I was thinking myself yesterday the first 10 games last season could prove to be quite the false dawn. Theyâve been below average for a long time now, much longer than that good spell, & the vultures will be circling soon if theyâre not already. Is there an Ange consensus amongst matchgoing fans these days? I think @neilld is right in that the quality from midfield up doesnât match with the elite coterie of super franchises. Yet theyâve spent a lot of money in the last 3 transfer windows. I thought FOTF âMiguelâ Delaney made a fair point on Twitter yesterday too - Spurs are perpetually buying for the future. A large chunk of those massive transfer fees have been on potential & some of those lads look muck, e.g., Brennan Johnson. They could surely have bought more astutely than that. They could still be relatively young players but youâd surely find a better & more proven wide player in the 20-25 year old age bracket for ÂŁ50mn than Brennan Johnson.
Itâs a recurring trend though. Looking good, a goal up, game should be killed off with a second and third goal which never comes and then the opposition get a goal out of nowhere usually down to a Romero brain fart. Initiative lost then, we rarely under Postecoglu go again and win after getting pegged back or come from behind to win. Itâs powderpuff stuff.
That is a flaw for sure, they are brittle. I think the play to the style and when there is a âsystems malfunctionâ, they donât react well.
Johnson will be back at Forest next summer one would think and he will probably do really well again for them. It was a bit like Wan Bissaka at United, different playing for a team seeking to dominate the ball (most of the time).
How good is Matt OâRiley? have they missed a trick there; heâd have been something different for them coming in off the right or maybe rotating with Maddison in the ten. He is very creative from what Iâve seen and Athletico really wanted him. Most teams only play with one road runner, but thereâs times when Son, Werner and Johnson are all on the pitch and the quality on the ball just isnât there. A lot will rest on Solanke but at least he is getting the chances.
I spoke to my brother this morning. Heâs a season ticket holder and was there yesterday. He was saying that on one level thereâs no great appetite for another managerial change and the fans are hoping that it might just come right for Ange. As against that, the match going fanbase have more or less reached a consensus during last season that he was quickly found out as a one trick pony who was out of his depth and that it wonât come right. They havenât turned on him yet, but could be as close as failing to beat Brentford at home next Saturday from doing so.
As a non-Spurs supporter I think Spurs are going to have a right bad season.
Canât see them finishing ahead of any of:
Abu Dhabi
Arsenal
Liverpool
Chelsea
Saudi Arabia
Manchester United
That would be a seventh placed finish at best. But Villa look better again and you could have a couple of surprise packets emerging from mid table - Bournemouth, West Ham, Brighton, Fulham etc.
I wouldnât trust Spurs to finish ahead of any of them and I wouldnât be surprised if they finished bottom half. A likely managerial change is the unknown factor.
Iraola of Bournemouth will likely be the hot target of any âbig clubâ that pulls the trigger.
Its a strong era, you could be quite good and finish 8th or 9th, Prem are basically buying everything with a pulse from Europe and South America.
This was my call on it back at the end of last season. We were winless and bottom that season after 8 games with just 2 points on the board. Then Arry arrived and it all changed with the greatest ever new manager bounce.
Thought you couldnt watch games at 2.00 on a Sunday?
Thought Johnson was a great signing but has not done it. Totally off the boil for Wales too.
I thought heâd be good as well but he is better in counterattacking teams with space to run into rather than facing up the fullback.
Which poster kept telling me last season big agne was embarrassing ten hag because he had such a distinct style so quickly ?
That couldâve been me.
But there might have been a few of us at it.
Maddison strikes me as even lighter version of Jack Grealish. A largely nothing player with a seemingly very high opinion of himself.
2 oâclock on a Sunday is not a great time for non-footix to sit down and watch a soccer match. Iâd usually be out and about most Sundays at that time. I donât organise my weekends around watching English Premier League soccer. If I happen to be at home to catch an odd match or maybe watch some of it back later, all well and good.
Johnson has been awful for Wales too. Total loss of form.
@Cheasty is spot on about solanke⌠how they paid nearly 60million for him is a mystery⌠Liverpool couldnât believe their luck when they got around 10 million as part of the sell on clause.
Spurs have spunked away their Harry Kane money same as when they squandered the Gareth bale money⌠long season ahead for the yids
They needed Toney.
Solanke is a small-club player.