The Belgian has pinpointed a number of drawn games at home as being key to the fine margin between fourth place and below, but despite Wednesday night’s disappointment he’s optimistic about next season and beyond.
“I’m obviously disappointed, we came very, very close. Credit to Tottenham, they played a very good game, but I don’t think we lost it on this night.
The season has been long. It’s painful, but so many games we can look back on and think, if we would have played those games today, we wouldn’t have lost or drawn them. We would have won them and add those points up and it’s a completely different situation.
...Vinnie reflects on the season
“I think we did very well to stay in the Champions League battle. There were some moments where it does not look so good anymore because we spilled stupid points. I can remember Burnley at home, and then we win 6-1 at Burnley and you realise it was a massive, massive loss.
“Then Fulham at home, and we are talking about teams we have been leading by one or two goals and we drew those games. Those types of situations wouldn’t have happened anymore at this time. But then you think, you have got a whole season to progress next year and that gives me a positive feeling.”
The 24-year-old is determined that City will learn from this season’s experiences and is already setting his sights higher for the forthcoming campaign.
“We have done fairly well,” he adds, “and thinking of next season we are going to be a better team than we have looked at the end of this, which looked a better team than the one at the beginning of the season.
“It will never be OK because we are hungry. We are a team that wants to win and has never given up. When we have lost games we have always come out stronger from it. That was the kind of the story of our season.
“It’s going to be the best season finish for City for a long time and that’s progression for us. Next year we want to do better and if we do better we are in the Champions League.”
