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The glorious march to CL qualification

Crikey, can you imagine the uproar if Spurs dropped their last two, fell to fifth and were sitting out of the CL while Arsenal finished fourth and Chelski went on to win EL. (It could be vice versa, but I prefer this order.)

Then we go on to win CL and push the Popguns out of the CL on the five teams rule. Of course, if we did that to Chelsea it would be turn-about-fair-play for them snatching CL from us in Munich like they did.

But the hurt would be so much greater and more widespread (Nigeria in Football Fan Crisis!) if Arsenal were the victims. Oh, the silence that would descend over certain parts of Nor Flondon. And Woolwich. And Lagos.

Buckingham Palace, too, I shouldn't wonder. HRM corgies all wag their tails for the Vincibles.

THAT would be as Spursee as Spursee could ever get. And make that a word no Arsenal fan would ever want to hear or speak again.
 
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We're playing first to allow us more time to prepare for the cl semi.

Most of our fanbase spent the entire Leicester season complaining that we had to play after them most of the time, only for us to then completely fudge up the I tbink two times we played first and had the real chance to put pressure on them (I think we gave up two opportunities to go first).

I mean, short of everyone just sitting down and letting us win, I'm not sure what people expect from other clubs and the authorities? We complain either way!

We should be sitting here currently having mathematically tied up top 4. We should be taking every game 100% seriously and it isn't like the results yesterday were mind boggling results. Arsenal are brick away from home, few teams win at OT but Utd aren't what they used to be. An Arsenal loss and draw in the other game was a completely predictable result. Yet we lost at home to a bottom half club. Blame it on whatever you want but that's the truth, as is the fact we've picked up 10 points from the last 10 games, 1 more than Fulham.

Now we need to play full teams against Bmouth and likely Everton, when we could have been resting a very stretched squad for the CL.

Let's hope they get through either way.
 
It was only a disadvantage always playing after Leicester because they kept getting results which put us under presssure; this time when our adversaries keeping fudging up you’d actually prefer to play after.

Being in the champions league is the other variable - if we had no selection dilemma then we’d just play strongest team and go at 100% whenever the fixture was scheduled!


Sitting on my porcelain throne using Fapatalk
 
So basically, because we've had relegation form for a quarter of the season now, we want to be playing second?

Unless the competitors for the top 4 get their own acts together, in which case we want to be playing first again?
 
Hootnow said:
For reference, I've just had a look at the teams we've played in the EL and their countries since the Redknapp CL season.

Scotland, Greece, Russia, Ireland (we barely even left the British Isles for this one)!

Italy, Greece, Slovenia, France, Italy, Switzerland.

Georgia, Russia, Romania, Norway, Ukraine, Portugal.

Cyprus, Turkey, Serbia, Greece, Italy.

Belgium, France, Azerbeijan, Italy, Germany.

Belgium.

So in 6 seasons, we've gone to the arctic circle once.

We've gone to Azerbeijan once (they should not be in UEFA at all).

We've gone to Cyprus once (we also went to Cyprus last season and Russia the season before that, both in the CL).

Otherwise, we've mostly stayed in Western/Central/Southern Europe and played teams from couneniatries we'd be playing in the CL anyway.

Most of the teams are not in farmers leagues or on artificial pitches, especially once you're out of the group stages, which I can't remember any of our managers ever taking seriously anyway. We also played on an artificial pitch vs Young Boys in the CL.

Like I said, that is a view incredibly centred on the top 3/4 leagues in Western Europe, as if teams from Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, list about 20 European countries here don't care or don't matter at all.

I've literally never heard fans from other countries refer to the EL as a burden. Spurs fans seem to have convinced themselves especially its a steaming pile of brick but English fans in particular have decided anything not worth huge money is a waste of time, ironically while often decrying the impact money has on the modern game.

And final point in a (very long, apologies) post, but I've never understood this obsession with teams being remembered or why I should really care. I've heard it from fans of other clubs who say if we don't win anything with this group of players, they will be forgotten. By whom? Fans of other clubs? Why would they remember them anyway? Truth be told, I couldn't tell you who won the league, the CL, EL, FA cup or league cup 6 years ago. I doubt most fans would be able to without consulting a resource. But I do remember our teams from those years, I remember some of the great matches and how they made me feel, whether it be in the league or the cups. So why exactly does it matter whether the winner of the EL is remembered?
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For me its a competition of many smaller compromises adding up to a major obstacle.

You travel on a wednesday, play in a crappy stadium on a crappy pitch against a team knocking lumps out of you thursday, get back home friday and often have a game saturday which just doesnt go well. You try and attract player to improve your squad but they get scooped up by CL teams, who offer more kudos, wages and fees. You get caught in a holding pattern of this really long grind that leads nowhere, and at the end of the season - when you need to be up for the big moments - youre knackered.

The money is part of the puzzle, but not the whole thing.

It simply doesnt compare to the CL. Not even close, even if you want to try and argue how its not that different etc.

Just look at the effect EUROPA has on teams domestic form compared to CL, chalk and cheese.

I genuinely believe it holds teams back from competing domestically. In England at least. Its a trap.

None of which is to say I wouldnt want to win it. If we were in it, Id certainly want the glory (though I do maintain its quickly forgotten). However, if offered the choice of being in it or not - Id probably say "not"

And as for replies to your post - I dont buy into the whole "Sky narrative" nonsense and find it a frankly offensive thing to suggest.

I dont think the CL is the be-all end-all because its so glorious etc. Nothing like it. I just recognise that being in the CL is what gives teams the platform to genuinely step up and become title winners. Spurs NEED the CL to afford and attract the players to make a squad that can really challenge on all fronts. It simply wont happen otherwise.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
For me its a competition of many smaller compromises adding up to a major obstacle.

You travel on a wednesday, play in a crappy stadium on a crappy pitch against a team knocking lumps out of you thursday, get back home friday and often have a game saturday which just doesnt go well. You try and attract player to improve your squad but they get scooped up by CL teams, who offer more kudos, wages and fees. You get caught in a holding pattern of this really long grind that leads nowhere, and at the end of the season - when you need to be up for the big moments - youre knackered.

The money is part of the puzzle, but not the whole thing.

It simply doesnt compare to the CL. Not even close, even if you want to try and argue how its not that different etc.

Just look at the effect EUROPA has on teams domestic form compared to CL, chalk and cheese.

I genuinely believe it holds teams back from competing domestically. In England at least. Its a trap.

None of which is to say I wouldnt want to win it. If we were in it, Id certainly want the glory (though I do maintain its quickly forgotten). However, if offered the choice of being in it or not - Id probably say "not"

And as for replies to your post - I dont buy into the whole "Sky narrative" nonsense and find it a frankly offensive thing to suggest.

I dont think the CL is the be-all end-all because its so glorious etc. Nothing like it. I just recognise that being in the CL is what gives teams the platform to genuinely step up and become title winners. Spurs NEED the CL to afford and attract the players to make a squad that can really challenge on all fronts. It simply wont happen otherwise.
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You could also argue that, to compete for the league, no Europe at all is the best thing. Leicester won it with no Europe. Chelsea the same. Both of them tanked the next season when Europe became a factor (not the only reason they tanked, but it was imo one of the reasons). Even this season, Emirates Marketing Project have an advantage with the run-in as they are out of Europe whereas Liverpool have a tough semi-final in between must-win league games.

Lower down the food chain, maybe Arsenal would have got a top 4 spot without the Europa League games (been able to pick a stronger team for Palace at home for example). Chelsea have possibly suffered from it too. Burnley seemed to struggle with the early start to their season due to Europa and have managed to turn things around later on in the season.

Shows how well we are doing to be 3rd in the league, semi-finals of Champions League and all without signing anybody in the summer, coupled with the terrible injuries we've had to deal with this season.
 
the dza said:
You could also argue that, to compete for the league, no Europe at all is the best thing. Leicester won it with no Europe. Chelsea the same. Both of them tanked the next season when Europe became a factor (not the only reason they tanked, but it was imo one of the reasons). Even this season, Emirates Marketing Project have an advantage with the run-in as they are out of Europe whereas Liverpool have a tough semi-final in between must-win league games.

Lower down the food chain, maybe Arsenal would have got a top 4 spot without the Europa League games (been able to pick a stronger team for Palace at home for example). Chelsea have possibly suffered from it too. Burnley seemed to struggle with the early start to their season due to Europa and have managed to turn things around later on in the season.

Shows how well we are doing to be 3rd in the league, semi-finals of Champions League and all without signing anybody in the summer, coupled with the terrible injuries we've had to deal with this season.
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Thats the nature of it, unless you have a squad that can cope with it it will inevitably come back and bite you. And you dont get that squad playing in the EUROPA league, so the cost exceeds the benefit.

What we have done this season is remarkable, nothing short of miraculous, IMHO.
 
It surprises me that top 6 PL teams which are in EL don't rotate more for it. Each of the top 6 could leave pretty much all their first 11 out for group games and just field back-up players with U23s or U18s on the bench. It would mean limited impact on performances until the new year and you could even leave the assistant manager to manage those early EL games
 
You say that, and yet every game is a banana skin given the often adverse conditions (and it being the other teams game of the season).

There is no room for that sort of complacency. Which means even if you want to rest Kane, Alli and Son you probably take them and stick them on the bench just in case...
 
ricky2tricky4city said:
Jeez...we have to take the game on Saturday seriously we have no choice. If our game was Sunday and the results didn't go for us we'd have to take the game seriously ie the same. But the potential to have a game that we don't have to take seriously is only possible by playing after our rivals (if they lost). That would be massive for the 2nd leg Vs Ajax as Poch could choose who he wanted with no worries.(That's the only scenario I'm saying rest players).

So you'd much rather have it as it is, regardless of the above, based on it might put extra pressure on us. Give the team and manager credit we're much better at managing that these days.
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Personally I think it’s an advantage playing first. Doesn’t always work out that way but more often than not it is. I guess either way you make a good case. That’s why everyone plays at the same time on the last week of the season.
 
Jurgen the German said:
Personally I think it’s an advantage playing first. Doesn’t always work out that way but more often than not it is. I guess either way you make a good case. That’s why everyone plays at the same time on the last week of the season.
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Don't get me wrong, I think playing first would always be best but NOT in this specific case, and I'm not sure you understood why?
 
ricky2tricky4city said:
Don't get me wrong, I think playing first would always be best but NOT in this specific case, and I'm not sure you understood why?
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I get it, I just think Poch should play his strongest side the last 4/5 games and simplify it rather than resting players and not getting the results required.

If we draw or lose to Bournemouth then we may need to beat Everton which will be hard enough but factor in two draining CL games and the players will be mentally and physically tired.
 
Jurgen the German said:
I get it, I just think Poch should play his strongest side the last 4/5 games and simplify it rather than resting players and not getting the results required.

If we draw or lose to Bournemouth then we may need to beat Everton which will be hard enough but factor in two draining CL games and the players will be mentally and physically tired.
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You don't get it do you.

If we played Saturday evening and Arsenal and Man Utd played BEFORE and LOST he could play who he bloody liked against Bournemouth and Everton as top 4 would be secure without kicking a ball. That would be massive as it helps us with the Ajax away game.

I'm spending too much time on something that is not only hypothetical but has no chance of happening anyway. Bang head on wall emoji.
 
Hootnow said:
So basically, because we've had relegation form for a quarter of the season now, we want to be playing second?

Unless the competitors for the top 4 get their own acts together, in which case we want to be playing first again?
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tickle my balls with a feather.
 
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