Intense battle brewing to avoid Europa League

[SteveH]

The battle to fill the final Europa League position was a frantic one. Tottenham began their bid by losing 2-0 at West Ham while Manchester United, suddenly presented with the prospect of lengthy sojourns in eastern Europe, lost at home to Sunderland for the first time since 1968. Given that in 2011-12 Spurs flogged themselves from Dublin to the Ural Mountains in the Europa League, finished fourth but failed to qualify for the Champions League because Chelsea had won the European Cup, you imagine they will be thrilled with their prize.

From the Independent - full article below

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...underland-show-sackings-can-work-9322600.html

 

[THFCSPURS19]

"It's magnificent to be in Europe, and this club - a club like Tottenham Hotspur - if we're not in Europe.... we're nothing. We're nothing."- Bill Nicholson.

 

[kaz Hirai]

I really don't see why we have to make such a chore. Just play the back up and a few youngers, And leave the first team squad at home. more than good enough to get at least 2nd place if the draw is kind.

Just based on the squad we already have

---------------friedel

Fryers--vlad-dawson--naughton

-------holtby--capoue--Carroll

---Lennon---Kane---Townsend

Subs: Sig, bentelab, bae, veljkovic, coilthirst



Strong enough to scrape through the miserable group stages if attitude and set up is good. And the first team squad can prepare as usual for weekend game

 

[Vulcan10]

I really don't see why we have to make such a chore. Just play the back up and a few youngers, And leave the first team squad at home. more than good enough to get at least 2nd place if the draw is kind.

Just based on the squad we already have

---------------friedel

Fryers--vlad-dawson--naughton

-------holtby--capoue--Carroll

---Lennon---Kane---Townsend

Subs: Sig, bentelab, bae, veljkovic, coilthirst



Strong enough to scrape through the miserable group stages if attitude and set up is good. And the first team squad can prepare as usual for weekend game

Exactly. As I've said so many times it's only a problem if we let it be. Used well it's a great chance to play the young talents and get minutes for squad players - then come the later stages it's a shot at a trophy & top 4.

It's that simple as far as I'm concerned. I guess the worry is if the next manager treats it the same as avb did & makes the same mistakes.

What will be will be - positives to take either way I guess. Used well it's not a problem, no EL has it's advantages also.

I wonder what the players are thinking, no doubt some of our lazy bunch would like the midweek off.

 

[dougie]

"It's magnificent to be in Europe, and this club - a club like Tottenham Hotspur - if we're not in Europe.... we're nothing. We're nothing."- Bill Nicholson.

Times, they are a-changing...

 

[fridgemagnet]

Next year winner gets CL, why miss out on an extra chance when it'll be bloody tough going in the league to get 4th.

I agree play youngsters away, TBH i look at the first few group games as a good chance for new players to gel with teammates and manager and also get a bit of extra match fitness over rival teams early in the season, fair one it didn't work this season and it's hardly a coincidence we and 'fool did much better without it but if we can't handle the extra fixtures surely we have no business wanting CL football.

 

[Adam456]

i am fully in favour of missing it, even this year when the winner gets CL. I have said year after year that it's bettee to be in it and blood youth, build exp etc. but the bottom line is if we won't concentrate properly on the league then it's an automatic handicap of 6-9 points per season. I also think it's something to do with playing Sundays on a regular basis though quite why it affects us more than the others is a mystery. Sat nigjt beers ? Sunday morning church. Fear of missing the The Littlest Hobo or Highway to Heaven ?

 

[Spurz]

The top clubs never seem to have a problem in Europe.

i am fully in favour of missing it, even this year when the winner gets CL. I have said year after year that it's bettee to be in it and blood youth, build exp etc. but the bottom line is if we won't concentrate properly on the league then it's an automatic handicap of 6-9 points per season. I also think it's something to do with playing Sundays on a regular basis though quite why it affects us more than the others is a mystery. Sat nigjt beers ? Sunday morning church. Fear of missing the The Littlest Hobo or Highway to Heaven ?

 

[marvel]

A-we probably have more chance of winning it than finishing in the top 4 (both appear v unlikely currently though)
B-look how good success in it did for Atletico

 

[beats1]

Exactly. As I've said so many times it's only a problem if we let it be. Used well it's a great chance to play the young talents and get minutes for squad players - then come the later stages it's a shot at a trophy & top 4.

It's that simple as far as I'm concerned. I guess the worry is if the next manager treats it the same as avb did & makes the same mistakes.

What will be will be - positives to take either way I guess. Used well it's not a problem, no EL has it's advantages also.

I wonder what the players are thinking, no doubt some of our lazy bunch would like the midweek off.

Not only that but also a great opportunity for youth

I keep reading people posting squads of 23 first team players. You cant have 6 CM's not including youth when you only got one game a week.

 

[Gedson100]

If we have any ambition to progress into being a Champions League club, we need to maintain partcipation in the EL.

It's the problem Liverpool are about to face, and why they won't get a run at the title next year unless they spend a ton of money: their squad is too small. Our squad is/was built to compete on more than one front & it would be nigh on impossible for us to leap from being out of Europe entirely to being in the Champions League + maintaining league form for a further run. People look at our poor results after EL matches and think it harms us; where the opposite is true: to join the best you need to acclimatise to that kind of schedule and normalise European Football.

Man Utd are gonna find a big problem next season when they realise they've got 25+ highly paid professionals and fuck all matches to play them all in.

Plus the raised income a series of EL matches brings

Anyone wanting us out of Europe doesn't understand the full ramifications of it and is looking at a short term gain, purely because Liverpool have fortunately benefitted from it. It's not a good or sound strategy.

Never regress!

 

[whitesocks]

I also think it's something to do with playing Sundays on a regular basis though quite why it affects us more than the others is a mystery. Sat nigjt beers ? Sunday morning church. Fear of missing the The Littlest Hobo or Highway to Heaven ?

If we happen to be playing a top 4 team on the Sunday after the midweek european games,
they get at least an extra day to recover from the trip.
This puts us at a significant disadvantage.

I am sure if Bill Nicholson had the foresight to look 50 years into the future, he would have qualified his pro europe statement with 'except for the europa league, obviously, as that is shite'.

 

[idontgetit]

If we have any ambition to progress into being a Champions League club, we need to maintain partcipation in the EL.

It's the problem Liverpool are about to face, and why they won't get a run at the title next year unless they spend a ton of money: their squad is too small. Our squad is/was built to compete on more than one front & it would be nigh on impossible for us to leap from being out of Europe entirely to being in the Champions League + maintaining league form for a further run. People look at our poor results after EL matches and think it harms us; where the opposite is true: to join the best you need to acclimatise to that kind of schedule and normalise European Football.

Man Utd are gonna find a big problem next season when they realise they've got 25+ highly paid professionals and fuck all matches to play them all in.

Plus the raised income a series of EL matches brings

Anyone wanting us out of Europe doesn't understand the full ramifications of it and is looking at a short term gain, purely because Liverpool have fortunately benefitted from it. It's not a good or sound strategy.

Never regress!

and it helps to this n all

 

[markieboy]

Unfortunately no matter how hard we try to be utter shite..................United still beat us!

 

[khataby_spurs]

I can't believe that after watching the quarter finals and the semi finals of the europa league and the sheer delight and disappointment of teams like Juve , Benfica , Seville, Valencia ,lyon Napoli , porto .... that people still look down on the competition

i think it's arrogant .. what make you think we're better than such teams ?

I know the group stage is not very good but with a squad as big as ours it should be a very good opportunity to play the fringe players and some youngsters

and as it was mentioned the winner gets CL place next season

personally I was absolutely delighted when United lost to Sunderland making our europa league spot pretty much safe

plus I get to watch my beloved spurs more

 

[bomberH]

They needed to make 2 significant changes to the Europa league to make it a great competition again. They did one - winner getting CL place, but they failed to move it from the Thursday, which just makes me hate the competition. I love seeing Spurs in Europe but I can't stand all the Sunday games. The atmosphere is different and all the teams you play have had more rest than you.

There are around 673 games before you get to the last 8/last16 when it becomes good. I could handle playing those games on a Sunday if we had to, but the group stages etc means we have to play at least 10 or so games on a Sunday beforehand. Other European teams play loads of their matches on Sundays anyway so it doesn't affect them but if we were to win it, I think it works out we have to play around 19/20 games. That's half a season and that's without getting picked for tv anyway. So we're looking at probably 30 plus games a season on a Sunday if we were to progress in the Europa.

Make it a Tuesday or Wednesday and I'll be a massive fan. They won't, cos of money/tv companies etc. I couldn't care less about being overshadowed by the CL, I just want to enjoy Saturday footie again.

 

[ajspurs]

They needed to make 2 significant changes to the Europa league to make it a great competition again. They did one - winner getting CL place, but they failed to move it from the Thursday, which just makes me hate the competition. I love seeing Spurs in Europe but I can't stand all the Sunday games. The atmosphere is different and all the teams you play have had more rest than you.

There are around 673 games before you get to the last 8/last16 when it becomes good. I could handle playing those games on a Sunday if we had to, but the group stages etc means we have to play at least 10 or so games on a Sunday beforehand. Other European teams play loads of their matches on Sundays anyway so it doesn't affect them but if we were to win it, I think it works out we have to play around 19/20 games. That's half a season and that's without getting picked for tv anyway. So we're looking at probably 30 plus games a season on a Sunday if we were to progress in the Europa.

Make it a Tuesday or Wednesday and I'll be a massive fan. They won't, cos of money/tv companies etc. I couldn't care less about being overshadowed by the CL, I just want to enjoy Saturday footie again.

Fully agree mate, I hate all the Sunday games. In most places you go the atmosphere tends to be more flat on a Sunday.

I agree with the other poster above though saying how good the EL can be once you get out of the group stages. To be honest I think the EL has felt more tedious, this season in particular because the football we've played has also been so bad and just simply boring. Some of the Europa League away games this season in particular have just put me to sleep. As a fan you don't mind so much if you play a strong team and in return entertain with attractive football but when you're sacrificing the fitness of almost your best team to scrap and scrape past some unheard of team miles away you start to question if it's worth it.

 

[Adam456]

The top clubs never seem to have a problem in Europe.

Yeah that's my point. Chelsea won the Europa and finished ahead of us. Liverpool won UEFA and pretty sure they finished top 4. We play a full side on a Thurs and lose at home to Fulham on a Sun and miss top 4 by a point or 2

 

[vicbob]

On a purely selfish level, in a really depressing season a couple of the "highlights" have been a couple of the Europa home legs with the 1882 guys giving it large. It was great entertainment which has been sadly lacking this season so I hope we qualify again just for that. It is about enjoyment after all.

 

[Spurs Lodge Kittens]

A problem I found with AVB this season is that he would pick what you assumed was a rotated team for the Europa on Thursday, then inexplicably 3 or 4 of the front six who you thought were playing cos they wouldn't be starting at the weekend, are indeed starting on the Sunday as well?!?! it was always strange - apart from that one time where Lamela finally came out of his shell and was benched on the Sunday . . . oh how we laughed . . .