DakotaVilla

Some fair points being raised.

We either sell kids and fringe players and add incrementally and hope for sustained champions league to increase the revenue or we have to do that and sell one big player every three years to give the flex to strengthen the squad more quickly. Unfortunately we’ll always be on the back foot re PSR just because of the stadium capacity/lack of corporate facilities etc. 

Obviously I wouldn’t want to sell Luiz but because of PSR this is what we will have to do…. Unless we build a mega new stadium etc etc. 

I think we could replace him a lot easier than we could replace Watkins, Kamara, Martinez or even Pau. And with the wider squad you could build from the 100m I’d be very confident that we’d be stronger for it as well. There has to be some Spanish wonder kid on Monchi’s/Emery’s radar that we could pick up for 40 million and then fund a top class right back, DM cover, striker cover etc. 

I think some of the detailed posts have shown how reshaping the squad with Digne, Cash, Donks, and possibly Carlos and luiz going coupled with champions league football would give us huge room to move in the summer. 
 

Luiz replacement, Starting Right back, Kamara cover, young CB and back up striker would be the key additions. Hopefully the young left back we bought from arsenal is good enough to be the back up to Moreno and the Serbian RB can be cover for the new RB

12 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Nuno has a reputation as one of the most defensive managers in the game - his successful Wolves side was based on the low block , on holding deep possession, keeping a solid base of players behind the ball and breaking with it - one of the reasons he was unpopular at Spurs was the defensive nature of the football he played - Cooper at Forest I think was a bit more expansive.

Nuno is king of the low block.

 

Yes, it’s likely to be the low blocks to end all low blocks. 

The connection with Emery will be key to him staying but it’s a brave Spaniard who would turn down Real Madrid.

Far more likely Luiz is the one sold in the summer as I’d guess he’d also be the one easier to replace. 

49 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

If we can’t beat these over two legs we have no right to be in the competition. Ajax are a big name but would be bottom half in the prem. 

WTAF?

7 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

It was the exact same attitude from the same poster in regards to the FA Cup. How we should play the kids because top 4 is paramount. You qualify for competitions or enter them to essentially compete in them. We're a big enough club to set our bar at an achievable level, we are now competing on two fronts, which, for me personally, is great. If at the end of the season we win a trophy, then, what's not to like? All successful teams make winning a habit, just watch Liverpool's passion in the Carabao Cup final. This "we can't have one without the other" mentality is a distinct lack of belief in the progress of this team. 

It may well be a rollercoaster of emotions along the way, but, whatever the outcome, we have had one of the best seasons in a very long time.

Keep the faith, in Unai we trust. 

You clearly don’t trust in Unai because he blatantly didn’t give a shit about the FA Cup. 

15 minutes ago, turvontour said:

That's no different to the runs of games we had in November and December. And we won most of those games.

And what happened after that run of games? Yes, everyone got injured and we had our worst run of the season. 

29 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

You watch what team he puts out. 

He played our best 11 in both legs of the Chelsea FA cup matches despite having Newcastle and Man U as the following matches in the league (both of which we lost). 

He will take the Ajax game seriously. 

Name your bet. I guarantee you spurs at home is the key game for him. 

Here’s what’s going to happen in those two weeks:

Luton Away

Ajax away 

spurs home 

Ajax home

west ham away 

Thats a brutal run and we are not at full strength. Hopefully we win every game, but we all know that we won’t. 

I’m keeping receipts of this thread. 

18 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

How are Leicester doing? And Everton, who got to the qualifying round but lost. 

Before you even get to the fact that that is one game with 9 more after it and 2 before it , the qualification for the qualifying round is big, but it isn't as existence defining as winning that playoff was. We could have been fined, had points deducted and lost our best player if we hadn't gone up 

15 minutes ago, LondonLax said:

The Champions League is not as big deal as you think. It’s the Premier League’s global reach that is important and unfortunately we missed the boat when the Premier League exploded in popularity. 

Us finishing 4th this season, after the ship has long sailed, is not going to make anywhere near as much difference as you are hoping and expecting it to. 

It will make the difference, which is why Emery has already said he’s prioritizing the league on multiple occasions. Maybe he’s wrong, brave of you to disagree with him. 

2 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

Being disappointed to lose to spurs is fine

Does it mean we're not getting CL? No

The season doesn't end after 28 games 

You're trolling at this point 

I’m not. If spurs beat us at VP with ten games to go and are clear in the race for fourth it would be a brave man (or an idiot) that would think that’s ok. 

4 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

It's one game, in a 38 game season. We could easily lose and then win a week later while they lose. You know you're being silly. 

Yes, I do think that the playoff final we won was more important, and I think the reasons for that are extremely obvious, but in case you're struggling to grasp it, maybe have a look at where Derby are today, and reflect on the fact our finances were dire just like theirs. 

And then look at where spurs, Arsenals, man utd, Chelsea’s  finances are today versus ours and maybe you’ll  be able to process how big champions league qualification is. 

4 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

Behave. There's like 10 games left after spurs.

Can’t wait to see your positive posts if we draw or lose to spurs. 

And this game v spurs is the playoff game x 10. 

 
Let me ask you and everyone else on this thread a very simple question. You can either beat spurs to pretty much get the box seat for 4th or beat Ajax to progress into the next round - which one do you choose? 
 

And please no childish stuff like we can win every game playing basically the same team in all three games within a week. 

As if he’s even going to turn up to the next FAB  

2 minutes ago, Khizzy said:

Ajax were unseeded for a reason. Probably the best draw in terms of location we could have hoped for. Stick a good team out, smash them at their place and then we can take it easy in the second leg. Job done. 

And what about the spurs game in between?

4 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Exactly. Some people (not you obvs) have short memories. 

The only issue with Martin was that he wasn’t honest about his priorities. Emery has been abundantly clear.

3 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

'The most important game in the last 40 years', you're having a giraffe mate

So if we beat spurs we probably will get champions league football. Name me one game bigger than that? And if you genuinely thinking winning a league cup or a championship playoff is bigger go and give your head a wobble. 

Europa conference is hardly the big boys. As I said, don’t cry when Emery makes it clear where his priority is - and it won’t be the Europa, I can tell you that now. 

The spurs game is probably the most important game  for us in the last 40 years. If we make the champions league at least we have the chance of building a squad to stay there. In that context the games v Ajax are basically meaningless. 

5 minutes ago, meregreen said:

That’s the spirit.

Do you really think we can play the same 11 players every single game for the rest of the season and only have Diaby and digne currently as the only reliable rotation options and win both the conference and finish top 4. Some people need to have a serious reality check. 

Absolutely terrible draw. Those saying what a brilliant draw it is will be the first to complain when we don’t beat spurs.