*Official* English Football Season 2013-14

[GIMH]

Can see them struggling next season

 

[sledger]

Pochettino could have done with another year at Southampton I think. Bit of an odd choice to move now in many ways. He's well-established and well thought of down here, and had achieved a lot as well as having lots of good young players to work with. Jumping to Spurs where the pressure will be considerable, and the unreasonable expectations extremely high, and there's a trigger happy **** of a chairman, might not be the wisest move.

On the other hand him leaving seemed to have been on the cards for a while, what with Cortese etc... all bailing earlier on. The fact that he's got wind that half of his decent British players will be sold also probably played a part in him deciding to get out himself, one suspects.

 

[grecian]

Pochettino could have done with another year at Southampton I think. Bit of an odd choice to move now in many ways. He's well-established and well thought of down here, and had achieved a lot as well as having lots of good young players to work with. Jumping to Spurs where the pressure will be considerable, and the unreasonable expectations extremely high, and there's a trigger happy **** of a chairman, might not be the wisest move.

On the other hand him leaving seemed to have been on the cards for a while, what with Cortese etc... all bailing earlier on. The fact that he's got wind that half of his decent British players will be sold also probably played a part in him deciding to get out himself, one suspects.

Going to Spurs is almost always a bad move for a manager. The fact is the fans are already bleating that he isn't a big enough name. I think he's fine for mid-table mediocrity myself.

I don't really like getting into a Spurs-bash, because in the end, too many Arse fans here to make it fun.

Yet their fanbase is pretty deluded, I used to think it was because Arsenal kept on winning things, but no, their craziness continues.

1961 is a long time people. Perhaps we should change our running joke too "Spurs year this year". I mean last year the normal one nearly fell flat on its face.

 

[sledger]

Going to Spurs is almost always a bad move for a manager. The fact is the fans are already bleating that he isn't a big enough name. I think he's fine for mid-table mediocrity myself.

I don't really like getting into a Spurs-bash, because in the end, too many Arse fans here to make it fun.

Yet their fanbase is pretty deluded, I used to think it was because Arsenal kept on winning things, but no, their craziness continues.

1961 is a long time people. Perhaps we should change our running joke too "Spurs year this year". I mean last year the normal one nearly fell flat on its face.

Who are they kidding though? Whichever way you slice it, as a club, they are everything that embodies mediocre. Why on earth would they expect to be able to attract a truly high-calibre manager? Their delusions of grandeur are hilarious as much as they are irritating.

Edit: Ha, replied to your post without reading the last few sentences. Looks as though we think along similar lines on this one.

 

[fredfertang]

The ghost of Billy Nick still haunts the Lane

 

[Tom Halsey]

The feeling amongst Southampton fans has been that Pochettino will be off ever since Cortese left.

Tbh I think the view of Spurs here is a bit off. Regarding the fanbase, I don't hear any Spurs fans suggesting they are going to win the league ever (unlike the absolutely wonderful Liverpool fans...) and this is despite the fact that for much of the last few years Spurs have been finishing 4th/5th compared to Liverpool in 7th.

Don't see how it's a bad job tbh. Sure I would agree that Spurs are currently pretty poor (have posted about it in here often enough for starters) but they are still definitely one of the bigger clubs, and lets face it 'Arry took them from bottom to 4th in 18 months. They came 6th this year which is their worst finish in 5-ish years, the potential is just way bigger than Southampton. Obviously with bigger potential then the cost of failure is also far bigger, see Moyes this season. But that is a given and applies to any job with some sort of potential.

The anti-Spurs feeling in here is admittedly tempting to agree with but at least as far as it applies to whether Pochettino should have taken the job or not I don't really think there is much in the way of rational basis to it.

 

[grecian]

Well you must hear from different Spurs fans then me.

I do the Managers graveyard line because I can't think of many that have not had their reps blackened, and there's been a lot. Also the problem is if Spurs don't get in the Fabled Champs League, then he'll probably be sacked, and with Manc, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arse and probably a rejuvenated Manu team, he's got no chance IMHO.

Anyway I'm still against this thing on principle, but hey it's the Tinpot cup no-one cares. Perhaps a reasonable compromise where everyone can save face.

 

[Furball]

Going to Spurs is almost always a bad move for a manager. The fact is the fans are already bleating that he isn't a big enough name. I think he's fine for mid-table mediocrity myself.

I don't really like getting into a Spurs-bash, because in the end, too many Arse fans here to make it fun.

Yet their fanbase is pretty deluded, I used to think it was because Arsenal kept on winning things, but no, their craziness continues.

1961 is a long time people. Perhaps we should change our running joke too "Spurs year this year". I mean last year the normal one nearly fell flat on its face.

It's been Spurs' year to win the battle of the North London clubs for about the last 5 years. Maybe one day.

 

[Furball]

And I know I don't exactly rate Spurs but at the moment I don't exactly see this as being a massive step up for Pochettino, although I think that's probably as much to do with me over-rating Southampton as it is to do with under-rating Spurs. Southampton are legitimately a couple of good players away from challenging for European football, assuming they can keep hold of their big guns this season.

 

[Cabinet96]

Yeah, 'Spurs' year' has basically been getting into the Champions League the last few years.

If United have another bad season we can start changing it to them.

 

[Tom Halsey]

And I know I don't exactly rate Spurs but at the moment I don't exactly see this as being a massive step up for Pochettino, although I think that's probably as much to do with me over-rating Southampton as it is to do with under-rating Spurs. Southampton are legitimately a couple of good players away from challenging for European football, assuming they can keep hold of their big guns this season.

Yeah but they are both unlikely to hang on to their big guns and unlikely to add many players. In your own words, Southampton would only be challenging for European football even if all this were to happen. Spurs have had their worst season in half a decade and probably have a bit of money to spend and a bigger Europe-wide reputation than Southampton, and despite the poor season by their standards already have European football. Seems a no-brainer to me.

Given the boardroom unrest and the likelihood of the big guns leaving for pastures new, things are nowhere near as rosy at Southampton as people seem to believe.

Well you must hear from different Spurs fans then me.

I do the Managers graveyard line because I can't think of many that have not had their reps blackened, and there's been a lot. Also the problem is if Spurs don't get in the Fabled Champs League, then he'll probably be sacked, and with Manc, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arse and probably a rejuvenated Manu team, he's got no chance IMHO.

I live in a pretty Spurs sort of an area and can honestly say I have never heard a Spurs fan suggest in all seriousness at the start of a season that they are going to win the league.

I don't think he'll be sacked if he doesn't qualify for the CL, after all AVB came fifth in his first season and wasn't sacked, and expectations were a lot higher then, what with Redknapp coming fourth the season before.

If he gets sacked then meh, he'll get another job elsewhere in the Southampton sort of spectrum because some chairman somewhere will think along similar lines to you and say that the Spurs job was always going to be difficult and it won't be a big deal. Or he might qualify for the CL within two or three years and his career prospects are immeasurably improved. On the other hand if he stays at Southampton forever he will basically never have any chance at getting in the CL short of them being bought out by a sugar daddy, and in that scenario there is a decent chance the new owner would want his own manager anyway.

I just think that, ignoring other stuff like loyalty, from the point of view of Pochettino's career he should take the job and tbh I don't think it's close. Not to do so would be to take being conservative/risk averse far too far.

 

[Ikki]

Excellent article on Suarez:

Portrait of a serial winner - Luis Suarez is soccer's most beautiful player

 

[grecian]

Yeah but they are both unlikely to hang on to their big guns and unlikely to add many players. In your own words, Southampton would only be challenging for European football even if all this were to happen. Spurs have had their worst season in half a decade and probably have a bit of money to spend and a bigger Europe-wide reputation than Southampton, and despite the poor season by their standards already have European football. Seems a no-brainer to me.

Given the boardroom unrest and the likelihood of the big guns leaving for pastures new, things are nowhere near as rosy at Southampton as people seem to believe.



I live in a pretty Spurs sort of an area and can honestly say I have never heard a Spurs fan suggest in all seriousness at the start of a season that they are going to win the league.

I don't think he'll be sacked if he doesn't qualify for the CL, after all AVB came fifth in his first season and wasn't sacked, and expectations were a lot higher then, what with Redknapp coming fourth the season before.

If he gets sacked then meh, he'll get another job elsewhere in the Southampton sort of spectrum because some chairman somewhere will think along similar lines to you and say that the Spurs job was always going to be difficult and it won't be a big deal. Or he might qualify for the CL within two or three years and his career prospects are immeasurably improved. On the other hand if he stays at Southampton forever he will basically never have any chance at getting in the CL short of them being bought out by a sugar daddy, and in that scenario there is a decent chance the new owner would want his own manager anyway.

I just think that, ignoring other stuff like loyalty, from the point of view of Pochettino's career he should take the job and tbh I don't think it's close. Not to do so would be to take being conservative/risk averse far too far.

Yes, perhaps I should have said to get in the top 4. still not going to happen next year.

BTW many of the Back-pages of the tabs are saying Top-4 or sacked.

Yet they are the scum of the earth as Illustrated by the Scums front-page,

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yes, perhaps I should have said to get in the top 4. still not going to happen next year.

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at here. It's a small point anyway and I know you'd still disagree with me but unless I'm missing something then I think you've misunderstood me. My point was that AVB came fifth and didn't get sacked, and fifth would never have qualified him for the CL anyway, ie I think if Pochettino for argument's sake came fifth he would survive.

 

[grecian]

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at here. It's a small point anyway and I know you'd still disagree with me but unless I'm missing something then I think you've misunderstood me. My point was that AVB came fifth and didn't get sacked, and fifth would never have qualified him for the CL anyway, ie I think if Pochettino for argument's sake came fifth he would survive.

Yes, and I and the neswpaper's disagree that he'll stay in that scenario. In fact knowing Levy it has to be debatable if he lasts after a bad run at any time. In the end Levy seems more crazed for that C-L Place.

In the end, Levy got the Bale money, allowed a fair chunk of it to go, then he touted these World-class players. He clearly wants more from these players hence two managers have gone. Also AVB's 4th-place charge went down to the final day, perhaps if it was that close you maybe right, but I don't see it myself.

We'll see, I just wouldn't be at all surprised if we didn't see at least another two managers at WHL next year. He had a good group of players at the Saints and they were working for him.

 

[Furball]

I live in a pretty Spurs sort of an area and can honestly say I have never heard a Spurs fan suggest in all seriousness at the start of a season that they are going to win the league.

No, but they constantly think they'll finish ahead of Arsenal which is just as laughable really.

 

[Uppercut]

I think it's a good appointment for Spurs and that Pochettino is right to take the job, but I still don't think it'll work. The teams directly above Spurs are better than them by too big a margin for improvement to be realistic, and Levy and their fanbase are too dick to accept that and let him get on with doing the job long-term.

 

[GIMH]

Five year contract. Gonna be a hell of a pay out for him in December 2015

 

[Cabinet96]

Clubs never learn do they? Though I assume most managers push for long deals so they can get massive payouts when they get sacked.

 

[Cevno]

I think it's a good appointment for Spurs and that Pochettino is right to take the job, but I still don't think it'll work. The teams directly above Spurs are better than them by too big a margin for improvement to be realistic, and Levy and their fanbase are too dick to accept that and let him get on with doing the job long-term.

If Liverpool could do it, they can too i guess. Though this was sort of a strange season.