Should the FA Cup be our priority this season? | Page 2 | Vital Football

Should the FA Cup be our priority this season?

Go all out to win the FA Cup, no matter what?

  • No, Top 4 is more important

    Votes: 5 23.8%

  • Yes, the FA cup above all else?

    Votes: 16 76.2%
  • Total voters
    21
I flip flop on this a bit. I'd rather be Spurs being in touching distance of the title race in December some years, flirting with top 4 or 6 others, than Wigan who won it 10 years ago but have very little to enjoy about supporting them the rest of the time. But for the year you win it it would be great...

I guess most of the fans in this thread would trade our position now for Leicester's title and FA Cup win followed by relegation?

Ex is right and we need the monkey off our back. I'd absolutely go as full strength as we can vs Burnley (without unnecessarily rushing back any injury prone important players), and see how the schedule shakes out and how our squad is looking later in the season as to whether to rotate anyone in future games.

I guess if we go deep in the tournament, are again ravaged by injuries, but are somehow still in with a shot of the PL title would people accept some rotation to give a player or two a rest to keep them fresh for key league fixtures?
 
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I think Ange was slightly disingenuous in his answer, as he failed to account for or scrubbed over the shot of confidence in the 'project and progress' possible if we won the FA cup this season.

It could add enormous impetus to our quest to be a regular silverware winner. He didn't seem to acknowledge that at all - why should it be seen as a one off by him or the players?
 
For me going all out for the cup and yet be in contention for top 4 would be desirable. It needn't be a case of one or the other. Yes, the cup offers us another route in to Europe, but I'd hate to put all eggs in one 'knock-out comp' basket.

I'll take Ange's comments with a pinch of salt. Great talker and yes, I love listening to him, but felt let down in the Carabao v Fulham when we had a shed load of fit players to choose from.
 
There is no question that gaining top 4 would be most beneficial for the club financially and therefore most likely to sustain competitiveness going forward. So that must be the priority but should not preclude us playing our strongest team, which is not necessarily a first 11, in every cup game. Winning should be a habit whatever the comp.
 
muttley said:
Is winning the league unrealistic though?

We are still in this title race.

(I have my hard hat on)
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If Maddison is back by the end of the month things could get interesting.

City have KDB returning now though and they have know-how. Pep nurses his squad through the first half of the season to ensure they are primed for the second half.

Just being involved in a title race however would be quite remarkable in itself.
 
total spurs said:
I voted for the cup, but we should be able to go all out for both. If we can't then assuming we are in Europe next year, what to go for will be a bigger question. By the 4th round we should have most injured back, touch wood with 2-3 Jan new recruits. If we go out v Burnley i will be so peed off.
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ts, you will not be peed off after the game tonight, chill mate! :wahey: COYS
 
Pompey Yid said:
Spurs could be 4th/5th in the Prem + FA Cup winners.
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Precisely what I want to see. Thus vital that Ange is supported in this window to address the squad depth issues. Pretty sure the current limitations will have us wondering only if...

Nothing short of a win will do tonight. Any lackadaisical approach and we will get punished. Palace v Everton proved PL safetly can be shelved for one game, so expect a very trying Burnley. They have improved since their past drubbings.
 
Spursex said:
It is, unless we can keep our best 11 on the pitch for the rest of the season and fully fit, then who knows?!

My own opinion is that is highly unlikely!
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As you know I have been harping on about another Leicester season. I thought we'd be a prime candidate for that honour earlier in the season until that dreaded 5 match run. To suddenly find us still somehow within a touching distance and Villa appearing from no where, I think it will be a fascinating run to the finish line. Pool may look very comfortable atop but I think we've already had 5 different leaders so far and there's a lot more yoyo-ing to unfold.
 
Spursex said:
It is, unless we can keep our best 11 on the pitch for the rest of the season and fully fit, then who knows?!

My own opinion is that is highly unlikely!
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Of course, I was mostly jesting with that comment.

However, what I'm noticing is how our nearest rivals can go through these bad patches as well and leave us in touching distance e.g. City's recent run was awful.

We would clearly need City and Pool to progress deep into the other comps and we'd need to keep our best players on the pitch. With one game a week, and our team looking like the one that started the season, that miracle could happen.

I wouldn't put my own money on it though.
 
Critical_Spur said:
As you know I have been harping on about another Leicester season. I thought we'd be a prime candidate for that honour earlier in the season until that dreaded 5 match run. To suddenly find us still somehow within a touching distance and Villa appearing from no where, I think it will be a fascinating run to the finish line. Pool may look very comfortable atop but I think we've already had 5 different leaders so far and there's a lot more yoyo-ing to unfold.
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Pool are overly reliant on Salah - if Egypt go the distance that'll hopefully halt their momentum a bit. Dare I even hope for an injury to even things up a bit after our ridiculous run of them. I'm still more concerned about City kicking into gear.

I do think it'll be too much to ask to win the league, but 6 points off top when we've had so many bad injuries is remarkable.

Unless someone goes on a mad run (totally possible tbf) it looks like around 86 points could win it. To do that we'd need to win at least 15 of our remaining 18 games. Not impossible if Madders, VDV and Romero all return but a big big ask.
 
A more positive vibe from Ange today..


www.standard.co.uk

Postecoglou challenges Tottenham stars to step up in Son absence

Tottenham dealing with another major absence as captain goes away to the Asian Cup
www.standard.co.uk www.standard.co.uk


Sport | Football

Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou challenges Spurs stars to step up without Heung-min Son​

Tottenham dealing with another major absence as captain goes away to the Asian Cup




Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP2 hours ago
Ange Postecoglou says every other Tottenham player will have to raise their game if the club is to cope with the loss of captain and talisman Heung-min Son, starting with Friday's FA Cup tie at home to Burnley.
Son scored his 12th goal of the season in the New Year's Eve win over Bournemouth before departing for the Asian Cup with South Korea, and he will also miss the visit to Manchester United on January 14, a possible FA Cup fourth-round tie and potentially further games against Brentford, Everton and Brighton.


Postecoglou made no bones about Son's importance to the team and said the forward's absence is exacerbated because Spurs' vice-captains James Maddison and Cristian Romero are both currently injured.
"Sonny, if you name a team of the year at the moment, he's in it," Postecoglou said ahead of Burnley's visit.

"He's been a hell of a player for us. It's a big loss for us, another one, and we're going to have to really raise everyone's levels to cover the absence of another significant contributor for us this season.
"I’ve been preparing for [his absence] since the start of the season but I wasn’t preparing to lose half a dozen other players at the same time," he added.

"If we had some of our injured players available and fit, the absence would be diminished, albeit he’s still a significant person at our football club.

"It’s not just about what he does as a player, he’s the captain of the club, he’s been our leader, an outstanding leader from day one on and off the field. It’s a significant absence.

"From that perspective, in terms of the presence he had on the field, if Romero and Maddison were available, you could diminish it. But they’re not available.
"We’ve had to overcome these things and it’s just another challenge for us."

https://www.standard.co.uk/business...g-society-saving-money-accounts-b1120287.html
Postecoglou has played down supporters' concerns that Spurs' ambitious for a top-four finish - or better - will impact how seriously they take the FA Cup, which they have not won since 1991, but he warned the competition should not become the club's "holy grail".
"From my perspective, it's an opportunity for us to try to win a competition and for a club of our stature that has to be the ambition every year, that you go into every competition with the aim and the hope of winning some silverware," he said.

"Every competition I've been in I want to win. So I don't really rank them or diminish one against the other. I haven't sensed anything within this football club that this isn't a competition that's important.
"At a football club like this which should be competing for honours every year, I don't think winning one trophy should be the holy grail"
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou
"I don't think one [competition] impacts the other. I don't know why whatever your ambitions are in the league that has to impact your ambitions in the cup competition.
"I am determined to bring success to the football club but it is not a desperation for something that will give us some respite for what is ahead.

"When you're a big football club there should be a constant demand for success.
"At a football club like this which should be competing for honours every year, I don't think winning one trophy should be the holy grail. It should be creating a team and a club that is competing for trophies every year."
 
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