Time to Embrace the Europa League

Yesterday, Tottenham Hotspur were drawn against ACF Fiorentina for the second straight year in the Round of 32 in the Europa League. And while many Spurs supporters dislike the competition, or at the very least are disappointed that we are drawn against such a good side early on, it’s time that we embrace the Europa League and try to win this thing.

Let’s not get started about how teams that fail in the Champions League are rewarded with lesser competition while teams that win their Europa League group get to play teams that currently occupy UCL spots in major leagues. That’s an argument for another day. Spurs have to play the Florentine outfit, and we should be excited by it.

For one, Spurs should be plenty motivated to beat La Viola this time around. After drawing at the Lane, Spurs capitulated and fell 0-2 in the Tuscan capital. After ousting Spurs, Fiorentina went on to the semifinals, so they have an idea of how to go deep in the competition. They are a formidable test.

It is a test that Spurs should relish. Fiorentina currently sit in 2nd place in Italy and are serious competitors to reach the Champions League next season. Nikola Kalinic and Josip Ilicic present tough tests for our defence while the Fiorentina defence will likely be stubborn as well and will be a good test for Harry Kane and/or a second striker bought in the January window.

Should Tottenham get past this round, the likes of Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, Valencia, Lazio, Marseille, Leverkusen, or Schalke could be lined up for us. Proper Europeans nights await at White Hart Lane and abroad, and this young Tottenham team can only benefit from playing high level continental competition.

Building the young deep squad that we all want can only improve going against some of the top playmakers and defenders in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Even if we are eventually drawn against teams from the smaller leagues, playing against an underdog team that has “nothing to lose” is a valuable lesson for a young team on a big English side to learn. It’s very possible that Spurs will be facing teams with just that type of mindset late in April and May in the Premier League.

We’ve said it many times, but what’s the point of being in a competition if you’re not going to try to win it? With Spurs, winning the Europa League has an obvious benefit, but going deep in the tournament also has many benefits that could help a young and hungry team for years to come.

 

But notice how The Mancs got the easiest draw of all (never heard of opps) and LFC wont mind their opps either. We finished top and got one of the hardest teams who knocked us out easily last year ! If our side arent up for it we'll be KO first go !

 

A competition is a competition if you want to win then you have to beat whats in front of you, the atitude of winners is bring on whoever.
Our pitiful campaigns are an embarrassment to the club, we go out to the 1st club thats half decent every year.
There is no excuse either, resources wise we are a Power House in this cup but as a club we dont seem to really want Trophies or any success were just a 'transitioning project' with a 'never mind' attitude.

 

Shame. When I saw the title, I thought you were going to talk about trying to add to our illustrious European history and going out there to win it for a third time - you know, properly embrace the cup. Instead, all you talk about is Champions League.

Modern football, eh?

 

Are we more likely to win the EL, or get top 4?

Regardless, I'll be at the Lane for the second leg - EL ties are all I can afford - so bring on those Italian c*nts, is what I say.

 

Look, Anderlecht got Olimpiakos. So much for Spurs to win the group...
The only difference this year is that second tie is at WHL. It is big advantage. We should get to next round. COYS!!

 

More than capable of winning this tie and very much faves in my eyes with the 2nd leg at home and a fixture this time not slipped in prior to a cup final. I'm sure we will have a strong 11 in both legs as opposed to the last meetings.
Hopefully a new striker and a winger(not cup tied obviously) will be on board. Also there definitely more difficult opposition we could have met with one or two big teams facing each other the draw will open up nicely with a favorable draw in the last 16 ..

 

There is no reason we can not win the EL,regardless of the entry into CL that comes with the win the club has a proud history in Europe and it is time to re- ignite the passion from the team and from the fans, some thing that was lacking during the Toon clash and with the fan base afterwards,this team is young and at times it shows,but that is NOT an excuse to slag them off if they trip up or to attack the club,Poch is human and like us all makes errors,maybe a good EL run will silence some of the critics but I doubt it,get behind the team and Im sure the wins will come...

 

Agree with this, but doesnt it er people that as a Professional Football club steeped in History and of sound financial footing (13th richest club in the world) how can we be sitting here hoping we might take a competition seriously and that we get an easy run to help teach youngsters when the trophy cabinet has seen 1 piece of silverware in 15 years is a disgrace.
So when we turn up with weakend teams and go out with a whimper not even near the final then as fans we have every right to question what the f#ck is going on. We are being taken for mugs pumping our hard earned money in for them to perhaps turn up and give it a go.
Spurs seem to have lost all idea of what footballs about.

 

I agree with some of the things you point out Felon but we can not live on past Glory,for a long time Spurs have been standing still,we lost games that should have been won,and with a turn over of managers,players,back room staff ect,the club has some how stayed around 6th 7th with an odd cup run,then the Bale money wasted,broken promises about the stadium,but now for the first time we have a very young team,a solid back room staff,and a stadium started,Poch may not be the best tactic astute manager but he IS our manager and as long as he holds the post we need to support him and the team,look at Chelsea,Man Utd,Liverpool,and there past and yet we are above two of them and 3 points off Man Utd so we cant be that bad,we ALL want the sixties team back but football has changed now its money driven not passion and it is that we must as fans have to live with,it WILL come Felon hang in there.....