Well that's that debate over with.
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ochfacepalm:-
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I've been reading a lot of comments suggesting that winning Europa League is our easiest, most simple or best chance of getting to the Champions League next season.
I'm genuinely curious why so many people think this.
Aside from the fact that anything but a win on Thursday puts us out, we have not got past the quarter finals of the Uefa Cup or EL since, I believe, the 80s. The knock out, no room for error nature of the competition makes it very hard to win, despite its undeserved poor reputation.
In contrast, we've come fourth in the league twice in the last five seasons.
I'm pretty sure the bookies strongly agree- will seek out the odds when I get a chance.
Anyway, I think this is worthy of its own debate.
I'm genuinely curious why so many people think this.
Aside from the fact that anything but a win on Thursday puts us out, we have not got past the quarter finals of the Uefa Cup or EL since, I believe, the 80s. The knock out, no room for error nature of the competition makes it very hard to win, despite its undeserved poor reputation.
In contrast, we've come fourth in the league twice in the last five seasons.
I'm pretty sure the bookies strongly agree- will seek out the odds when I get a chance.
Anyway, I think this is worthy of its own debate.
Because we are fucking mint.
Good dental hygiene is all well and good but it ain't gonna win us a trophy
For me, this is very much a season of transition and building foundations for the future. Any actual trophy or league success is a massive bonus. I also admire Poch's courage in going for it in both cup games. Audere Est Facere. Not: ooh I'm not sure if we should really try and win 2 games in 4 days. Good teams compete on all fronts. We need to build that mental strength and stamina.
Well, we're in the 'glory zone' now. The next 80 hours or so are mega-massive in our season. Here's hoping Poch's on the ball, and the Cup's on its way to White Hart Lane.
Had nothing to do with January. This was winnable, and the lads spurned their chances in both legs. It's a young team, and errors are part of the learning process.Exactly, and those of us who said we had more chance of top 4 have been proved right and then some.
Once again, the bookies called it right and those backing against the odds were wrong, a good example of why bookies tend to be richer than their punters.
Poch got it wrong by starting important players like Eriksen and Jan tonight, and our best chance of a trophy, v Chelsea, is now more unlikely.
I said after the January window that Enic's inactivity was scandalous and our season would crumble around us, and so unfortunately it is proving to be.
Naturally I hope Sunday proves me wrong, but the odds suggest that it won't.
They simply need to do better on Sunday. This wasn't a failure of team selection, it wasn't a failure of transfer activity. This was a failure by the players on the pitch. They had plenty of opportunities to win, and didn't convert. That's all on them.
We move on.
Ok...
aulinhofacepalm:The Lge Cup is pretty much 'financially worthless' it's true. But I'd far rather win that on Sunday than beat Fiorentina today. It's not even a close call for me. Beating Chelsea there is far from irrelevant in the grander scheme of things to me. To me, in the grander scheme of things, what counts is trophies. We haven't got one this decade. Sunday might be our best chance during this decade. If Poch blows it by playing a full strength team tonight, he's got it all wrong. Glory is to be found at Wembley on Sunday, a faint echo of it is available in Florence tonight.
EDIT A simple way to see how much more important Sunday's game is to Spurs fans compared to tonight is to compare the demand for tickets. The ticket prices for the Chelsea game are two to three times higher than they were for the Fiorentina home leg.
Nevertheless it was easy to get a ticket in the home end for that game. Whereas not only we have sold out for the Wembley game, people are willing to pay on the 'black market' ten times or more the price for that game compared to the Fiorentina match.
Even if the home leg v Fiorentina was tonight rather than last Thursday, the situation would be much the same. Tickets in the home end tonight fairly easily available. Moreover, if the price had been set at Wembley levels, not only would there have been a huge outcry, but it's unlikely we'd have sold out. Whereas for Sunday, people are not only willing pay high prices, they are willing to pay way more than those prices to get a ticket for that game.
The prestige and glory of us playing Chelsea at Wembley puts a game in Florence completely in the shade (Whatever the respective temperatures and beauty of London and Viola Land).
It's not so much a Tale of Two Cities, as a tale of Two Tribes - Us v Chelsea in a major final. It's huge, simple as.
I wonder if Poch fully grasps the difference between the two games?
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I think we have a squad that is good enough to win the Europa league (remember Fulham got to the final). Without doubt we should have beaten fiorentina, we simply pissed it away. It should have been all over in the 1st half at WHL. Twas a great opportunity for silverware
Well I for one am pretty positive for the rest of the season. While I was hoping for a long - and ultimately winning - Europa League run I've come round to thinking that thursday's defeat will actually be the spur (no pun intended) to a determined assault on a 4th or better place finish. No more thursday-sunday bullshit, no other distractions, simply focus on the league and aim high. As long as we can keep our 'spine' players fit and healthy there's no reason that we can't be in the shake-up for the top four come May.
I think the best way to compare is to check the odds.
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/europa-league/winner
typical price, 20/1 to win the EL
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/top-4-finish
typical price,11/2 to finish top 4
No comparison really. According to punters/bookies we've got a far better chance of finishing top 4, and I agree with that assessment.
For me, we should send the reserves to Florence and concentrate on the domestic front.
From what I read, Poch is taking the 'full Monty' to Italy, and I think it's a major mistake.
To me, as I've said time and again since our scandalous January inactivity we've gonna fuck it up on all fronts, and it's gonna be an ultimately disappointing season.
We'll probably get EL again, and guess what, it will be probably be 'rinse and repeat' as ENIC fail to back us again, and leave us 'best of the rest', but hopelessly behind the 'big 5'.
We'll doubtless lose Lloris and Eriksen in the next couple of years, etc, etc, e fucking cetera.
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/europa-league/winner
typical price, 20/1 to win the EL
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/top-4-finish
typical price,11/2 to finish top 4
No comparison really. According to punters/bookies we've got a far better chance of finishing top 4, and I agree with that assessment.
For me, we should send the reserves to Florence and concentrate on the domestic front.
From what I read, Poch is taking the 'full Monty' to Italy, and I think it's a major mistake.
To me, as I've said time and again since our scandalous January inactivity we've gonna fuck it up on all fronts, and it's gonna be an ultimately disappointing season.
We'll probably get EL again, and guess what, it will be probably be 'rinse and repeat' as ENIC fail to back us again, and leave us 'best of the rest', but hopelessly behind the 'big 5'.
We'll doubtless lose Lloris and Eriksen in the next couple of years, etc, etc, e fucking cetera.
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I think what the OP is implying is 'we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket' which is very sensible and realistic.
As much as annoying it is the truth is Utd, Woolwich and Dippers have a little bit more quality than us and seem mentally/psychologically stronger. Majority of our 1st teamers are still gaining experience and maturing and Pochettino is building one of the greatest Spurs side in history, he deserves at least two season to build a proper team that is likely to challenge major honors in near future.
A cup win and top 6 will do for me, Champions league football will be a bonus. Key word is 'we are in transition'.
As much as annoying it is the truth is Utd, Woolwich and Dippers have a little bit more quality than us and seem mentally/psychologically stronger. Majority of our 1st teamers are still gaining experience and maturing and Pochettino is building one of the greatest Spurs side in history, he deserves at least two season to build a proper team that is likely to challenge major honors in near future.
A cup win and top 6 will do for me, Champions league football will be a bonus. Key word is 'we are in transition'.
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I very much think we should put all our eggs in one basket this week, and go for the Wembley game.
If our reserves can beat Fiorentina then great, we challenge on two fronts, otherwise we may have a cup and we can still go for top 4 which we are more likely to get than winning the EL.
By spreading our eggs over two baskets this week, we're going end up with a load of splattered yolks, as we drop both baskets, and we're left with just chasing top 4, but without the boost of that all important trophy, that could transform our decade.
Since poch has swapped up the team toothpaste to Corsodyl not only have we reduced bleeding gums but we have looked much more creative in the final 3rd.
Coincidence...
I think not.
