Our best chance of Champions League next year

[clevelandspur]

I would rather focus on winning Europa for the glory of winning something rather than for the CL carrot. I don't want to fall in to this trap of celebrating finishing in top 4 as a benchmark achievement like our neighbors down the road.

I understand CL has its importance for financial reasons and player recruitment etc.. but its a competition we ahve zero chance of winning. Don't get me wrong I want us to finish as high as we can in the league but I would much rather actually win something.

 

[Colonel_K]

The game is about glory, which is winning trophies.

It is not about finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th.

 

[Fidel Castro]

I love soviet shit holes on a Thursday night .

 

[Boltonspur]

I would rather focus on winning Europa for the glory of winning something rather than for the CL carrot. I don't want to fall in to this trap of celebrating finishing in top 4 as a benchmark achievement like our neighbors down the road.

I understand CL has its importance for financial reasons and player recruitment etc.. but its a competition we ahve zero chance of winning. Don't get me wrong I want us to finish as high as we can in the league but I would much rather actually win something.

Add to this - another European trophy in our cabinet more than that lot down the road (let's face it, they won't be winning a European trophy any time soon) and they can shut up about finishing above us "every year". We are still the more successful club in European competition & another notch on that particular bedpost would be rather pleasant.

 

[sammyspurs]

Now we have skipped the group stages, the EL for me got exciting.....Id rather win the EL than have another plucky CL run that ends in the quarters.

We can win it, if we make it a target, but that comes at a cost in the PL. Id be happy to take that chance, and as many others seem to feel now, the novelty of "top 4" is well and truely over and done with. I think Leicester kind of blew that wide open to be honest.....anything but winning the PL is not an achievement.

Who'd have laughed at us coming 3rd, or even 6th if we had won the EL too eh?
Its a good way into the CL, but I also think we are capable of a top 4 finish.

Saying that though Id happily come 5th and win just the FA Cup.

 

[Tomo]

Few things have changed.

1 we ain't probably going to be in the title race this year and top 4 will be a stretch.

2 the EL teams are much weaker this time, like of Dortumund etc are in the CL.

3 As a team we really need a trophy to show how far we have come.

4 the EL past season has had CL football as a victory prize.

 

[davlathom]

The beauty of it is we don't need to worry about it till mid Feb anyway. Lets see how the next 2 months of domestic action go first and then decide how seriously we should take it.

If we are in or around top 4 Poch will play his strongest side in the league and make changes for Thursday nights. Last season proved that.

 

[Tomo]

Don't really like the EL format, it's far from the glory that was the UEFA Cup but it's a trophy and quite frankly I'd take finishing 8th for a FA cup or EL win.

 

[Bill Madrid]

I find it amazing that people laughed out loud out loud out loud at Wenger saying 4th place was like a trophy, then put forward that exact same argument when it applies to us

 

[OffTheBench]

Agree with all the above, I really dislike the narrative that has surrounded our taking part in the EL as purely a route to the CL.

I really don't care about that- the sight of our lads lining up at the final would be unforgettable, who cares if it's not the Champions League.

 

[Boltonspur]

Now we have skipped the group stages, the EL for me got exciting.....Id rather win the EL than have another plucky CL run that ends in the quarters.

We can win it, if we make it a target, but that comes at a cost in the PL. Id be happy to take that chance, and as many others seem to feel now, the novelty of "top 4" is well and truely over and done with. I think Leicester kind of blew that wide open to be honest.....anything but winning the PL is not an achievement.

Who'd have laughed at us coming 3rd, or even 6th if we had won the EL too eh?
Its a good way into the CL, but I also think we are capable of a top 4 finish.

Saying that though Id happily come 5th and win just the FA Cup.

This is where Poch has to make a very serious decision. We know we haven't managed cups & the league too well with our squad & have ended up empty handed to finish in the top 4. Been there, done that. Maybe, just maybe, prioritising the cups (EL & FA) over the league would allow us to keep our strongest XI fit to give both a real good go, whilst allowing the squad players to get valuable game time in the league, perhaps playing more regularly as a group & with some of the more senior players playing a part.

Personally I wouldn't care if we finished 8th,9th or even 10th if we brought home a trophy or two this year because I would know that it was given a different priority. Our squad is neither strong enough or experienced enough to fight on all fronts when we consider injuries, fatigue & suspensions have & will play their part.

If we don't take the cups seriously, then I think it's a missed opportunity.

 

[OffTheBench]

Absolutely pleased we're in the Europa League, instead of dropping out altogether. Hope we take it seriously; would love to win it. (For the pleasure of it, not so much for CL qualification)

I just wanted to put some hard evidence up against the tired old adage that the Europe League is now the best chance of getting into the Champsions League next season. It's a realistic route, but to me it's got to be harder than top 4. We've reached 4th or above 3 times in recent years, yet haven't won the UEFA cup since the early 80s, and haven't gone further than the quarter final in more recent times.
I know, it's just 9 matches vs. the rest of the season. But that's not how it works in practice.

Anyway, current best (shortest) odds from the people whose job it is to work this stuff out:

Top 4: 6/5 (or 1.2 to 1)
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/top-4-finish

Europa League winners: 15/2 (or 7.5 to 1)
Europa League Winner Betting Odds | Football

Would be good if people can keep adding updated odds as the matches go by.

Edit: just to be clear I'd much prefer we win the EL than focus on top 4.

 

[OffTheBench]

Poch is gonna throw the Gent game and play Brad Friedel in goal with Bongani Khumalo up front isn't he?

 

[Bill Madrid]

If we despatch Gent (and if we can't, let's be honest, we don't deserve European football), we'll be three draws and four wins (for example) from lifting the UEFA Cup for the third time.

Anyone who doesn't spaff their pants at the prospect of that is about as Tottenham as Bob Wilson

 

[davlathom]

I think this year is much different than last year. If we are 10 points plus off the league leaders and we prioritise a league match over a knockout round of EUropa or FA Cup QF I, for one will be none pleased. Last year we were right to go for it at all costs. Leicester is Leicester they had the luckiest run of all my years watching football (also teams rolling over for them). This year you have teams that frankly if we are being honest are better than us above us. Not saying we can't manage a top 4 finish we will be there about in all likelihood but we aren't going to win it.

Couldn't agree more to be honest. I do think come Feb 16 we will still be within striking distance of the top 4 but this is where the manager has to use his head a bit. I would much rather give the tournament the respect it deserves and make a few changes for the PL game afterwards. Point in case after the 2nd leg against Gent we have Stoke at home. If the tie is still finely poised I'd rather see us play a full strength XI on the Thursday and worry about the Sunday in the 2 days in between. As Pochettino always preaches - the next game is the most important.

 

[Smoked Salmon]

The EL is not and will never be the greatest chance of CL. The top four always will be. Assertions to the contrary are utter nonsense....nonsense that is regurgitated every season.

Yes, I'd love us to win it, but the chances are significantly less than us finishing in the top four.

 

[ArcspacE]

8th and a cup double I'll rip your arm off

4th on 38 points or

5th on 72 points?

Spoiler

 

[JakeYIDDO]

Few things have changed.

1 we ain't probably going to be in the title race this year and top 4 will be a stretch.

2 the EL teams are much weaker this time, like of Dortumund etc are in the CL.

3 As a team we really need a trophy to show how far we have come.

4 the EL past season has had CL football as a victory prize.

i honestly think City, Liverpool and United will drop more points than us this season and we can finish above them

 

[Tomo]

Now we have skipped the group stages, the EL for me got exciting.....Id rather win the EL than have another plucky CL run that ends in the quarters.

We can win it, if we make it a target, but that comes at a cost in the PL. Id be happy to take that chance, and as many others seem to feel now, the novelty of "top 4" is well and truely over and done with. I think Leicester kind of blew that wide open to be honest.....anything but winning the PL is not an achievement.

Who'd have laughed at us coming 3rd, or even 6th if we had won the EL too eh?
Its a good way into the CL, but I also think we are capable of a top 4 finish.

Saying that though Id happily come 5th and win just the FA Cup.

We haven't really prioritied cups much under Poch but considering the strength of our rivals I doubt we will put in any form of title challenge. Having the chavs wins the league will be more bareable with our own silverware.

 

[clevelandspur]

Now we have skipped the group stages, the EL for me got exciting.....Id rather win the EL than have another plucky CL run that ends in the quarters.

We can win it, if we make it a target, but that comes at a cost in the PL. Id be happy to take that chance, and as many others seem to feel now, the novelty of "top 4" is well and truely over and done with. I think Leicester kind of blew that wide open to be honest.....anything but winning the PL is not an achievement.

Who'd have laughed at us coming 3rd, or even 6th if we had won the EL too eh?
Its a good way into the CL, but I also think we are capable of a top 4 finish.

Saying that though Id happily come 5th and win just the FA Cup.

Great post and I am genuinely pleased that a lot of our supporters feel the same way I do. After the Leverkusen match I was of course disappointed that we had been knocked out. However, as I sat and actually thought about it after the CSKA result I wasn't too bothered. Sure we could have gotten a glamour tie against Real or Bayern etc.., which would have been fun but our run would end there. The thought of having a real chance of winning Europa League is much more intriguing imo.