit teams on the counter....Not really our style but hey, we might need it in the CL next season. So who is/are these pacy players that we need - Gareth Bale? I wouldn't mind betting that Poch could coach Walker on one side and Rose on the other*, to be just as effective as buying someone in?
* assuming they stay with us.
 
skiathospurs

skiathospurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
We've tried to buy two French 'pacy' wingers in the last two seasons and then not played either of them, so I'm not sure I get the point, the formation or the plan? Either that or both weren't good enough and the scouting was rubbish because we sold Townsend who had a bit of pace and now there is talk of Walker leaving, who also has pace.

The argument for pace as I understand it is when you need to sit back, defend and hit teams on the counter....Not really our style but hey, we might need it in the CL next season. So who is/are these pacy players that we need - Gareth Bale? I wouldn't mind betting that Poch could coach Walker on one side and Rose on the other*, to be just as effective as buying someone in?
* assuming they stay with us.
Its a bit like the striker conundrum,we have a system and players that work in it,what we are after more than cover (for wingers with pace or striker) is alternatives when something has to be pulled from the fire so to speak.I doubt we will buy or be able to convince an established player in either area to come and be an understudy or an in case of emergency break glass player.We dont need to change style or tactics,clearly we have that sussed,but alternatives are handy to have.It will be a struggle to get a game changing sub or 2nd striker with experience to fit the role of standby.Also we have Edwards if he ever isnt injured !!I am not sure if zaha would be a starter even if we did spend £30m on him,hence I dont think he would come anyways.We could kill 2 birds with one stone by taking Rashford or Martial off uniteds hands when they blow the load on griezman or whoevers next.
 
Ted the Yid

Ted the Yid

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
I would not say "expectation" but if we were at the Lane next season, I would be extremely confident of finishing first.

So we have Wembley as our home, does that change things?

Well yes, it makes things a bit more challenging but two factors ate going to work on our favour compared to this season.

1/ the season just gone, our pre-season was kinda derailed with so many of our players playing in the euros etc. I think we played by far the most minutes in the euros then any other PL team. And as we all know, Poch likes a pre-season.

2/ unlike this season, all our serious rivals (assuming Man U win the Europa) will have the same fixture congestion with the champions league so s level playing field. The scum won't be there but to be honest I think they are spent and can't be considered a serious rival any more.

3/ I thought of another, other teams are playing catch up with their squads, we just need to retain and add a bit to our bench.

Not an expectation but I am quite confident we will finish 1st next season.

I wonder when was the last time a top division team won 2 games in a row away from home scoring 13 goals?

Any concerns about the Wembley pitch being too big, well it's a damn sight smaller then Hull's so I wouldn't worry to much.
 
B

Basskadet

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Wembley may or may not have an effect on our form next season. However, I have for a long time said that you can predict how well a team will start a season based on how they finished the previous. We were pretty good toward the end of last season but tailed off with about 4 games left and were then humiliated by Newcastle. As a result, I always suspected the start of this season would be tough, and it was. We struggled a bit to get going, but the players (and Loch) deserve a lot of credit for keeping the results decent whilst we found our feet again.

To give some more obvious examples though, after we won the cup under Ramos our form flattened and we finished that season very poorly. As we well know, we managed just 2pts from the 1st 8 games of the following season.

Then, having started the 2008-09 season so badly, under Redknapp we finished brilliantly. As a result, I was very confident at the start of 09-10 and it proved to be 1 of our best ever starts to a season!

It was similar with Liverpool under Rogers. I think it was the end of 2011-12 where Liverpool looked unbeatable and, lo and behold, the start of the following campaign was equally dominant for them.

Then there was Leicester City. In relegation danger mid-way through 2014-15, they romped through win after win as the season closed to get themselves out of trouble. When the 2015-16 season kicked off they continued that form, to the surprise of most, to the degree that they found themselves competing at the top of the table rather than the bottom. They went on, much to our dismay as Spurs fans, to win the League.

With that in mind, you probably cannot finish a season much better than how we have this year. If Wembley proves a handicap, then our form and subsequent momentum must cancel that out. We've not yet gone into a new season under Pochettino with this kind of confidence and belief
 
Thfcire

Thfcire

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
The only thing for deffo next season is I will be there for the scum away I've waited 20 odd years to rub it in their boat
 
C

corroded

Player in Training.
Wembley may or may not have an effect on our form next season. However, I have for a long time said that you can predict how well a team will start a season based on how they finished the previous. We were pretty good toward the end of last season but tailed off with about 4 games left and were then humiliated by Newcastle. As a result, I always suspected the start of this season would be tough, and it was. We struggled a bit to get going, but the players (and Loch) deserve a lot of credit for keeping the results decent whilst we found our feet again.

To give some more obvious examples though, after we won the cup under Ramos our form flattened and we finished that season very poorly. As we well know, we managed just 2pts from the 1st 8 games of the following season.

Then, having started the 2008-09 season so badly, under Redknapp we finished brilliantly. As a result, I was very confident at the start of 09-10 and it proved to be 1 of our best ever starts to a season!

It was similar with Liverpool under Rogers. I think it was the end of 2011-12 where Liverpool looked unbeatable and, lo and behold, the start of the following campaign was equally dominant for them.

Then there was Leicester City. In relegation danger mid-way through 2014-15, they romped through win after win as the season closed to get themselves out of trouble. When the 2015-16 season kicked off they continued that form, to the surprise of most, to the degree that they found themselves competing at the top of the table rather than the bottom. They went on, much to our dismay as Spurs fans, to win the League.

With that in mind, you probably cannot finish a season much better than how we have this year. If Wembley proves a handicap, then our form and subsequent momentum must cancel that out. We've not yet gone into a new season under Pochettino with this kind of confidence and belief

I think if we look at that semi final, we don't have too much to worry about. I've still no idea how Chelsea really managed to win that game, on the back foot for the majority.

If everyone thinks they can come to Spurs at Wembley and have a go, then I have a few words. Good. Fucking. Luck.
 
skiathospurs

skiathospurs

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
More of this!!cracking season we`ve had,no reason to not have another adventure.
 
Top