My take on next season.

[TURKISH]

Now as last season ended i felt we could get rid of berba and still be a force because of the brilliance of robbie keane. I also felt bent wasn't good enough (how wrong i was) especially the way the team was set up last year.

Now if someone would of told me berba and keane wouldn't be at spurs before the boro game i would not be very confident with our chances to finish in the top five. They give us 40 plus goals and aload of assists, also keane was a key figure head of the club some would even say mr tottenham.:eek:

How could we replace two strikers such as keane/berba? Well by changing our style of play and bringing in clever ball players who can easily adapt across the pitch to interchange with others. Also adding raw pace to the side and having a striker in bent who can open up gaps for the likes of jj, modric, lennon and bentley. I feel with arshavin we can become a very dangerous side who will be hard to deal with and figure out. With arshavin we can easily change into a 442 or stay as a 451 and than become a counter attacking team or a team who press and keep the ball. With this formation and midfield bent is the perfect striker in the world to have he is a linekar/crooks/archibald/allen type striker who will thrive of playing with players like modric, santos, bentley, jj and hopefully arshavin.

Our defence is so much stronger if daws keeps it simple he can do a job if king is injured but if king and woody play 95% of the seasons games than we are gonna keep clean sheets. We have three top left backs who can also play left wing and three right backs in hutton, gunter and zokora. Gomes is world class keeper and someone who will instill confidence into our back four. Injurys will be the only thing to stop us having a good season imo so fingers crossed we can keep king/woody fit.

On berba's day he is awesome but i feel he is bad for the team, now some won't see where im coming from and fair enough but im one for "theres no I in team!" We don't need someone who we can't rely on, we need someone who wants to play for the club and give his all every game. We also don't need a negative vibe throughout the season and everytime transfer window comes along the media asking our players will berba stay ect. Ive played with people who wanted to leave, it upset me and my team-mates, so i believe our squad has been effected by this berba mess and will continue to be affected.

I feel teams will be scared of our progress for next season we have brought well, we our passing the ball better, much better width, better options, better bench, better team spirit and a team full of hungry players. All we need now is three players corluka is one, arshavin is two and a dm is three unless jj/zok will be 1st and second choice with the likes of o'hara as backup. Then maybe replace berbs if he leaves.

Every media pundit thinks we can't cope without keane, berba and that berba is key for us to have a great season, but i disagree we are so much stronger because we have a footballing side with hunger, its amazing what a team can do when everyone is pulling in the right direction with a manager who is special. Don't count us out and i wouldn't be surprised we go to boro and make a statement for the rest of the season ahead. We have so much variety its scary with a bit of luck on our side we should have a great season.

I predict 4th place but i will say this now if we don't i won't be upset.

[yid4life]

I agree with you regarding berba and I applaud your optimism for the season, BUT we are talking about Tottenham here, so many false dawns.

Let see where we are after five or six games, i'd be happy with a top six finish.

[Shelfside]

I think TURKISH is right to be optimistic.Teams like Villa,Everton ,Portsmouth
etc,are close to being as good as they are likely to be.With Spurs,you can
see that the squad has significantly improved and can still be improved further with players these other teams cannot attract.

[gomessi]

If we sign arshavin, veloso and corluka I am expecting 75-85 points. That means a title challenge hopefully -possibly winning it, if not top 4 minimum.


"It's no use just winning, we've got to win well."

"Spurs have got to be the best in the land, not the second best."

"It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."

Bill Nicholson

For the first time in (don't know how many years) we can aim to be the best. That means going for the title.

I am dreaming of ramos putting us back to the top of english football. Aim high
because now we have a manager that doesnt want to be just top 4.

[choda]

If we sign arshavin, veloso and corluka I am expecting 75-85 points. That means a title challenge hopefully -possibly winning it, if not top 4 minimum.


"It's no use just winning, we've got to win well."

"Spurs have got to be the best in the land, not the second best."

"It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."

Bill Nicholson

For the first time in (don't know how many years) we can aim to be the best. That means going for the title.

I am dreaming of ramos putting us back to the top of english football. Aim high
because now we have a manager that doesnt want to be just top 4.

Well it's going to be exciting anyway. I think we will get in the cl places, and possibly even sustain a real challenge for the title if we get those three needed positions sorted. I can't say Corluka means we are sorted at the back though. I'm really not sure about that, but Ramos hasn't even gotten one signing wrong yet, so I will wait and see how he does.

The only other signing I was skeptical about was Bentley for 15 million, but **** me that is looking like good business now. The boy is class and is taking to the bigger stage like a duck to water, so effective and classy.

[fluke]

Our defence is so much stronger if daws keeps it simple he can do a job if king is injured but if king and woody play 95% of the seasons games than we are gonna keep clean sheets. We have three top left backs who can also play left wing and three right backs in hutton, gunter and zokora. Gomes is world class keeper and someone who will instill confidence into our back four. Injurys will be the only thing to stop us having a good season imo so fingers crossed we can keep king/woody fit.



I don't see how our defence is "so much stronger". To date we've signed nobody at the back. Realistically our two best CB's will be likely to go missing for long spells next season. Then we start looking somewhat vulnerable

However we look to have a pacey midfield that despite being lightweight will be giving the rest of the league nightmares.

I'm very concerned about our defences injury issues. An Achilles heel perhaps if you excuse the pun.

Hope we sign one decent CB before the window closes.

Have to say I'm looking forward to this, but I always say that.

[olly27]

Agree boys, I am optimistic regardless of the false dawns...I would not swap Ramos for any other manager in the world...he is our most vaulauble asset.

I think we'l take fourth.

[gomessi]

I don't see how our defence is "so much stronger". To date we've signed nobody at the back. Realistically our two best CB's will be likely to go missing for long spells next season. Then we start looking somewhat vulnerable

However we look to have a pacey midfield that despite being lightweight will be giving the rest of the league nightmares.

I'm very concerned about our defences injury issues. An Achilles heel perhaps if you excuse the pun.

Hope we sign one decent CB before the window closes.

Have to say I'm looking forward to this, but I always say that.

I trust ramos will get a quality cb in. Also if we get veloso he could also play cb.

You havent taken into account how big a differnce a commanding keeper like gomes will improve our defence (when compared to robbo he will save us at least 10 goals).

Bale is like a new signing, he only played 600 minutes of prem football. BAE also looks good for back up. Even xokora looks decent at rb.

I agreee about the cb issue but I trust ramos to sort it out. Dont forget king he will play around 10-20 prem games for us, so if woody is injured we have king to come in.

[gomessi]

the reason for my confidence is evident in our style of play in preseason but also the difference in line up compared to last season.

Robinson, Chimbonda, Stalteri, Kaboul, Gardner, Tainio (Bent, 59), Jenas, Zokora (Huddlestone, 87), Malbranque, Keane, Berbatov (Defoe, 77). Subs: Cerny, Rocha.

Only 3 of last seaons lot will start. How many of the above would get into the team for boro. Maybe jenas, zokora (if hutton is injured) and berbatov.

Gomes, woodgate, bale, gds, bentley, modric would improve that team massivly.:D

Throw in the possibility of arshavin:D , veloso and corluka you are looking at a new team.

[olly27]

Ramos has the players fit, I mean really fit. Lennon looks improved and Benny actually looks decent. Not to mention Zokora at right back, jesus I know its pre-season but he looks good in that position, just keep him away from midfield. I think we will see the best of Bale after the first 6 games or so, when the rustiness is completely eradicated - think he will have a fantastic season. Just so many positives I think.

[Spaniard]

Two main concerns for me:
1.- Aston Villa. They have signed Carlos Cuellar, they are tracking Joe Cole and De la Red, Gareth Barry stays and Young is quite good. We should be ahead of them, but watch out the other teams.
2.- We have to deal with the CB (I don't trust Dawson) and DM (I don't trust Hudd or Zokora) issues. Corluka will be a good option, but we need one more lad. I'd be quite satisfied if we sign Veloso/De la Red and Corluka.

On the other side, I think our team depends on the start of the campaign: if the team starts well and in top4 positions then Berbatov will get motivated, stop sulking, and show his real game. Then we will be a real force to watch. But if we start slowly and the squad lose faith in Ramos then we are screwed up. Big.

In our first three matches, 9/9 (three consecutive wins), and we will have a great year. Less than 5 points and I think it will be hard. The key is the first five games, just look at Liverpool every season :D.

[gomessi]

Two main concerns for me:
1.- Aston Villa. They have signed Carlos Cuellar, they are tracking Joe Cole and De la Red, Gareth Barry stays and Young is quite good. We should be ahead of them, but watch out the other teams.
2.- We have to deal with the CB (I don't trust Dawson) and DM (I don't trust Hudd or Zokora) issues. Corluka will be a good option, but we need one more lad. I'd be quite satisfied if we sign Veloso/De la Red and Corluka.

On the other side, I think our team depends on the start of the campaign: if the team starts well and in top4 positions then Berbatov will get motivated, stop sulking, and show his real game. Then we will be a real force to watch. But if we start slowly and the squad lose faith in Ramos then we are screwed up. Big.

In our first three matches, 9/9 (three consecutive wins), and we will have a great year. Less than 5 points and I think it will be hard. The key is the first five games, just look at Liverpool every season :D.

How would we be able to buy de la red. Wouldn't he cost £15m +. :confused:

[choda]

There's numerous reasons why we would be more solid even if the defensive signings fall through. Number one we have a keeper that is WAY above last place in the premier league for EVERY player in the last two years. Don't underestimate just how bad Robbo got. That's huge to begin with.

Second, King is quasy fit to begin this year, even if he is still likely to miss games at some point or rest a lot. It is still another large bonus.

Third, I saw Dawson in pre-season last year and he was unbelievably shocking and carried that on for the whole season. This year he looks pretty solid again, regaining form. I hope that carries on and it will be another large boost. He may have suffered like Kaboul from feeling out of his depth at his age in a crumbling defence and just lost all his confidence from months and months of that shite. He may be rejuvenated from some time off and a clean slate with better players and better coaching.

Fourth, the lads are clearly way fitter this year and will cover a lot more ground on and off the ball and quicker too.

Fifth, and don't underestimate this one, we are passing the ball superbly. Keeping the ball far better means a hell of a lot less pressure on the back five. One player in Modric also makes a great difference to this too as he can control the game. Having said all of this getting those defensive players in is still a big deal. There's no point in not giving yourself the best chance and we have the resources to complete the squad for this year.

[gomessi]

There's numerous reasons why we would be more solid even if the defensive signings fall through. Number one we have a keeper that is WAY above last place in the premier league for EVERY player in the last two years. Don't underestimate just how bad Robbo got. That's huge to begin with.

Second, King is quasy fit to begin this year, even if he is still likely to miss games at some point or rest a lot. It is still another large bonus.

Third, I saw Dawson in pre-season last year and he was unbelievably shocking and carried that on for the whole season. This year he looks pretty solid again, regaining form. I hope that carries on and it will be another large boost. He may have suffered like Kaboul from feeling out of his depth at his age in a crumbling defence and just lost all his confidence from months and months of that shite. He may be rejuvenated from some time off and a clean slate with better players and better coaching.

Fourth, the lads are clearly way fitter this year and will cover a lot more ground on and off the ball and quicker too.

Fifth, and don't underestimate this one, we are passing the ball superbly. Keeping the ball far better means a hell of a lot less pressure on the back five. One player in Modric also makes a great difference to this too as he can control the game. Having said all of this getting those defensive players in is still a big deal. There's no point in not giving yourself the best chance and we have the resources to complete the squad for this year.

agree with everything you've said. Gomes + our midfield is the biggest difference from last year.

Good read from ssn about spurs 08-09 preview. Unsurprsingly they have predicted us to be 5th. In a way this is good because we don't want a lot of pressure from the media saying we should be top 4 and arsenal 5th like last year. Hopefully we stick it to sky 4, it would be good to see the scum in the uefa cup.

[choda]

agree with everything you've said. Gomes + our midfield is the biggest difference from last year.

Good read from ssn about spurs 08-09 preview. Unsurprsingly they have predicted us to be 5th. In a way this is good because we don't want a lot of pressure from the media saying we should be top 4 and arsenal 5th like last year. Hopefully we stick it to sky 4, it would be good to see the scum in the uefa cup.

Yea, next year we could be getting the amazing blow job that is sky fourts. She may be absolutely plastered in make-up, cost a bomb, but her lips are inviting and well, it's better than getting no 'love'.

[gomessi]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11675_3910485,00.html

sky predicted us to be 5th. Not suprised really.

[TURKISH]

I don't see how our defence is "so much stronger". To date we've signed nobody at the back. Realistically our two best CB's will be likely to go missing for long spells next season. Then we start looking somewhat vulnerable

However we look to have a pacey midfield that despite being lightweight will be giving the rest of the league nightmares.

I'm very concerned about our defences injury issues. An Achilles heel perhaps if you excuse the pun.

Hope we sign one decent CB before the window closes.

Have to say I'm looking forward to this, but I always say that.


We are stronger because we have a top keeper, king has had a pre season and we have players like woody, hutton who will be here from the start of the season. We have a number of full back options unlike last year with tt playing right back.

The way i look at it we have a stronger back 5 than last year.

[wayne wonder]

I swear to god i'd take 6th and the uefa and fa cup right now lol i'd bite your ****ing hand off for that :p

[Spaniard]

I had forgotten, but we have a Cup specialist in Ramos, so we may focus on UEFA cup, as we are the favourites with AC Milan and Sevilla FC.

This team is capable of finishing 3rd and also we can win some silverware this season. FA Cup, Carling Cup, UEFA Cup...we have 3 good chances.

[gomessi]

I had forgotten, but we have a Cup specialist in Ramos, so we may focus on UEFA cup, as we are the favourites with AC Milan and Sevilla FC.

This team is capable of finishing 3rd and also we can win some silverware this season. FA Cup, Carling Cup, UEFA Cup...we have 3 good chances.

levy will make sure the focus for ramos is top 4. For levy he would rather finish 4th and win nothing instead of winning the treble and finishing 11th.

I would go for the trophies but ramos and levy have their eyes set on top 4 at least.

We will go for the cups as well but probably wont put our first XI unless we play a top europen (uefa cup) / prem team (domestic cups)

[olly27]

Yes I think the big target is top 4. Of course we want to win silverware, but I think we are really going to go for it..I am so excited!

[TURKISH]

Yes I think the big target is top 4. Of course we want to win silverware, but I think we are really going to go for it..I am so excited!

We have a young hungry team and if we still sign the players we need like corluka, arshavin ect than we could be a big surprise package.

But villa and pompey will have a great season also.

[gomessi]

We have a young hungry team and if we still sign the players we need like corluka, arshavin ect than we could be a big surprise package.

But villa and pompey will have a great season also.

No disrespevt to those 2 but they have a few weaknesses

Pompey lack creativity in midfield. Their full back going forward are poor compared to us.

Aston villa - have a small squad (cueller will be an excellent signing).

I will be very dissapointed if either of those teams are ahead of us.

[olly27]

No disrespevt to those 2 but they have a few weaknesses

Pompey lack creativity in midfield. Their full back going forward are poor compared to us.

Aston villa - have a small squad (cueller will be an excellent signing).

I will be very dissapointed if either of those teams are ahead of us.

Cueller is an excellent signing, bit dissapointed we didn't go in for him. I still think Modric will be huge for us,and Bentley of course. I see us finishing ahead of those two. I see Villa coming 6th.

[TURKISH]

Cueller is an excellent signing, bit dissapointed we didn't go in for him. I still think Modric will be huge for us,and Bentley of course. I see us finishing ahead of those two. I see Villa coming 6th.

Thats what i was thinking and thats why i think we will still get corluka, otherwise we would of brought cuellar.

[spurs61]

Firstly I am not too hopeful of finishing in the top four without signing a top cantre half and holding player. Finishing in the top four means relying on your defence as the platform for success. As witnessed last season, you can score as many goals as you like but if you're conceding at the same rate then results will be average at best.

That's not to say that we can't finish top four but it will take an almighty effort, an unprecedeted good start in the first five or six games and Liverpool or the Goons to start off badly.

On paper (that old chestnut) our offensive options are just as good as the current top four and certainly on a par with the Goons. It is really the centre of the park which may let us down. All four of the top four have outstanding options both in central midfield and defence and all can say with some justification that there is little difference between thier first choice pairings and the reserve players. Until we can match these squads I think a top four spot is beyond us.

As ww says, I'd settle for fifth or sixth and a cup or two.

[choda]

Yes I think the big target is top 4. Of course we want to win silverware, but I think we are really going to go for it..I am so excited!

Olly, hands out where we can see them please, your getting very excited again. :eek: :p

Haha, it's okay Olly you are not alone (except we tend to keep our hands out of our pants, lol) and it is understandable. Imagine being a city fan with all this shit about TaxSin SinAWhatNow. They must be so depressed the poor bastards. The Ginola's Sons of City, Petrov's son, Dunne's fat baby or whatever they would call themselves must have already topped themselves. :D