The one thing that Spurs fans won't admit

The UEFA Europa League – football’s very own Marmite competition. It’s a tournament that divides more opinion than Nacer Chadli’s man-bun against Newcastle yesterday.

As the PL season draws to a conclusion, the reoccurring debate of whether a fifth to seventh place finish is really what the doctor ordered before Pochettino’s second season in charge at Tottenham.

Although another ‘chance’ of silverware for the 2015-16season, it’s undeniable that trips to Eastern Europe on a Thursday night make for some tired legs come Sunday afternoon in the PL. And while many fans argue the pursuit for the trophy is a poisoned chalice for our side - I believe that it has and will have its benefits.

Where we stand

It will be common knowledge to everyone that the two teams who finish fifth and sixth in the Premier League will qualify for next seasons EL. Spurs fans dreaming of a Europe-free season, next year, would ideally like Liverpool and Southampton to fill these PL positions.

In light of Tiger Tim’s Aston Villa reaching the FA Cup final, we’d be fooled into thinking that England’s third EL spot will be bestowed upon Sherwood’s side. This is because UEFA have stated that - for the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League – they will not allow the runners-up in the FA Cup to qualify for the continental competition.

This translates to the conclusion that unless Aston Villa beat Arsenal at Wembley come May 30th, seventh position in the PL will also be rewarded with a European place.

Catch 22 (No not Nacer)

The simple fact is that Spurs may need to finish eighth if they wished to avoid next year’s EL. That would mean not only finishing behind Liverpool and Southampton, but also either Swansea City or Stoke – although, Swansea (currently in eighth) are ten points behind us.

To finish eighth would mean dropping at least 12 points in our five remaining fixtures. Although short-term failure in these games may translate to a chance of long-term success for next season – finishing behind either Stoke or Swansea, let alone eighth, would be a travesty in itself.

With the Pochettino doubters already in full force - after we’ve shown patchy form and lacklustre performances since we trumped Arsenal on February 7th - I’m inclined to think that any more rotten results, between now and the end of the season, will cause even more questions to be asked.

Regardless of EL qualification, the aim of any football club should be to win as many games as you possibly can and finish – in the league – as high as you can. Winning the majority of our remaining games, even at the expense of Thursday-Sunday football next season, should and will be a priority for all associated with the club.


Creation of Kane and further player development

Tim Sherwood will argue that Tim Sherwood created the monster that is Harry Kane, but it’s worth noting that the EL played a huge part in bringing him to the stage. Behind Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado in the pecking order, it wasn’t until Kane’s first competitive hat-rick for Spurs against Asteras Tripoli, on October 23rd, that fans were demanding his inclusion in the PL starting line-up.

All credit must go to Kane for seizing his chance, but the EL gave the 21-year-old playing time - which in turn evolved into goals and confidence. As a youngster and unlike many, Kane used the competition to prove his worth - making a clear statement as to why Pochettino had to pick him for PL fixtures.

A lot has been said of our squad policy for next year, with the general consensus being that our Head Coach will have a core group of players - with those (good enough) from the academy then making up the rest of the squad.

With the likes of Dele Alli, Alex Pritchard and DeAndre Yedlin poised to be in-and-around the first team next season, it is unlikely that Pochettino will throw them straight into PL action. Similar to Kane and Ryan Mason's breakthrough (Capital One Cup for the latter), the EL will provide Pochettino the chance to offer these youngsters competitive football and a chance to shine.

Europa League easier than the Premier League?

The Holy Grail of the Champions League is looking further away than ever for ourselves - and it looks like it will get harder still. It is without question that the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, United and City will invest more millions into challenging for the title next year and all-but securing CL qualification again.

It's been asked once, and it'll be asked again - why don't Spurs go all out for Europa League glory, next season, to attain Champions League qualification? The triumph in the EL would not only bring a trophy and entry to the biggest club competition in the World, but would also buck our trend of qualifying for the EL season after season - blaming the tournament for our domestic failings and our re-qualification into the EL again.

Winning the EL is easier said than done and is no walk in the park, but at the current quarter-final stage - sides such as Dnipro, Dynamo Kiev and Club Brugge all make up the numbers and are in with a shout. Facing these sides would be a much more appealing task than challenging the domestic teams, listed above, for a top four spot over 38 games.

Although I am for Europa League football next season, I understand that a season without it may revitalize our domestic performances. However, not playing in the tournament next season will not guarantee us a top four spot - we may actually finish between fifth and seventh again!

The only revelation we may get from not qualifying for next season, is that we will run out of excuses come the business end of the season. If we qualify for the EL for the 2016-17 season, without playing in the competition next season, where will that leave us then? It will merely tell us what I'm telling you now - that Spurs need Europa League qualification (and potential success) now, at this moment, more than we're likely to admit.

 

Wait so if Aston villa beats Arsenal in the cup and we reach 7th, do we still get Europa?

 

The aim should be to win all of our remaining fixtures as possible and finish as high up the league as possible. The players should be under no illusion that they are to give 100% from now until the end of the season. If we qualify for the Europa League then so be it. We should use this to our advantage.

In terms of Europe I propose the following approach:

The Europa League (along with all other cup competitions) should be used to blood youngsters in order to prepare them for the 1st team. Under no circumstances should we play anyone who is deemed to be in our starting 11, plus key subs, unless we reach the quarter finals.

Poch then can focus the core squad on the premier league ensuring that they are fresh for the challenge of finishing in the top 4.

 

People slating our participation in the Europa League seem to forget that it's still worth quite a lot of money to the club (a fraction under £20m over the last two seasons), without which we would be struggling all the more to afford big name players and their wages. The other significant factor that I've never seen mentioned in one of these debates is the UEFA rankings system in which we are relatively well placed largely thanks to the points we earn in the Europa League. Without those ranking points, if we were ever to make it into the Champions' League, we would find ourselves in a much harder group and back in the Europa League before we knew it.

 

No....
If Villa win, they get the 3rd Europey spot. We would then only qualify by finishing 5th or 6th. But in finishing 7th i think we have to go into a qualifying round in July. Europey is pants in the early rounds and is devalued by it being a CL dumping ground at last 16. But it still gives us a chance to develop fringe and youth players....
Winks, Onomah etc as well as those like pritchard, yedlin. Alli. It also gets us out of two carling cup rounds.

 

No if Aston Villa beat Arsenal they will take the Europa slot. If Arsenal beat Villa then who ever finishes 7th will take the Europa league slot.

 

Even if we end up in the Europa put out a **** side and go out early

 

No, then Villa get it.

 

Winning the Europa league is our only chance of qualifying for champions league

 

My feeling is that, at best, if we use the Europa League as a place not to use true PL players, then let's be there.
Taking a large squad to distant Ruski teams adds little value to any quest for CL football.
That said fundamentally we are just not good enough to succeed in either getting top 4 or wining the EL, not with the current squad.
Wasting the Bale money on Soldado and Lamela and others has put us back years. It's not only the capital cost wasted, but the wages as well. Soldado is costing £5mil a year, Lamela and Paulinho close to £4mil each....and and and....the burden of the wages almost outweighs the wasted fees paid, as you just can't turn into around without a fire sale, and Levy just can't swallow that. Sad but true.
COYS

 

As ive said on numerous occaissions the Europa League is only worth it if your in it to win it not take part.
It throws up so many dilemas its a massive burden.
First off you need a big squad to cope, now we all know we have limited wages so to bloat a squad only reduces the quality throughout as we cant afford to pay lots of bigger salaries.
This in turn means that even if we make it to latter stages we still lack quality even with the 1st team playing.
Its used as an excuse for poor performance, the best part is we play a second string on the thursday then a full strength on the Sunday who claim the midweek game affected their performance?
We approach it in an arse about fashion if its supposed to be preparing us for CL, as if we were in the CL resting players wouldnt even be a discussion as it wouldnt happen, then theyd have to play on the Saturday straight after and deliver a performance.
We currently use it to give 'game time' to players that will 9 times out of 10 not be good enough to play CL so were essentially giving these nobodies European experience, and not the high level can learn from no its minnow teams that want a scalp.
Our league form directly after is abysmal causing us to fail objectives, lose top players, back to square 1 in the never ending transition that goes nowhere.
Theres plenty more but ive mentioned them previously.......

 

I'd drill the first three games in Europa league and then blood the youngsters and play 2nd string for remainder of group. Once in knockouts get the strongest side available in the first legs so u know how to prepare in second leg. Once and if reach quarters u have to go all out!

 

Any club should be in everything to win otherwise what's the point?!
Oh sorry, I forgot football stopped being about winning trophies a long time ago?!!

Pardon me while I pop back to la la land.

 

This would involve clear direction and strategy Fran, something we lack in abundance!

 

Well written and thought out. I have no idea why anyone would not want to finish a season as high in the table as possible. Sure, Spurs have been bad in Europa, but that is SPURS fault. Have a strategy to win the competition. Teams from the continent tend to take the EL far more seriously that English sides, and it is a shame that English sides don't put forth the effort to win. Depth and a Thursday/Sunday fixture list didn't seem to be a problem for Atletico Madrid or Sevilla in recent years. In La Liga, they still finished where they were slated or predicted in the preseason and they took home a TROPHY. Spurs could field a young team in the group stages as suggested in the article and qualify for the round of 32. A young and hungry side is what Spurs need in this competition. Sevilla had it last year. Atletico had it when they won it. Look at what those teams are doing now. They play exciting football that a fan base can get behind. Spurs could do that, but instead, we see insipid performances from guys who think they should be in the Champions League. After the group stage, you'd know if you were a top 4 contender in the league or if you could afford to focus more attention to the EL (and possibly add some veterans or "first teamers" to the squad ) and try to win it and get UCL football the following year.

 

we can still qualify for the C.L. via the league so all this talk about the "ropey" league is a bit premature. If and only if it becomes mathematically impossible to get 4th or above should we consider the what's and wherefores of this competition (which would be better if it was a ko one from the beginning) and in between time still believe, as I do, that we will win all our games, others will loose some of theirs and we qualify for C.L. through league position.

COYS.

 

It would be nice if AVFC qualify for EL.

 

all spurs fans want villa to win the cup. nothing for the Woolwich wanderers this season sounds good to me.

 

Life is a funny thing. But what is sure in my mind is this. Southampton will never get a chance for Europe again.

So i will say fcuk it, lets f it up and let them enjoy the beautiful sights (and brass lol) of Europe.

COYS!

 

Southampton probably will get another chance but come on we must go down there and win. YIDS YIDS YIDS