Record points haul

[ShelfSide18]

I want nothing to do with the Europa next season...waste of time...complete distraction and we do not have the depth of quality in the squad to take it serious.

Its a nothing trophy....I wish we were not even in it tbh.

And like bollocks will you take that attitude if we get to the final, I guess you'll probably be watching Eastenders.

Rule 1 of instilling a winning mentality, take every game, every trophy seriously. This doesn't mean you play your first team every game of course, but it means sending out a prepared team that wants to win a game of football, from League Cup to EPL.

This is such a terribly arrogant attitude, we've had 1 season in the Champions League, 2 seasons in the European Cup in our history and we are dismissing the Europa now because we are apparently too big for it. Bullshit we are, we're a great club and the Europa is a great competition, if we want to be serious about being a Champions League club then we better be taking the Europa seriously.

 

[Teddy Klinsmann]

It's the fear of losing Bale rather than missing CL that hurts more given our points. Summer of constant rumours. Bored already with it!

 

[RichSpur58]

Points is irrelevant IMO, it positions that count.

 

[jonnyp]

And like bollocks will you take that attitude if we get to the final, I guess you'll probably be watching Eastenders.

Rule 1 of instilling a winning mentality, take every game, every trophy seriously. This doesn't mean you play your first team every game of course, but it means sending out a prepared team that wants to win a game of football, from League Cup to EPL.

This is such a terribly arrogant attitude, we've had 1 season in the Champions League, 2 seasons in the European Cup in our history and we are dismissing the Europa now because we are apparently too big for it. Bullshit we are, we're a great club and the Europa is a great competition, if we want to be serious about being a Champions League club then we better be taking the Europa seriously.

It's not about thinking we're too big for it, where has anyone ever said that on here? Who's saying they wouldn't watch the final if we were in it? I don't even understand why you bring that up, as it's got nothing to do with the argument. I think it's terribly arrogant of you to assume that's what we're thinking. There's just no incentive whatsoever to be in the Europa League. It's a rational thought to anyone who wants what's best for Tottenham Hotspur, not an emotional one which you seem to think it is. If we want to be in the CL then we should ensure that our players are fit, rested and ready for league matches - league matches will get us to the CL, the Europa league will not, not even if we win it. All it does is drain the squad of energy, risk injuries and basically no money in return.

I just don't understand your reasoning. Isn't it in the club's short and long term best interest to qualify for the CL? Shouldn't we try and maximize our chances of achieving it? If you aanswer 'yes' to those two questions then how on earth could you argue that we should take the Europa league seriously? Maybe if we had the squad quality of Man City I would agree with you, but we don't.

Do I wish that the Europa League was more prestigious? Would I want us to take it seriously if there was better financial incentive and if the winner would qualify for the CL (amazing that it's not the case!)? Yes, without a doubt, but unfortunately, CL has taken a strangle hold on European football and it's where we need to be if we are to progress.

 

[ShelfSide18]

It's not about thinking we're too big for it, where has anyone ever said that on here? Who's saying they wouldn't watch the final if we were in it? I don't even understand why you bring that up, as it's got nothing to do with the argument. I think it's terribly arrogant of you to assume that's what we're thinking. There's just no incentive whatsoever to be in the Europa League. It's a rational thought to anyone who wants what's best for Tottenham Hotspur, not an emotional one which you seem to think it is. If we want to be in the CL then we should ensure that our players are fit, rested and ready for league matches - league matches will get us to the CL, the Europa league will not, not even if we win it. All it does is drain the squad of energy, risk injuries and basically no money in return.

I just don't understand your reasoning. Isn't it in the club's short and long term best interest to qualify for the CL? Shouldn't we try and maximize our chances of achieving it? If you aanswer 'yes' to those two questions then how on earth could you argue that we should take the Europa league seriously? Maybe if we had the squad quality of Man City I would agree with you, but we don't.

Do I wish that the Europa League was more prestigious? Would I want us to take it seriously if there was better financial incentive and if the winner would qualify for the CL (amazing that it's not the case!)? Yes, without a doubt, but unfortunately, CL has taken a strangle hold on European football and it's where we need to be if we are to progress.

Ok I think you have also jumped to conclusions as I may have done, let me explain myself better because you make some points there that are entirely valid, unlike some I have read and what I was taking aim at.

I do get a feeling of arrogance in many posts, I think being in Europe should be a privilege for any club and whilst it's entirely reasonable to question how it affects our league season I think some there are plenty or rational and not just emotional reasons why we should take the Europa seriously. And when I say seriously, that doesn't mean just playing your first team - I supported Redknapp's policy of using fringe and youth team players in the Europa, but I didn't like the fact that sometimes they looked like they were just flung onto the pitch with virtually no preparation. Good luck lads, do your best.

No, for me you take every game, every competition seriously - if you use it to develop players then great, I am massively supportive of that, but you still prepare for every game the same way and that's the vibe I get from AVB and that's how for me you engender a winning mentality, not as some people are claiming that we should essentially sack it off and focus everything on the league. Of course you set your objectives every season and for us it should go League - Europa - Fa Cup - League Cup , but I do place value on European competition and also domestic cup competition too.

For me we have to learn as a club how to manage a league season and a European campaign, and we would have learnt a lot this season which stands us in good stead for the future. You need to know how to cope with important games coming thick and fast, playing against different styles of play, in hostile away environments, how to manage with travelling and playing so regularly. It's all about acquiring knowledge and experience of being a top club, being prepared for every game - we all want to be in the Champions League, but what happens when we get there and we can't juggle it with the league? It becomes a vicious cycle, unless you then sack of the CL to focus on getting there again the next year, which to me seems rather pointless and I'm sure you'll all agree.

I completely understand how much playing Thursday - Sunday can take out of you, in fact I regularly post a comprehensive study which pretty much concludes that 2 days rest between games is unfair on teams that have to do it, I get this, but this is how hot it gets in the kitchen and we need to be able to manage that.

For me there is an emotional and rational reason for taking the Europa seriously, it is Europe after all and Spurs need to be in Europe - it does boost our profile as a club and it also gives us a chance of a pretty serious piece of silverware, glory, and I can't fathom how people can be so dismissive of the trophy.

 

[guiltyparty]

I'm a bit drawn on this. I'm not sure it's possible to say we didn't choke when we were 7 points clear of them, and when the evidence of the Everton/Fulham/Liverpool games is that we very much did choke

But yes, much to be positive about, and excited for next season

 

[RuskyM]

Rule 1 of instilling a winning mentality, take every game, every trophy seriously. This doesn't mean you play your first team every game of course, but it means sending out a prepared team that wants to win a game of football, from League Cup to EPL.

THIS. SO FUCKING MUCH THIS.

How the fuck do we expect to keep the pace if we throw competitions away? We did that in Harry's last season, and it greatly helped us with the lack of games from February onwards and wait no it fucking didn't