Europa priority change?

[slartibartfast]

At the start of the season I post that we should make the Europa cup our main focus this season as we had no chance of getting top 4.
But who could forsee Chelskis current plight and frankly Man U look so poor as well so....
Should our priorities now shift back to the league?
Would being out of the Europa help us get into CL?
Imo I think we should now concentrate on the league as this opportunity may not come again.
Thoughts.

 

[thinktank]

At the start of the season I post that we should make the Europa cup our main focus this season as we had no chance of getting top 4.
But who could forsee Chelskis current plight and frankly Man U look so poor as well so....
Should our priorities now shift back to the league?
Would being out of the Europa help us get into CL?
Imo I think we should now concentrate on the league as this opportunity may not come again.
Thoughts.

League.

 

[slartibartfast]

Well there you have it folks.
The league it is.
Join me same time next week when I'll be pulling teeth

 

[Scott Spur]

The question should be why entertain the possibility of winning a second rate European pub competition over a decent league finish at any time of the season?

EL hurts league form and has cost us CL in the past, let's hope it doesn't this time.

 

[Mr Pink]

The priority is always the league for me but we should be trying to do as well as we can in both. Europa League is a chance of silverware and entry into the CL.

This season though, we'll never have a better shot at fourth. Not just Chelsea's plight, but United look very ordinary at times as well.

Top four is more realistic than winning the Europa anyway, particularly this year.

We should be aiming for third or higher. So no change in my views really. Same as always. League comes first but we should be trying to do as well as we can in both.

 

[Gbspurs]

The question should be why entertain the possibility of winning a second rate European pub competition over a decent league finish at any time of the season?

EL hurts league form and has cost us CL in the past, let's hope it doesn't this time.

Are you Wenger? Top 4 is not a trophy. Winning the Europa would be the best thing we have done is 30 years.

 

[Lilbaz]

If it was a choice of top 4 or winning the el. I would choose el everytime.

 

[Lamelad]

It depends who drops out from the CL, if Arsenal, Chelsea, Sevilla, Roma or Valencia drop out then it's not the same competition.

 

[Scott Spur]

Are you Wenger? Top 4 is not a trophy. Winning the Europa would be the best thing we have done is 30 years.

Two things, what's more likely top 4 or winning the marathon EL campaign? Second, what would benefit the long term development of the club, EL or CL?

CL qualification benefits the club in so many tangible ways, financial and global standing only the obvious ones. The EL pays about the same as the Dog and Duck's Christmas pub quiz and only gets a few more in attendance.

Yes winning is important, but very few teams do that each year and most play regular CL.

 

[Lilbaz]

Two things, what's more likely top 4 or winning the marathon EL campaign? Second, what would benefit the long term development of the club, EL or CL?

CL qualification benefits the club in so many tangible ways, financial and global standing only the obvious ones. The EL pays about the same as the Dog and Duck's Christmas pub quiz and only gets a few more in attendance.

Yes winning is important, but very few teams do that each year and most play regular CL.

Um... El gives you cl football. It also gives you a trophy and recognition. Sponsors would love it and so would fans.

 

[guy]

Bollocks we can go for both for the meantime, then reassess after Christmas

 

[yiddo23]

It depends who drops out from the CL, if Arsenal, Chelsea, Sevilla, Roma or Valencia drop out then it's not the same competition.

so as long as its difficult we shouldn't have a go?

 

[Mustard]

If it was a choice of top 4 or winning the el. I would choose el everytime.

Id take the FA cup above 4th.

It's not like we are actually going to win the CL anyway.

 

[chaching]

My head says for this season the league is the easiest way to get champions league which then leads to greater riches and the chance of greater success. My heart says you should try and win every possible trophy so go all out for Europa league. Finishing 4th seams a really weird thing to celebrate. So my heart says go for the trophy sod it let's win the league as well (I know it won't happen but you can dream!)

Ultimately we are spurs and our history states we should go for the glory (even though our recent history states that we will fail in getting that glory!). If I thought with my head I would have stopped supporting spurs many years ago.

 

[Mustard]

What didn't you get @mattbrakeuk ?

 

[yankspurs]

Um... El gives you cl football. It also gives you a trophy and recognition. Sponsors would love it and so would fans.

It also gets you straight into group play in the CL. Unlike 4th.

 

[Borks]

We seem to always have the same 4th or EL debate as if it's set in stone that there's a 50/50 chance in likeliness.

There's pros and cons for both obviously but who says that 4th is the ceiling if we focus on the league? We smashed the league leaders at home after resting players in midweek yet we've also played a full strength side on a Thursday and done fine on a Sunday a few times this season. I would love to win the EL but I personally believe that we stand a better chance of finishing in the top 4 than we do winning the EL and I would like to see the league prioritised until February before reassessment of the situation. We've cruised through plenty of EL group stages only to come unstuck in the knockout stages and I think with Chelsea/Utd/Liverpool being where they are, we would be stupid not to put everything into the PL for a shot at the top 3/4.

 

[allpaths]

why does the club have to decide we should give our best account in both competitions, look at this season we have won at sunderland and at bournemouth and we drew at swansea in a match we dominated in. im not saying that playing in europa doesnt have any negative effect on the squad but i think the bigger factor of our poor results after playing thursday were down to poor player's attitude. But Poch has taken care of that for the most part, and i will maintain that if we rotate properly and bring a striker and maybe a defensive midfielder for cover there is no reason we cannot seriously compete in for both

 

[Lilbaz]

We seem to always have the same 4th or EL debate as if it's set in stone that there's a 50/50 chance in likeliness.

There's pros and cons for both obviously but who says that 4th is the ceiling if we focus on the league? We smashed the league leaders at home after resting players in midweek yet we've also played a full strength side on a Thursday and done fine on a Sunday a few times this season. I would love to win the EL but I personally believe that we stand a better chance of finishing in the top 4 than we do winning the EL and I would like to see the league prioritised until February before reassessment of the situation. We've cruised through plenty of EL group stages only to come unstuck in the knockout stages and I think with Chelsea/Utd/Liverpool being where they are, we would be stupid not to put everything into the PL for a shot at the top 3/4.

Don't think anyone would want to send a full squad out to azerbaijan. But i do think we should put a strong team out tonight. 2 days rest isn't ideal but there is no travelling and if we are winning can bring our better players off early.

 

[Lilbaz]

Id take the FA cup above 4th.

It's not like we are actually going to win the CL anyway.

Very tempted to agree. Think it's disgusting that 4th place is probably more important to a club than a trophy. But money, sponsorships etc... probably are.

Champions league is destroying football. It already has for a lot of countries.