SPURS v MOSCOW ...battle for 4th

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mouse said:
For me, there seems very little point in qualifying for the EL only to go out in the next round when he plays the kids away against Benfica or some such.

The benefits are
  • More experience playing at Wembley before next season where we could be dreading every home game.
  • More experience for players like Onoma, CCV even Edwards, who probably won't see any playing time until next season otherwise, barring some lucky FA cup draws.
There's being optimistic and sentimental and there is being realistic. You can see how not having to play mid week has affected Liverpool and Chelsea's form this year. From a fitness point of view, and having a whole week to prepare for the next game.

I know the arguments about "what's the point finishing 4th if...." or "its a trophy we can win, we should just go for it". But If i'm honest i'm just sick of the EL. We've made the numbers up year after year. Earlier on they used to tout us one of the favourites to win it, but in reality we have never even been close and our form by large in the knockouts has been garbage.

So i'll give the half arsed, disjointed cobbled together squads and performances and the scrappy results a miss thanks. I would dearly love to see us win it. But it's unlikely the manager will take it as seriously as the supporters will so bin it off.
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I would like us to and win the Europa League, guarantees CL football again. Also if we do qualify for it, we join it at the knock out phase which is far more interesting than the gruelling group stage. We're also more than likely to have better teams to play against rather than ties against Astra Goo Goo or Dynamo Cheekgirls. We need get into winning ways at Wembley, as we have a whole season there to get through and we don't want to suffer the same fate as the Spanners. 9 games from the final isn't as hard as trying to win the league, which looks far more difficult than last season. Let's get through the busy Christmas period and see where we are in the league before deciding on the benefits of ditching the EL.

Assuming we qualify of course.
 
Colonel_K said:
I would like us to and win the Europa League, guarantees CL football again. Also if we do qualify for it, we join it at the knock out phase which is far more interesting than the gruelling group stage. We're also more than likely to have better teams to play against rather than ties against Astra Goo Goo or Dynamo Cheekgirls. We need get into winning ways at Wembley, as we have a whole season there to get through and we don't want to suffer the same fate as the Spanners. 9 games from the final isn't as hard as trying to win the league, which looks far more difficult than last season. Let's get through the busy Christmas period and see where we are in the league before deciding on the benefits of ditching the EL.

Assuming we qualify of course.
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I know and agree with all of this. BUT does anyone actually think that, first team or not, we have been any where near good enough in this competition at any time to go all the way and win it?

The closest we have come in ten years is the quarters and that took a last minute wonder strike from Dembele and an Adebayor goal in extra time after a complete capitulation away at Inter.

Those results where glorious rollercoasters, yes, but more often we have limped out at home after abject displays against Sevilla or Benfica or Fiorentina. Good teams, but not currently giants of Europe, and beatable if you believe our own hype.

The point is: Our current approach to the EL doesn't work. This predates the current manager although his consideration of the competition is clear. Carrying on plugging away at it in the same manor but expecting different results is madness.
 
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mouse said:
I know and agree with all of this. BUT does anyone actually think that, first team or not, we have been any where near good enough in this competition at any time to go all the way and win it?

The closest we have come in ten years is the quarters and that took a last minute wonder strike from Dembele and an Adebayor goal in extra time after a complete capitulation away at Inter.

Those results where glorious rollercoasters, yes, but more often we have limped out at home after abject displays against Sevilla or Benfica or Fiorentina. Good teams, but not currently giants of Europe, and beatable if you believe our own hype.

The point is: Our current approach to the EL doesn't work. This predates the current manager although his consideration of the competition is clear. Carrying on plugging away at it in the same manor but expecting different results is madness.
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Or see where we are in Feb? We need to start competing better in European competition otherwise if we get CL qualification again it'll be a repeat cycle. Need to learn to manage playing midweek as well as league at the weekend.
 
Colonel_K said:
Or see where we are in Feb? We need to start competing better in European competition otherwise if we get CL qualification again it'll be a repeat cycle. Need to learn to manage playing midweek as well as league at the weekend.
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This is the thing. The next round doesn't start til February so we've got a while to see how things are panning out for us. It's all well & good getting into a European competition (& that's where the ££££ is) but getting there & not going for it is so annoying. Experience of managing the midweek/weekend cycle will be part of Poch's learning curve (how best to train/rest between games when they are coming thick & fast) & give the lads (who are all still quite young) valuable European competition experience
 
bk_spur said:
I'm hoping we rotate the squad and give playing time to anybody needing it, and give a rest to anyone needing it.
If we play ourselves into Europa League , cool- more such playing time, and, if not, then we just focus on the League for the rest of the year.
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CSKA aren't that bad, and if we don't play our strongest side we won't win. Of course, some people would rather we get knocked out, but for me it's a winnable trophy, unlike the champions league. Unfortunately although there may be over 85000 tickets sold, there are going to be thousands of empty seats (mine included).

My prediction is that Poch will play an under strength side and we will either lose or scrape a draw
 
I8AVB said:
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CSKA aren't that bad, and if we don't play our strongest side we won't win. Of course, some people would rather we get knocked out, but for me it's a winnable trophy, unlike the champions league. Unfortunately although there may be over 85000 tickets sold, there are going to be thousands of empty seats (mine included).

My prediction is that Poch will play an under strength side and we will either lose or scrape a draw
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Have you tried selling your ticket or giving it away? I know you won't be the only one not going, but empty seats won't show our boys how much this match means to us.
 
TheJockmur said:
Have you tried selling your ticket or giving it away? I know you won't be the only one not going, but empty seats won't show our boys how much this match means to us.
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They didn't show us how much it means to them though. Our performances in the CL were beyond dire. Would rather people turned up for this but the players have got themselves to blame if people don't.
 
SouthStand Billy said:
They didn't show us how much it means to them though. Our performances in the CL were beyond dire. Would rather people turned up for this but the players have got themselves to blame if people don't.
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I can't disagree more, but if people are choosing not to go to the game and not to offer out their tickets, it's a kick in the teeth to the fans who want to still get behind the team, despite lackluster performances, no?
 
SouthStand Billy said:
They didn't show us how much it means to them though. Our performances in the CL were beyond dire. Would rather people turned up for this but the players have got themselves to blame if people don't.
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I know it's not my place to comment on attendance as an overseas fan, but I must say I agree with your feelings on this.

It's nauseating going back on the updates on the OS, on players social media accounts etc. to see their delight of training and playing at Wembley - yet having endured those CL "performances" - games which weren't about losing to superior teams but rather players showing up completely unbothered, bottling tackles and idling about the pitch waiting for full time whistle.
 
I honestly don't care about the result. Whatever team Poch puts out I just want to see us play well and take the game to the opponent. If it's a weakened team so be it. For the first time in supporting Spurs in Europe I don't care if we go out of the EL. Only reason why I say this is because I do believe without EL this year we can challenge to the League. I would rather win the League than EL. If both Liverpool and Chelsea were both in Europe then my view might be different.

I am still looking forward to the game, I just don't care what the outcome is.

Bin off EL and win the League & FA Cup double!
 
Oh and on the game:

Show up and win it, period. Banish the Wembley curse bullshit and get some european footy for Trippier, Davies, Wimmer, Onomah, Winksy, Edwards, Janssen, GKN and Co.
 
Go for the win, have pride and want to win. Doesn't matter if its the EL, I still want to do well in it and win it (although does require the club management to want to win it). Get rid of this Wembley curse with a resounding performance and win. I will be there.
 
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