Hello everyone!
Wow the last time I wrote something on this blog, Andre Villas Boas was still manager. My god where have I been. Actually I have been watching Spurs playing some of the best football I have seen in my nearly 40 years of watching Tottenham.
So this season we seem to have hit the wall and the usual naysayers are out there bitching about everything and everyone. Let me just say, I am really disappointed that we seem to have hit our ceiling with this group last season. But to em it is nothing to get angry about but to look at what we can do to rectify this slump.
I would not blame Levy or Pochettino, I am not blaming the players even. But circumstances seem to have really been against us over the last three seasons to win that elusive title. Let's face it, we have not been the luckiest of teams over the years, perhaps we have some curse over us or maybe it is just coincidence.
So what has happened this season? Well first of all I think we have a squad too short of depth of quality. If we first look at our best 11, now that is a subjective thing, but let us say in a 4-2-3-1 it is;
Lloris, Rose, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Trippier, Wanyama, Dembele, Alli, Ericksen, Son, Kane. The next question is who are the players who can be nrought on that we can trust to do the job. Again this is objective but we could say; Sanchez, Davies, Aurier, Winks, Dier, Lamella. So really a very thin squad of 17 players. Okay I left out Llorente, Sissoko, N'koudou, Foyth and Vorm, but I will get to them.
The second issue is a lack of form of key players. Last season we had Kane, Son, Eriksen and Dele who all scored more than 20 goals in all competitions. This season we seem to have lost their sharpness. Dele Alli in particular seems to have fallen backwards. In the game against Stoke he must have given the ball away 10 times in the first half. He has been weak in possession which has cost us goals this season. From the start of the season against Newcastle when he scored, he seemed uninterested. I am not sure if his head has been turned or he has some personal issues, but his head just doesn't seem to be in the game. I sincerely hope he can work it out. He is a terrific player and would be such a loss to the game if he cant work it out.
The third issue to me has been injuries and suspensions to key players. Now its no excuse, we are a big club and we need to have contingencies, but at times we have lost Sanchez and Dele to suspension and Alderweireld, Wanyama, Rose and Lamella for a significant period of time to injury and Dembele seems a week to week proposition at the moment.
Another reason which cannot be ignored is the general happiness of the squad. The departure of Kyle Walker may have just been the tip of the iceberg. There has been a number of rumours of players not happy with the money they are receiving compared to those at our rivals. I believe Spurs spend about £100 million a season on wages which is well below our rivals. Of course Tottenham can only pay what they can afford to pay, but as Danny Rose said at the beginning season, players are not happy when they see what they could be paid at other clubs. I am not going to point the finger at anyone, but there seems to be an issue with a few players that maybe is playing on their minds,
I would really prefer we spend more on wages and maybe less on transfer fees if only just to retain our best players. Of course that could put us in the bitter cycle of while players may be paid what they want, we aren't able to compete in the transfer market which may also force players to be unhappy. I am hoping the new stadium will give us extra money in the future and I am sure that is what Daniel Levy will be selling to the players.
Now I mentioned a number of players that I don't feel can be relied on, and I think that is a real issue. Maybe I am a little harsh on Vorm who hasn't done much wrong and so too Gazzaniga. But I would like some real pressure on Lloris. Llorente and Sissoko have been real dissapointments and are clearly taking up space on the wage budget without making a purposeful and positive contribution to the first team. While Pochettino shows faith in these players, I don't think many Spurs fans feel the same.
I am not so sure what the issue with N'koudou is. he has pace and the ability to deliver the ball, but he doesn't seem to get a look in. I am not sure what the point is of keeping him on the books. While Foyth is young, he looks capable and I am sure he will be given time and opportunties.
This is still a squad full of talent, but maybe short of real class. I am really hoping we can add in January another attacking midfielder/striker and another central midfielder. The squad needs to be beefed up. It is telling that our current best eleven as mentioned before does not contain a single player we have signed since the begining of last season. There needs to be competition for places and regeneration.
I have not lost faith, but recognise issues, by the way I have not even mentioned tactics here but I will save that for another day.
Unlike others, i don't like to criticize, I would like to always keep my commenst to being constrctive rather than say the team is shite. I don't believe they are. Top 4 is still well within our grasp. So lets get behind the team. COYS!!!
