Expectations for 25/26

[Silly McSilly Face]

Just because we don't see it does not mean there's no interest. Setting aside that most players are on reasonably long contracts
Unless you have significant insight and access.

Don't think there's any significant interest. Even our best players have flaws. E.g. Maddison/Romero = consistency, Deki = pace/agility, VDV = injuries/defensive positioning/close defending, Porro = defending/positioning. Johnson = contribution when not scoring. Given Son's fading powers we do not have a top drawer player in the squad. We have a tonne of players that *could* become one. But very much could go either way. Bergvall looks by far the most likely for me but he's a long way off.

 

[SirPercyHotspur]

Is our overall squad strength better than Brentford's. We have a larger squad, yes. Don't exactly see anyone fighting or even interested in signing any of our players, though. Which is telling.

Depends how you evaluate both squads, according to transfermarkt both clubs 1st team squads have an identical number of players at 33 , Brentford value 387 milliom euros , Spurs 847 million euros.
Brentford finished 10th last season and us 17th but we did the league double over them so who is the better ? not really sure.
There have been rumours about interest in players e.g Romero , Richy and Porro but so far nothing and as we know Levy will hold out for top price which usually puts most clubs off.

 

[metalgear]

first 2-3 games are always unpredictable but i believe, we should beat brentford especially with an almost fully fit squad.

but frankly we should be discussing if we can compete against the like of man u, villa, Saudi Sportswashing Machine, palace and of course forest.

 

[Kandi1977]

Even our best players have flaws.

Name one that hasn't. I'm waiting....

 

[johnola]

Name one that hasn't. I'm waiting....

Moore has no ceiling

 

[Bishop]

Is our overall squad strength better than Brentford's. We have a larger squad, yes. Don't exactly see anyone fighting or even interested in signing any of our players, though. Which is telling.

Just because we don't see it does not mean there's no interest. Setting aside that most players are on reasonably long contracts
Unless you have significant insight and access.

We have the stronger squad (still with some massive flaws) but Brentford had the better individuals. Mbeumo walks into last season's team no debate.

Depends how you evaluate both squads, according to transfermarkt both clubs 1st team squads have an identical number of players at 33 , Brentford value 387 milliom euros , Spurs 847 million euros.
Brentford finished 10th last season and us 17th but we did the league double over them so who is the better ? not really sure.
There have been rumours about interest in players e.g Romero , Richy and Porro but so far nothing and as we know Levy will hold out for top price which usually puts most clubs off.

If a player is desired enough a team will pay what is necessary. No one wants Richy at the price Mbeumo went for, probably no one really wants him at 50m.

 

[Silly McSilly Face]

Name one that hasn't. I'm waiting....

I mean clear and obvious weaknesses that are regularly exploited

 

[Daveeeeeeeed]

Expectations are 7th to 9th. A bit of a cup run and ulitmate loss in the QF's or something. Dont expect us to get out of the CL phase 1 or whatever it is.

Even though the Europa league win was amazing and got us a trophy, I think ENIC/Levy are clearly happy to settle for getting into top 4 or Europe consistently and that's it. We are a few weeks away from our first game and with pretty much the same squad bar Kudus and Takai.

 

[Kandi1977]

I mean clear and obvious weaknesses that are regularly exploited

I still haven't seen a player that has no weakness, and I'm damn sure I never will either.

 

[Silly McSilly Face]

I still haven't seen a player that has no weakness, and I'm damn sure I never will either.

OK. But none of our defenders are very good at the fundamentals of top level defending on a consistent basis, other than Ben Davies in my opinion. Our first choice full backs are both wing-backs bought with Conte's system in mind. Porro in particular is prone to leacing positional gaps down that flank and stands off his man too often.

VDV has pace and he is good on the ball bringing it out with his charging runs. But he is IMO suspect at tight penalty area defending like making, he gets turned too easily IMO and he isnt the best in the air at times.

With Romero - its all there on paper but his concentration over a season isnt good enough. Fundamentally for all his decent work he's single handedly cost us a goal or a game at least every 5-6 games, whether its daft red cards, or switching off and losing his man or the rash lunges that leave our defence completely exposed.

Now you can say "well all players have flaws" most defenders in the PL are hard to get past, hard to unsettle, positionally intelligent and have high levels of concentration. Ours....dont.

 

[Muttley]

OK. But none of our defenders are very good at the fundamentals of top level defending on a consistent basis, other than Ben Davies in my opinion. Our first choice full backs are both wing-backs bought with Conte's system in mind. Porro in particular is prone to leacing positional gaps down that flank and stands off his man too often.

VDV has pace and he is good on the ball bringing it out with his charging runs. But he is IMO suspect at tight penalty area defending like making, he gets turned too easily IMO and he isnt the best in the air at times.

With Romero - its all there on paper but his concentration over a season isnt good enough. Fundamentally for all his decent work he's single handedly cost us a goal or a game at least every 5-6 games, whether its daft red cards, or switching off and losing his man or the rash lunges that leave our defence completely exposed.

Now you can say "well all players have flaws" most defenders in the PL are hard to get past, hard to unsettle, positionally intelligent and have high levels of concentration. Ours....dont.

Nah, Ben Davies isn't. He gets dragged out of position way too easily. He stands off the man shooting and he definitely can't do the basic heading of a centre half. He's 5'11" and all he can do is jump with them. No pace either for the runners.

He is anything but a centre half who does the basics well. His brain has to stay in overdrive just to factor against his other basic weaknesses. He has improved in the transition from LB to LCB though.

Our best box defender is probably Dragusin. He's not silky on the ball but some of his defending in key moments can be top drawer. That's not seeing enough of Danso yet. Perhaps he could be very good.

 

[Silly McSilly Face]

Nah, Ben Davies isn't. He gets dragged out of position way too easily. He stands off the man shooting and he definitely can't do the basic heading of a centre half. He's 5'11" and all he can do is jump with them. No pace either for the runners.

He is anything but a centre half who does the basics well. His brain has to stay in overdrive just to factor against his other basic weaknesses. He has improved in the transition from LB to LCB though.

Our best box defender is probably Dragusin. He's not silky on the ball but some of his defending in key moments can be top drawer. That's not seeing enough of Danso yet. Perhaps he could be very good.

Davies is a good defender at left back. Which is what he is. Not a centre back.

Of course, none of our defenders are helped by the fact that our only midfielder capable of consistently taking the ball off them under pressure and covering positionally is Bentancur. Sadly he's never recovered from his bad injury back to how he was. But he's our only competent central midfielder although still more a box to box than an effective defensive shield.

 

[Muttley]

Davies is a good defender at left back. Which is what he is. Not a centre back.

Of course, none of our defenders are helped by the fact that our only midfielder capable of consistently taking the ball off them under pressure and covering positionally is Bentancur. Sadly he's never recovered from his bad injury back to how he was. But he's our only competent central midfielder although still more a box to box than an effective defensive shield.

Never rated Davies either as a left back. He was made significantly better by have a Rolls Royce like Vertonghen inside him and even the other leftie Dembele tucked in ahead. Who wouldn't look good with these 2 around you. Ben has never looked as good without Jan on his inside.

I agree about Bents. He used to eat up the ground defensively under Conte pre-injury. That version of Bents would have suited Ange as he needed a sprinter with the manager's reckless centre mid tactics.

What we need is someone that can knit it all together. Wharton could be that guy. The other player that I've seen do that is Joao Gomes. He has that blend of skills required in the middle of the park.

 

[Kandi1977]

OK. But none of our defenders are very good at the fundamentals of top level defending on a consistent basis, other than Ben Davies in my opinion. Our first choice full backs are both wing-backs bought with Conte's system in mind. Porro in particular is prone to leacing positional gaps down that flank and stands off his man too often.

VDV has pace and he is good on the ball bringing it out with his charging runs. But he is IMO suspect at tight penalty area defending like making, he gets turned too easily IMO and he isnt the best in the air at times.

With Romero - its all there on paper but his concentration over a season isnt good enough. Fundamentally for all his decent work he's single handedly cost us a goal or a game at least every 5-6 games, whether its daft red cards, or switching off and losing his man or the rash lunges that leave our defence completely exposed.

Now you can say "well all players have flaws" most defenders in the PL are hard to get past, hard to unsettle, positionally intelligent and have high levels of concentration. Ours....dont.

You are utterly ridiculous!

"every other team has good defenders, but ours are utter brick"

Like, WTF is this? Are 13 years old? This is so stupid that I won't engage.

 

[Surfless]

Expectations are 7th to 9th. A bit of a cup run and ulitmate loss in the QF's or something. Dont expect us to get out of the CL phase 1 or whatever it is.

Even though the Europa league win was amazing and got us a trophy, I think ENIC/Levy are clearly happy to settle for getting into top 4 or Europe consistently and that's it. We are a few weeks away from our first game and with pretty much the same squad bar Kudus and Takai.

so the chairman and new CEO come out in public and say they want to win the league and the champions league, sign one top player and then due to shenanigans don't get the second they thought they had signed in 36 hours, and we are settling?

Do they need to take a full page on in the Independent entitled "we want to win the league" to get the message over?

 

[Surfless]

OK. But none of our defenders are very good at the fundamentals of top level defending on a consistent basis, other than Ben Davies in my opinion. Our first choice full backs are both wing-backs bought with Conte's system in mind. Porro in particular is prone to leacing positional gaps down that flank and stands off his man too often.

VDV has pace and he is good on the ball bringing it out with his charging runs. But he is IMO suspect at tight penalty area defending like making, he gets turned too easily IMO and he isnt the best in the air at times.

With Romero - its all there on paper but his concentration over a season isnt good enough. Fundamentally for all his decent work he's single handedly cost us a goal or a game at least every 5-6 games, whether its daft red cards, or switching off and losing his man or the rash lunges that leave our defence completely exposed.

Now you can say "well all players have flaws" most defenders in the PL are hard to get past, hard to unsettle, positionally intelligent and have high levels of concentration. Ours....dont.

you're either baiting people for a reaction or have a really skewed view of football.

Van Der Ven is one of the best up and coming centre halves in Europe - hence the anguish from the likes of Ferdinand and Neville that they got Yoro instead of VDV. Quite apart from his pace, he has all the attributes to be the best in Europe in the next 5 years.

Romero just won player of the Europa League and has been central to Argentina going on a winning streak of trophies. If he costs us a goal as you say every 5 games (I don't believe he does but I'll humour you) then the other 4 he saves us several goals per game. Nuff said.

Ben Davies, far from being our best defender, has been a liability for around 18 months now. Its not his fault, he wasn't suited to the system, but he's slow, he's often in the wrong place, and players around him often have to compensate for his positioning by getting out of position themselves.

Porro was one of the best right backs in Europe last season and played more minutes than virtually any player.

Udogie isn't a wing back - he was a left back in Italy and is a left back now.

Sorry but literally all the information you have presented as facts is rubbish.

 

[Silly McSilly Face]

you're either baiting people for a reaction or have a really skewed view of football.

Van Der Ven is one of the best up and coming centre halves in Europe - hence the anguish from the likes of Ferdinand and Neville that they got Yoro instead of VDV. Quite apart from his pace, he has all the attributes to be the best in Europe in the next 5 years.

Romero just won player of the Europa League and has been central to Argentina going on a winning streak of trophies. If he costs us a goal as you say every 5 games (I don't believe he does but I'll humour you) then the other 4 he saves us several goals per game. Nuff said.

Ben Davies, far from being our best defender, has been a liability for around 18 months now. Its not his fault, he wasn't suited to the system, but he's slow, he's often in the wrong place, and players around him often have to compensate for his positioning by getting out of position themselves.

Porro was one of the best right backs in Europe last season and played more minutes than virtually any player.

Udogie isn't a wing back - he was a left back in Italy and is a left back now.

Sorry but literally all the information you have presented as facts is rubbish.

We finished 17th last season. We lost the most games in Premier League history of any team that wasn't relegated. We conceded the 5th most goals in the league last season. The 2 seasons before that we conceded over 60 goals in the league and had to rely on Ange-ball crazy-goal scoring and surprise factor in opening 10 games to finish in a respectable league position. Season before that we still had Kane and Son partnership upfront. Romero and VDV have struggled to even get on a pitch for us regularly over the last few seasons let alone be the best up and coming centre half in Europe and saving us in countless games as you say. Look, i hope you're right about how great our squad is and I am wrong about how bang average it is. I really do.

 

[Silly McSilly Face]

You are utterly ridiculous!

"every other team has good defenders, but ours are utter brick"

Like, WTF is this? Are 13 years old? This is so stupid that I won't engage.

Not every team. The 3 relegated teams and Wolves had worse defences than us last season.

 

[spurs' magna carter]

Injury free could be top 4 or another trophy, who knows Super Cup + League Cup and or FA Cup - our form with both VDV and Romero fit was very good.

However, PSG are an incredible team even after their no show against Chelsea, you always get injuries in a season and the current insufficient performance in this window with all rivals impressively strengthing bar Saudi Sportswashing Machine if Isak goes, I predict 5th - 8th.

Was on a high when we signed Kudus and MGW seemed certain. Now, it feels like the same old story of a manager being sold short. Just another player added to the Rivaldo list.

Still a month to go in this window, so not the end, but not full of confidence for this season, which starts in two weeks time (sigh).

 

[Mcfee]

Low.