Lallana's Left Peg

Pochettino's system requires moving the ball more quickly in the final third than any slow build up to tease an opening. The club wanted more pace and power in the final third when Adkins was Manager and that need is more pressing now. We tried for a direct winger with pace and power all summer and couldn't get one - expect that to be sorted this summer.

Whilst we'd all like to think we'd be safe by now I still think we're in good shape, and I think the performances / results post-Reading have also shown up some real deficiencies in the make-up of the squad which may shape summer transfer activity. I wholly expected things to get a little worse heading into this weekend based on who we were playing and the points other teams could pick up. However come next Monday I expect us to be safe.

Down to 20/1 with the bookies but Wigan, Norwich, Newcastle, and Sunderland all have shorter odds. Would still taking something pretty extraordinary for us to get relegated.

Not overly keen on this team but hope to be proved wrong.

I think sometimes Adkins was a bit over the top in the way he made a 'thing' of not revealing injury news - that said I don't really see why any team would ever show its hand with injury news. There is no advantage to saying what it is other than to appease fans.

It is worth pointing out that Pochettino did not say we were close to signing two players, and that the BBC journalist (Ben Smith) stated that in his article - his source would not be from the interview, so worth bearing that in mind.

I think we'll have our moments but I suspect Spurs will have too much for us. Spurs seem to go though phases in most games where they don't play very well at all - I've rarely seen them dominate a game this season so if we can capitalise on that we may have a chance but I can't see our defence keeping them at bay for 90mins anyway.

Pretty good achievement for Lambert given the deluge of other talent in the league

I've no issue whatsoever with Carroll being called up (and playing) as long as we play to his strengths. But if we continue to call up players and not play to their strengths then I'll lose all interest.

I don't believe our interest in him has subsided at all, however the terms under which a transfer can occur have changed since January in relation to Calglari's financial situation (they may be able to sell other players instead of Astori) and / or the level of interest from other clubs. I can't see it being something that gets sorted quickly so we'll go back to the old chestnut of pursuing our number one target all summer and then if it doesn't happen switching to other targets - and the inevitable criticism fans will throw at the club if that happens. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

If that is the case then it makes the brainfart tackle from Fox even more silly. I wonder if results go our way by the time we play Sunderland if we're safe whether Pochettino will mix things up a bit or stick with the tried and tested as we fight for the best finish possible and prize money that come with it.

No - it is far more likely that the same strong physical characteristics which are enabling him to play Premier League football at the age of 17 are also causing him to often get injured which can be attributed to the level and amount of training he is undertaking while his body is still growing considerably (and will do so for the next 5 years). It's something that will need to be managed over the next few years.

It could be any one of the following: 1. Means (transfer fee or wages) 2. Agents fees 3. Selling club don't have a replacement lined up Where you can question recent transfer activity is: 1. Allocation of funds proportionately to perceived team need 2. Purchase of players with lack of experience in Premier League 3. Purchase of young players based on premise that whilst they get better (assuming they do) the club can continue maintain its Premier League status and push on. At the start of the season it looked like the risk wasn't working but as the season has gone on the strategy has seemingly worked. That is not to say the club will entertain the same risks next season - we have the core of a team that is very promising (and performing well) and with some high profile signings to rubberstamp the desire to push on then it will make last summers work very satisfactory. The absolute key is a better central defence (both in terms of defending and distribution with the ball) and more options in the final third (more power, more pace). I would expect both those areas to be addressed with established signings - assuming of course the deals can be done.

Regardless of our transfer activity this summer, there are plenty of clubs who have more work than us to do. Just like our league position, it is all relative regardless of our performance in isolation. Without going into a rant on transfers, our scouting network right now is huge - not just paid employees, but also our network of contacts. If we come out the other side of this summer with fan unrest at either numbers of transfers of quality of player it won't be for lack of trying from the club. Identifying talent is only the first 20% of the equation in a transfer.

Two teams whose entire season was summed up in a single game. Terrible football, and add to that the quite literal need to win to even have a mathematical chance to stay up and neither of them could muster a goal between them, which is pathetic.

Has Premier League quality but needs to influence games more and impress himself on them. All a part of the learning process for players in that part of the field. When you play in a position where the game comes to you it is easier than when you have to find a way to get involved in the game. Not entirely sure about him as Captain however definitely glad he is a part of our team and I would expect him to push on next season.

We're still very much a confidence team and having to play catchup after 6mins was very going to be easy for us, and then with the West Brom tails up after seeing what movement and power in numbers can do to our defence it escalated from there. We lack a lot of natural leadership and know-how, but with a young team and / or players inexperienced at this level this sort of games will happen. At the end of the day we have a team capable of beating the best in the league but also fragile enough to perform as poorly as they did today. It can sometimes be a fine line as to which way we go each game.

Blackpool away under Pearson was bad. Stood in the temporary stand with no roof and the rain coming in horizontally from the Irish Sea all game. Thought I'd managed to save my match programme by tucking it in my jeans and under my two layers only to remove it at full time and realised that too was soaked through and disintegrated.

Independent of the ambition debate, there are only one or two players in a Spurs squad chasing 4th who cost more than Ramirez. So we don't need to be spending a ridiculous amount of money to be in a challenge for 4th and you can build slowly over a number of seasons as long as you invest right and keep hold of key players (although Spurs even routinely lose theirs). However if you want to go from lower mid-table to CL qualification in a season then you need to spend a massive amount.

We've not achieved anything this season to justify a pitch invasion, would much prefer a lap of honour after a good win and a focus on next season. I doubt the club would be happy with a pitch invasion either, as I don't think they'd want a lower mid-table finish (if that is where we end up) as being seen as a great thing given our ambitions.

Couldn't get further away from a player that meets the criteria the club has for signing players.

Also known as the 'Gerrard role'.

Thank-you for posting this. I'd already purchased flights for my Dad and was on the verge of wondering how to tell him we couldn't go to the game, when I got through on the above number and got tickets.

Completed in bold.

Thanks, so it has a bit of an impact on the balance sheet (but doesn't realistically mean much) and our wage bill would have to swell massively before we are even impacted by the new rules on growth? With quite a few fringe players leaving when their contracts expire, and potentially others shown out of the door, it sounds like there is still plenty of scope for bringing in new players (not withstanding how much of the 'new' money needs to be used for the BVI loan).