Should the league or Europa League be our priority this season...?

[sloth]

I'm not saying we should field youngsters in the EL, but say we're fourth medio March. The chances of maintaining that position would be much bigger than the chances of winning the EL, seeing as we'd still only be at the last 16.

I'd love to win the EL regardless of CL qualification, but we have to be cynical and prioritize the option that at any given point gives us the highest probability of CL qualification.

I'm not sure you're correct, but I agree that if top four were seen to be the significantly easier target then that is what we should prioritise.

 

[The Scarecrow]

I'm not sure you're correct, but I agree that if top four were seen to be the significantly easier target then that is what we should prioritise.

Our fixture list with ten games to go is fairly easy (Man Utd away and Man City home are the two tricky ones). If we're in the top 4 at this point, we really should go for it.

 

[Mullers]

Both regardless of whether there is CL qualification for the winners.

 

[not_tenth-again]

We are Tottenham. It's undoubtedly both.

We are deep enough to cover both fronts as long as we structure our players time on the pitch and recovery properly and have some faith in the bench.

ie. I see no reason why we shouldn't play 9 perceived first teamers and two bench players through out the whole season.... edit.... obviously those 9 and 2 are numbers not names. It effectively means the first teamers play around 80% of games and our depth gets quality minutes around the cream of the crop, which should assist their development.

 

[CowInAComa]

we should try and win every cup we are in.

 

[Bulletspur]

A question, if by chance we were to get the final of the EL and were beaten by a team who by their current league position would have qualified for the CL anyway, would we qualify as runner up by default?

 

[L-man]

Europa League edges it for me.

We've seen at the weekend (I know we played well but we couldn't kill it off) and against Liverpool that we aren't quite there with Pochs system/ philosophy. For me anyway, this year in the league should be about adapting and some disappointing results are to be expected. Still think we'll finish 5th/ 6th but just want to be seeing his style of play at work with glimpses of great football, a la QPR game, and then next season we'll hopefully be ready to compete on all levels with another pre-season and a few additions to the squad.

Obviously we're more than good enough to progress to the knockout stages with a second string squad so we shouldn't be prioritising it now but assuming we go through I'd love to see us go all out for it in the knockout rounds and finally get silverware that would result in CL football back at the Lane next season.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I don't think we should 'prioritise' either as such. Just compete for as long as possible in both competitions through good squad rotation.

However it would be great to win a European trophy and have the added bonus of CL qualification. People ridicule the Europa league but I still think the finals have a certain amount of glamour.

Atletico Madrid won it a few years back and it seemed to give them a real boost and look at where they are now. It's teams like theirs that we should be aspiring to emulate. Working on limited budget but still able to get the absolute maximum from the resources available.

 

[Kendall]

Normally you would have to choose, but I think we can pick two 11s that are broadly similar in quality, perhaps only lacking a couple of consistent forward options.

 

[Kendall]

I don't think we should 'prioritise' either as such. Just compete for as long as possible in both competitions through good squad rotation.

However it would be great to win a European trophy and have the added bonus of CL qualification. People ridicule the Europa league but I still think the finals have a certain amount of glamour.

Atletico Madrid won it a few years back and it seemed to give them a real boost and look at where they are now. It's teams like theirs that we should be aspiring to emulate. Working on limited budget but still able to get the absolute maximum from the resources available.

I agree. When you watch teams like AM and that Ludicrous team playing Liverpool last night and see how they compete, it gets frustrating when we seemingly don't compete. The answer isn't always throwing money at things and I'm sure Levy too gets frustrated when he sees what other teams can achieve on smaller budgets.

 

[Greenspur]

I'm a little worried by the number of people who think we can sail through the group stage with a second string. I guess we'll have a better idea after Thursday.

It is also important to consider that, if we win the group, we should get an easier draw in the first knockout round. Therefore, we need to field a fairly strong team in the first few games - to ensure that we top the group.

 

[Kendall]

I'm a little worried by the number of people who think we can sail through the group stage with a second string. I guess we'll have a better idea after Thursday.

It is also important to consider that, if we win the group, we should get an easier draw in the first knockout round. Therefore, we need to field a fairly strong team in the first few games - to ensure that we top the group.

I think the issue comes with the defintion of second string. Given that our squad contains so many good internationals, you can't really define what a second string is. Two weeks ago, Chiriches would be considered second string, but he played on Saturday, we could pick from the likes of Soldado, Kane, Stambouli, Fazio, Davies, Vorm, Townsend, Lennon etc. All of whom didn't start at the weekend. If we can't get through using our squad, there's something very wrong.

 

[Greenspur]

I think the issue comes with the defintion of second string. Given that our squad contains so many good internationals, you can't really define what a second string is. Two weeks ago, Chiriches would be considered second string, but he played on Saturday, we could pick from the likes of Soldado, Kane, Stambouli, Fazio, Davies, Vorm, Townsend, Lennon etc. All of whom didn't start at the weekend. If we can't get through using our squad, there's something very wrong.

I'm fairly confident we can get through (although we did fail under Harry). I am simply suggesting that it would be in our best interests to top the group. Therefore, we should field a fairly strong team (at least until we have amassed substantial points).

 

[Kendall]

I'm fairly confident we can get through (although we did fail under Harry). I am simply suggesting that it would be in our best interests to top the group. Therefore, we should field a fairly strong team (at least until we have amassed substantial points).

But then we really have to prioritise as we very rarely get a result after playng in the EL, whilst our top players get tired and the remainder of the squad get no game time.

 

[gilzeantheking]

Both, I always want us to win anything that we are involved with.

 

[WestBelfast Spurs]

Both try and win this try and finish as high in the league as possible, if Poch takes this serious it will be good for the fans also because if they are weighing in on a cold Thursday night in the asshole of no where least they are going to see a 1st team playing

 

[jezz]

Honestly i'd love to win something.
But I would settle for the team gelling and playing decent football.
No pressure on the manager and building a team to challenge for honours in the coming seasons.

 

[danielneeds]

We have to do what we usually do, give the squad players game time in the group stages, and then take it more seriously when it comes to last 32 and 16. I'm sure the players will be extra motivated when it comes to the business end of the comp due to the CL place.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Due to the CL teams dropping into the Europa League I don't see us winning it, but then I can't see a position where we'll finish higher than 6th in the league either.

I think we just bumble our way through the Europa League group stages (3 wins should do it) and then see where we are with the league if we get through to the knockout stage.

 

[Shadydan]

It's impossible to say now.