Raider Fan 365

Top 4 1. We are too inconsistent to finish in the top four.  5th Place   2. A 5th place finish is possible but Jose will have to devise a team formation to compensate for the injury crisis up front.  Champions League   3. We will not win the Champions League. We are extremely unlikely to get past Leipzig.  FA Cup 4. We have a chance to win the FA Cup. A home QF separates Tottenham from a quarter final place and then it is three one off matches for Cup success.  General Form 5. We have not played well since Jose's early matches. We lack cohesion and confidence while the basic requirement of passing the ball to a teammate has been beyond us in recent weeks.  Fullbacks   6. While the focus has been on our dearth of strikers, Tottenham's lack of options in the fullback positions has been a significant hindrance to our endeavours this season.  Injuries   7. Yes, the old injury excuse. But any team would struggle without the abilities of our two world class strikers Kane

Well that was atrocious. Jose Mourinho certainly picked some game to have his most tactically inept day as Tottenham Hotspur head coach.  In all facets of the game, Spurs were second best.  Defense   Mourinho picked three centre backs coupled with two defensive full backs (one of whom is an actual centre back). Consequently we had no go forward, no momentum, no press, no pressure. Special mention though to Hugo Lloris, our best player by far. Midfield   Our midfield lacked energy, lacked guile and sadly lacked authority. Lo Celso showed glimpses of skill but Ndombele looks an absolute bust. £55m poorly spent. He is devoid of any energy off the ball. Spurs and Pochettino did not conduct due diligence on Ndombele's fitness, or lack of fitness.  Forwards   We had none. And what forwards we had kept running into blue jerseys.  Of all Mourinho's matches this was the most abject. Sadly it was abject before kick off. For a Tottenham manager to lose twice to Chelsea in one

Tottenham in need of major overhaul  The biggest disappointment from last night's 0-1 home defeat to RB Leipzig is that we played like the away team.  Our performance was dismal. We lacked authority, confidence and were utterly impotent. Leipzig played with skill and bravado. We played like a bunch of lads having a kickabout on the Hackney Marshes.  Very succinctly we have a major injury crisis coupled with a deficient squad. A toxic combination.  Thankfully we have 40 points. The highest points total ever relegated was 42. This summer we need a major squad overhaul, highlighted by the above graphic. Two new fullbacks, a defensive midfielder and multiple squad players, especially a couple of strikers, a future goalkeeper and even more full backs. And in an ideal world we will appoint a Director of Football to work with Mourinho to oversee our squad transformation and implement long term planning which has been nonexistent in recent times.  COYS

With just 12 matches left this season, Tottenham Hotspur now occupy a Champions League place after Heung Min Son's injury time winner saw off plucky Aston Villa.  Spurs played some excellent football on a brisk afternoon in Birmingham but were guilty of a multitude of missed chances having taken a 2-1 lead before half time.  Tottenham had a number of stand out performers. Steven Bergwijn showed sublime skills and vision throughout the contest and an honourable mention also for Ben Davies, on his return from injury, who solidified the left hand side of the defence.  Dele Alli typified Tottenham's day. His movement off the ball was outstanding.  World class even.  His finishing was not outstanding.  Schoolboy class even.  However Villa arguably had the best two players on the pitch today, keeper Pepe Reina and the effervescent Jack Grealish. But Spurs leave Villa Park and the approaching Storm Denis with 3 points, 1 point off 4th place Chelsea,

Jose Mourinho has been Tottenham Hotspur manager for 4 months. He arrived with something of a mixed track record of developing youth players. And that's being diplomatic.  Yet at Spurs his youth policy has flourished.  20 year old Japhet Tanganga has become an integral member of the first team squad, playing in every position across the back line and is mentioned in dispatches as a potential England player this summer.  While only featuring sparingly on the subs bench, Troy Parrott is clearly earmarked by Mourinho as a future star. Parrott only turned 18 last week but recently signed a 3 year contract to remain under Mourinho's tutelage. Mourinho has spoken in glowing terms about Parrott and for those Spurs fans bemoaning his lack of game time, the young striker has only just turned 18.  Another 18 year old who Mourinho clearly rates is Denis Cirkin. The young left back has, like Troy Parrott, appeared on the subs bench on a number  of occasi

Jose Mourinho  Grade: B+ Jose Mourinho is approaching his 20th game as Tottenham manager (Aston Villa). In his 19 games to date, Tottenham's record is:- Win 10 Draw 4 Loss 5 All things equal this is a reasonable record. But things were not equal.  Jose took over a side low on confidence and riddled with unsettled players. He took over midseason just a few days before an away game to West Ham.  Jose has introduced young players, most obviously Japhet Tanganga (who is like a new signing), has solidified GLC in central midfield and seems to have bought wisely and astutely in the transfer window. The squad is getting younger and building for the future.  However despite the results, Tottenham are not clicking and lacking cohesion. Let's be honest, we were fortuitous to win our last two matches, City and Southampton.   But the special one is getting results whilst simultaneously improving the squad. We will be one formidable side when the jigsaw is finally finished.  So

Nice one Stevie, nice one Son A sublime volley from newcomer Stevie Bergwijn and a cool finish from Heung Min Son were enough to see off title chasing Manchester City who had a somewhat profligate afternoon in North London.  Manchester City dominated the stats In the process they are no longer title chasing as assuredly Liverpool have now on unassailable 22 point lead at the top of the table. Our first Premier League statement win in 14 months has propelled us to 5th in the league just 4 points off 4th spot.  And for all you doomsayers out there (mainly me)we are now 13 points off relegation! Spurs up to 5th Now we move onto the FA Cup replay against Southampton followed by a much needed 10 day break.  COYS