Champions League Contention

[pablo_picasso]

I’d have Son, Udogie, Van De Ven, maybe Bissouma and Bentancur in our squad. That is all I reckon.

Bissouma is inconsistent as fuck according to one of my Spurs supporting mates. Drifts in & out of games & not a patch on any of our central midfielders.

I would have Son for the LM, Pedro Porro for RB, Udogie for LB & maybe Van de Ven as the RCB... At a push.

The rest? All Villa...

[Chris Smith]

From a Spurs forum.

"Are the current Spurs squad better than the Villa squad? I think yes. Outside of McGinn and Watkins who else would you want from Villa?"

I know all fans are deluded to a point, but that's a shocker.

Missing the point that the sum of the parts can be better than the individual parts.

They probably have got a good few players who would improve our squad, but that's not the point. Our squad is massively more than the sum of its parts and that's predominantly down to the genius of Emery.

Indeed. They're a good team, with a lot of very good players and a decent manager. But I imagine if you gave Emery the Spurs squad and Postecoglou the Villa squad, they'd be above us.

To put it another way, given I think everyone would say that Emery is a much better manager than Postecoglou, if nearly of all our players are so much better than all of theirs, why does it look likely that they are going to finish within a few points of our best season in twenty five years and still have an outside chance of finishing above us?

I reckon long term injuries and additional games played are mitigating factors in why we are not further ahead.

[SoccerHQ]

Their squad is pretty similar to us in many ways.

I think Udogie has had a great season personally and would have him in team of the year. But then Digne has been brilliant himself.

Porro and Cash about the same and we've certainly got the better keeper.

Bissouma has dropped off just like Luiz in recent months and Werner hasn't worked for them.

The difference is we've managed to combine reasonably consistent league form with a european run. We'd played more cup games this season than Spurs by the middle of September so you feel with their style they will really struggle with three high intensity games a week next year.

Interesting how both clubs go now as they will have plenty to spend in the summer. Was last this close in the late 2000s and they just pipped us to CL and both clubs went in rapidly opposite directions in the next decade, they were playing a CL final five days after our play off final in 2019.

[Bad English]

Saying water boils at 100 degrees every time is different to saying Spurs lose to Chelsea every time.

Actually it isn't really because, for example, water boils at around 90-92⁰C or less here in the Pyrenees when you are 2400-2900 m say, and would boil at about 68⁰ C up on Everest.

[ChicagoLion]

There is not much in it, They have greater (more quality) in depth.
Their GungHo attitude to defending is a problem and why they have not got more points.

[Footy-Vill]

So you can get 40-1 on Spurs to beat Chelsea and Liverpool plus we lose to Brighton. Or swap the Brighton loss for a draw and it is 50-1. As emotional hedges go, those are both very tasty.

I think Spurs will beat Chelsea. 

It's certainly possible, if unlikely. The way I'm looking at it is like this: If we can beat Brighton, Spurs would need to beat TWO of Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool to go ahead of us (or beat one, and draw with the other two).  And that's assuming we lose to both Liverpool and Palace, and they beat both Burnley and Sheff Utd.  There is a reason the bookies have us as the red-hot favourite for 4th.

An awful lot has to go right for them to get ahead of us. It's not impossible, but it's in our own hands, which I much prefer to relying on them to lose. Win 3 games, we're guaranteed 4th.

If the situations were reversed, 90% of the people on this forum would have written off our chances of 4th, and rightly so.  And you know what, if they do the unthinkable and win all five games from now to the end of the season, they'd probably deserve 4th.

That is all I have to say till Friday.

Friday 3rd May 2030...?

No, I'd like to comment on Friday as Spurs won't get three points, but not in an I told you so manner.
I have enlightened that Spurs have won once at the bridge in 31 Premier League games

[Footy-Vill]

Saying water boils at 100 degrees every time is different to saying Spurs lose to Chelsea every time.

Actually it isn't really because, for example, water boils at around 90-92⁰C or less here in the Pyrenees when you are 2400-2900 m say, and would boil at about 68⁰ C up on Everest.

There is not much in it, They have greater (more quality) in depth.
Their GungHo attitude to defending is a problem and why they have not got more points.

It will be interesting to see if the relationship between theory and fact persists, and wise theories are correct.
The Spurs defence and tactics cannot be taken seriously in my view as they will concede 3+ goals to Chelsea and Liverpool
I already predicted they would to Arsenal and predicted they would 4+ goals against Newcastle.
I know tactical acumen and they don't have it in defence against such attacking players from these teams.

I suspect it will be case Chelsea won't lose.
The last time Spurs won was 6 years ago, and they don't have better players than they did then or a better team and minus Harry Kane. It would be unlucky for us if they managed to collect all three points.
Chelsea demolished Spurs 4-1 at Spurs, therefore all signs lead to a Chelsea victory based on form and history.

[Proposition Joe]

Yeah but Opta hasn't been following Villa for as long as we have. Those percentages would hold true for any other club, but Villa ...

[Footy-Vill]

Nothing more needs to be discussed by me on Chelsea and Spurs and will let the facts speak for themselves.

[Footy-Vill]

Yeah but Opta hasn't been following Villa for as long as we have. Those percentages would hold true for any other club, but Villa ...

And yes following Villa never had it so good for a long time but Emery is guiding us.
And El Mastero knows the deal said we are now a contender which is code for we are champion league material!

[itbrvilla]

If supporting the Villa for 30 years has taught me anything, its that if any club could fuck it up, it'd be us. 

[paul_e]

I’d have Son, Udogie, Van De Ven, maybe Bissouma and Bentancur in our squad. That is all I reckon.

Bissouma is inconsistent as fuck according to one of my Spurs supporting mates. Drifts in & out of games & not a patch on any of our central midfielders.

I would have Son for the LM, Pedro Porro for RB, Udogie for LB & maybe Van de Ven as the RCB... At a push.

The rest? All Villa...

I never rated Bissouma when loads on here thought we should be signing him. He's ok but as you say drifts in and out of games too much.

I'd also say no to Udogie, he's a good player but no better than what we have really. Porro on the other hand would add depth in one of our weakest positions and is a lot better than Cash (even though I don't think Cash is as bad as a lot make him out to be).

Van de Ven has a similar problem to Udogie, he's very good but with Torres and Mings I think we're well covered there.

In general I don't think there are many players in their squad that are significantly better (or worse) than we have in the same position.

Watkins is clearly the best centre forward across the squads, Son is clearly the best left winger, Porro is clearly the best right back and Konsa is clearly the best right centre back. After that is probably mostly personal preference, we all think Emi is miles better than Vicario but given they're probably the 2 best keepers in the league right now I think it's fine to say wither would be a fantastic option for any team.

[ChicagoLion]

Maddison earlier in the season looked very good but his form has dropped off.

[LeeB]

I’d have Son, Udogie, Van De Ven, maybe Bissouma and Bentancur in our squad. That is all I reckon.

Bissouma is inconsistent as fuck according to one of my Spurs supporting mates. Drifts in & out of games & not a patch on any of our central midfielders.

I would have Son for the LM, Pedro Porro for RB, Udogie for LB & maybe Van de Ven as the RCB... At a push.

The rest? All Villa...

I never rated Bissouma when loads on here thought we should be signing him. He's ok but as you say drifts in and out of games too much.

I'd also say no to Udogie, he's a good player but no better than what we have really. Porro on the other hand would add depth in one of our weakest positions and is a lot better than Cash (even though I don't think Cash is as bad as a lot make him out to be).

Van de Ven has a similar problem to Udogie, he's very good but with Torres and Mings I think we're well covered there.

In general I don't think there are many players in their squad that are significantly better (or worse) than we have in the same position.

Watkins is clearly the best centre forward across the squads, Son is clearly the best left winger, Porro is clearly the best right back and Konsa is clearly the best right centre back. After that is probably mostly personal preference, we all think Emi is miles better than Vicario but given they're probably the 2 best keepers in the league right now I think it's fine to say wither would be a fantastic option for any team.

I'm sorry I must take issue with that Paul, I think Vicario is shite.

[Drummond]

So you can get 40-1 on Spurs to beat Chelsea and Liverpool plus we lose to Brighton. Or swap the Brighton loss for a draw and it is 50-1. As emotional hedges go, those are both very tasty.

I think Spurs will beat Chelsea. 

It's certainly possible, if unlikely. The way I'm looking at it is like this: If we can beat Brighton, Spurs would need to beat TWO of Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool to go ahead of us (or beat one, and draw with the other two).  And that's assuming we lose to both Liverpool and Palace, and they beat both Burnley and Sheff Utd.  There is a reason the bookies have us as the red-hot favourite for 4th.

An awful lot has to go right for them to get ahead of us. It's not impossible, but it's in our own hands, which I much prefer to relying on them to lose. Win 3 games, we're guaranteed 4th.

If the situations were reversed, 90% of the people on this forum would have written off our chances of 4th, and rightly so.  And you know what, if they do the unthinkable and win all five games from now to the end of the season, they'd probably deserve 4th.

That is all I have to say till Friday.

Friday 3rd May 2030...?

No, I'd like to comment on Friday as Spurs won't get three points, but not in an I told you so manner.
I have enlightened that Spurs have won once at the bridge in 31 Premier League games

Oh, that was a quick week!