Glass Half Empty I'm afraid

Dublin Spur

Only 5 clubs have a real chance of doing well. No matter who Harry brings in you can be sure that we'll end up somewhere between 6th and 10th again. The obsecne amounts of money involved in the game have completely runied it, it's totally out of control. All the power lies with the usual 4 suspects + Man City.

And as every year passes the PL just gets more and more predictable. The only real excitement is at the bottom, the top is just the same old story every year.

As for Spurs, it sickens me to admit it, but we're just making up the numbers. The best I can hope for is a couple of big wins at home against the top 4 (hopfully against goons and chelsea) and maybe a trip to wembley again in the carling cup.

I love Spurs and I awlys will but I pretty much hate what has become of the game. Real football is long dead, I long for the day when the bubble bursts and football goes to it's working class roots. The Americanisation of the PL (thanks to sky) is disgusting.

StillRickyVilla

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Only 5 clubs have a real chance of doing well. No matter who Harry brings in you can be sure that we'll end up somewhere between 6th and 10th again. The obsecne amounts of money involved in the game have completely runied it, it's totally out of control. All the power lies with the usual 4 suspects + Man City.

And as every year passes the PL just gets more and more predictable. The only real excitement is at the bottom, the top is just the same old story every year.

As for Spurs, it sickens me to admit it, but we're just making up the numbers. The best I can hope for is a couple of big wins at home against the top 4 (hopfully against goons and chelsea) and maybe a trip to wembley again in the carling cup.

I love Spurs and I awlys will but I pretty much hate what has become of the game. Real football is long dead, I long for the day when the bubble bursts and football goes to it's working class roots. The Americanisation of the PL (thanks to sky) is disgusting.

Couldn't agree with you more...

I certainly won't be losing any sleep over our quest for 6th...

The gap can be bridged, but there has to be a major change somewhere along the line, either to the football industry itself or at the top at Spurs.

This summer has just proved an acceptance of our mediocrity.

therecklessone

With all due respect lads, if it's genuine honest football you want without the frills then there's a number of LOI clubs who'd welcome you with open arms, and I can guarantee you they'd appreciate your support a whole lot more.

Might not be as glamorous, but it's a whole lot more authentic, and far closer to what the game used to be about.

Dublin Spur

therecklessone wrote: »

With all due respect lads, if it's genuine honest football you want without the frills then there's a number of LOI clubs who'd welcome you with open arms, and I can guarantee you they'd appreciate your support a whole lot more.

Might not be as glamorous, but it's a whole lot more authentic, and far closer to what the game used to be about.

Don't fancy the LOI either to be honest. Tried it and didn't like it.

Just saying what a shame it is whats happend to the PL. It's gone so ugly and has very little integrity left. You know what I mean mate, anyone that can remember football before the PL was invented says the same. It's a complete sell out.

Such a shamem it was a great competition once upon a time.

curraghyid

have to agree the optimism i usually feel preseason is completely absent, the spending power of mancity and real madrid have made every other clubs forrays in the transfare market look like token gestures.
there is no hope to break into the top four sadly i think we had our chance and missed it.
the best we can hope for is cc or maybe fa cup, still though will look foward to the guaranteed scares we ll give the top 4 and taking points off any of them is always worth the journey.coys

therecklessone

Dublin Spur wrote: »

Just saying what a shame it is whats happend to the PL. It's gone so ugly and has very little integrity left. You know what I mean mate, anyone that can remember football before the PL was invented says the same. It's a complete sell out.

It has been a sell out for most of our time following the club Shane. And we have contributed to that, the hundreds and thousands who travel from all over Europe to watch English football every weekend were the precursor to modern globalised football, skyball as entertainment instead of competition. We've helped price locals out of access to their own clubs, we can't escape from that reality.

From the time the PL was created the idea that competition was what mattered went out the window.

All that's happened now is that the concentration of money in the top tier has become the concentration of money in the top 4/5, and inevitably that will become the concentration of money in Europe's elite in a continental superleague.

The ideals you lay claim to, the tradition and the honesty, they are abused as marketing tools now. It doesn't matter how poor the LOI is, it is as close to the reality you wish to see reinstated as you'll get.

No offence mate, but I think you're being a little dishonest. I don't think your real problem is with the culture that surrounds the modern game, I think it is that we are not part of the elite that dominates it...if a rich Arab bought the club, I think you'd be happier, but all of the things that are wrong with football would still be wrong...we'd just be on the inside pissing out.

Ibrahimovic91

Superb post and especially from a staunch Spurs fan in Ireland as well.

Dublin Spur

therecklessone wrote: »

No offence mate, but I think you're being a little dishonest. I don't think your real problem is with the culture that surrounds the modern game, I think it is that we are not part of the elite that dominates it...if a rich Arab bought the club, I think you'd be happier, but all of the things that are wrong with football would still be wrong...we'd just be on the inside pissing out.

I think that's a bit of a harsh assessment on an honest opinion given by me.

My view is quite a common one amongst supporters (of all clubs) my age and older and its quite easy to understand why. My gripe is with what has become of the competition I used to love and not my teams placing in it. It would be nice if we were challenging for the title, but the integrity of the title has been all but eroded away in the past 15 yrs.

Aside from that it's the €75 match tickets, the complete lack of loyalty shown by players, the scummy agents, the 3 news shirts evey season, the cheating and diving, the smugness of the players, the crazy sums of money being thrown about, the massive club debts, the hollow hype supplied by Sky etc, etc etc.

It's not a game for the man in the street anymore, The heart and soul of most clubs has been ripped out in place of corporate monsters. I look forward to the day when the bubble bursts and sanity returns.

What keeps me going is the social side, the stadium and the proud history of our club. Sadly most of all the other reasons I used to go for have been butchered beyond recognition.

StillRickyVilla

Great discussion by the way...

I have been thinking about this. I don't think anyone can deny that DublinSpur's assessment of the way the game has gone is completely accurate. I actually hate football now, except that conversely i still passionately love Spurs - which is really weird for my head to cope with!

However I also agree with Ronan that Spurs fans are being hypocrits. It was alright for there to be a 'Big Five' in the 80's (it was alright because we were in it!) but now we are not in the 'Top Four' its because the game's fecked! What is the difference between Spurs splashing out a record fee for Paul Gascoigne in 1988 (how do you think Newcastle felt losing their best midfielder) and Man U taking out best striker for a record fee in 2008??

Therefore thinking about it, if we were back in the elite I would actually moan a whole let less about the way the game has gone!!

I am a lot less negative, however, about our chances of getting back up there. What was it, 2 years ago, we were only denied a CL place by one dodgy lasagne. And with CL comes money, glory and world class players. Its hardly an impossible dream??!

I've done some analysis on the Top 4 compared to us, and there really isn't that much difference, player for player between them and us. The main difference is that the Top 4 all have a Torres, Rooney, Drogba etc. That one or two world superstars that turn draws into wins and do that bit extra to break down stubborn defences. Henry basically carried Arse for a number of years.

This is why i was so vocal about Crouch. I think the signing of one or two world class stars would get us there. Everything else is pretty much in place. But i certainly don't think its an impossible dream like some people seem to think!!

Why not go for a Torres type striker?? We are Tottenham. We have just spent £18m & recouped £8m for Zakora. Thats £26m!! Money is not the issue! If money was the only issue we would finish above Arsenal because we have spent much more than them over the last few years!!

I understand we are not going to be challenging this year now. But its not the impossible dream that everyone is making out it to be - we just need to show ambition in the transfer market.

froosh69

All it takes is one excellent season and a few lucky results...but 6th place is still being optomistic.

Excluding the top 4, we still have Everton, Fulham, West Ham, Villa and Man City to compete with.

It will be the results of the games against these teams that will define our season!

StillRickyVilla

froosh69 wrote: »

All it takes is one excellent season and a few lucky results...but 6th place is still being optomistic.

Excluding the top 4, we still have Everton, Fulham, West Ham, Villa and Man City to compete with.

It will be the results of the games against these teams that will define our season!

I completely agree this is where we are at, and 6th is the best we can hope for next season now. But this has only been dictated by our own lack of ambition and transfer policy.

My point is that it would only take 1 or 2 world class transfer coups (we've done it before) to change the whole feel of the place. We've proven we have the money, potential signings need to be persuaded by an ambitious chairman & manager that want to go places!

Kold

And then we start stringing results together, and then everyone's happier supporting the team than they ever have been. It's still a game of 11 on 11, no matter how much the rich teams are trying to undermine this.

everdead.ie

To be honest I think that we're only a little bit soft still in midfield Someone likr Diarra in midfield to partner palacios and we'll be able to give better service to our forwards and protect our backline too.