^ Three-four years ago people were asking the same question of us in the bracket of 'sides outside the top 4' who have no chance. If you go in with that mentality then of course you're never going to succeed. I could just as easily ask the question of other lower league sides. How long have Oldham been stuck doing nothing in League One? The likes of Coventry/Barnsley must be having loads of fun down in the Championship since leaving the Premier League. Constant midtable finishes. As it is I couldn't give a toss what division we're in. I support Tottenham and always will, regardless of what we're capable of challenging for.
i fully believe if everton start well and play the way we do in the latter half so the season we could challenge for 4th, might aswell not follow them otherwise
I agree, just got to start well Re. OP - Don't think any appeal has been lost despite the Prem being predictable with regards to the top few, don't get me wrong, hate getting beat or when we lose one of our star players but just dust myself down and look forward to the next game/signing to help us towards that 7th spot
That's a spiral, and there's really nothing we can do. PSG or Le City and Shalke have both invested tonnes. Only a matter of time when the elites are fully established with their own European League or whatever.
As we have managed to win just 32 of our last 152 games in the premier league anyone who finds themselves a little frustrated at mid-table obscurity should think themselves lucky.
I remember when Aston Villa and Everton looked like they'd be the ones to break into top 4. That's Tottenham's turn for now but they'll decline into midtable especially under AVB.
I think we are proof that that this thread is wrong.... Promoted in 1993 Runners up in 96 (should have won the damn thing!) Runners up in 97 Mid table obscurity..... Champions league finishing 4th then 3rd in early 2000s 5th place finish next year. Mid table obscurity..... Relegation..... Promotion.... Finish 5th only finished outside 4th on the last day of the season and we have a pretty damn good team that will put up a fight again this year (I hope)! Steady progression from where we are now with the business model we have of selling 1 good player for loads of money then buying three good players with that and gradually building may just pay off and who knows we may just be a top 4 team again...... just maybe. A man can dream! I think us and Everton have a reasonable hope of being top 6 this year to be honest!
I think it's not as easy to count the earlier years of the Premier League as the increased TV revenue wasn't so massive and ingrained and there wasn't quite the huge financial disparity from the CL.
If Tottenham can now be classed as one of the big teams there is no reason why Newcastle, Villa or Everton can't do the same. All of those teams are just as big as Tottenham and have decent potential. Newcastle and Everton aren't really that far behind as it is.
More than Arsenal yes, but less than every other team around us. It wasn't money that got us to fourth. Our team for most games last season cost about £50m, obviously under £5m per player, which is quite impressive. Chelsea, who finised 6th, had a striker worth that amount. Liverpool in 8th had a strike force alone worth about £30m more on occasions (Carroll, Suarez, Downing). Extreme example I know, but it's true. We got there by clever buying (Friedel for free, Parker £5m, Ade loan, VDV £8m, Lennon £1m, Bale £8m, Walker £4m etc) and keeping a bit of stability both on and off the pitch. Gone were the days of 8/9 signings every summer, in were the days of 2 or 3 good, clever signings. And with a relatively small stadium too. I think any mid-table club could look at Spurs as a reason not to just be bored and content with being mid-table.
Maybe we will, but I honestly don't understand where this general view comes from (bolded). Based upon what?? Also, although I agree that there is a cycle, no side has been consistently up there for 3 years (4th,5th,4th) before - Everton came 4th once and went back down, Villa consistently finished just outside, but nobody's got as close to cracking it as we have.
I just don't rate AVB at all, he's only a "big name" because everyone was hailing him as the new Mourinho before he joined Chelsea. He showed that he's too stubborn to be a class manager and his selections can be baffling. Look where Chelsea ended up, 5th (I think?) at March before he was sacked and we had a replay at Birmingham, 3 - 1 down against Napoli on aggregate. He left Ashley Cole, Lampard on bench and started Bosingwa at left back against Napoli lol. Chelsea tried high line defence and it didn't suit them at all but AVB was that stubborn he wouldn't change anything. I just think he will be the downfall of your team. I hope that's not the case though I like Tottenham's style of football
