A strange season has come to its end. When Stoke came to the Lane and put us to the sword all those months ago I genuinely feared we might be flirting with relegation this season. Not in a Newcastle final day dog fight kind of way but more of an Everton, loitering around low mid-table, briefly entertaining the prospect of Championship football after every drab performance. Then came the Christmas period and some genuine optimism, culminating in the derby win where the top four suddenly seemed plausible again. Ultimately though we end up where we always do, 5th.
Unlike the past few seasons though, when we’ve been left sat in the clubhouse on 70 points hoping in vain a Wigan could go to the Emirates and nick a point, suddenly the gulf has grown exponentially; we’re miles off. Regardless of the dross the press dig up over the summer (think Moutinho, Villa, Willian, Di Maria, Damiao) no amount of splurging is going to close that gap. Don’t get me wrong, the squad certainly needs investment but we must accept the fact that the top four is beyond us. Arsenal have kicked on massively, who are we coming in front of? Man United? We’ve finished in the top four twice in Premier league history, once before City became a real powerhouse and another freak season where Chelsea had a Football Manager-esque stinker.
Why then do we keep sneering at the Europa League as if it’s beneath us? It’s an irritant admittedly come November time when we’re flying off to Russia on a Thursday night with Chelsea away on the Sunday, it’ll feel a complete waste of time. But we need to start making long-term, logical decision instead of emotional ones. The end of the season is the perfect time to do that, reflect and assess what’s REALLY going to kick this club on.
The Champions league place for the Europa league winners should’ve been a game changer in our thinking. Yes there’s some talented sides in the competition and it’s an almighty slog, but Dnipro are in the final this year, Dnipro. A side who’s best player’s reportedly been snubbed by half the premier league, ourselves included.
Granted it’s a very difficult sell to our fans, paying vast amounts of money on Premier league matches to suddenly say lets sack it off for a few Thursdays in Zagreb, but we must face the facts. Our season’s been over since February and even the most deluded of Spurs fans must have known in their hearts that we we’re never coming above Arsenal or United. We had a nice day out at Wembley, losing the Capital One cup final, but that’s simply not good enough for a club like us. We’re not Sunderland.
We have a foundation now to strengthen, but am I the only one with no appetite for another half-hearted and inevitably doomed tilt on the top four? Let’s try something new. I’m not saying it’s easy to win, but if we take it seriously there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be in the Quarter finals, Semi-finals and who know’s? There’s no logic in repeating the same formula as the past few seasons and expecting a different result. Come April next year I’d be much more excited by the prospect of sitting in 7th and in the Europa League quarter finals, than 5th with nothing to play for.
We must accept the fact that our brief spell as genuine top four contenders has come and gone. We all want to attract the best players, keep our existing ones and see this club kick on. To do that we must be playing Champions league football; we’re not going to achieve that via the premier league. It may not be fashionable but it’s the only way forward for us. Let’s accept some poor premier league performances next year, come above the Besiktas-like side in our group and make sure we top it. If we try and fail that’s one thing, let’s not get knocked out with Vorm in goal and Chiriches at the back.
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What a miserable article by another miserable I support but hate Spurs fan. To write us off after the game against Stoke well have you thought of supporting another team then. What's the point of supporting a club if you are going to think the worse. I was backing and giving it my all supporting Spurs and only stopped believing when it was mathmatically impossible. Yep I'm disapponted we have Europa League football again instead of Champions league football but it's better than being you and look at me I'm right. We were only two wins and a draw from champions League football which isn't that big a gap. And I look forward to next season (like every season) getting behind the team and hoping once again for top 4 but if we fail then I look forward to the next season. So stop being miserable (bet your fun to talk to, woah is me, all doom and gloom) get behind the team or supoort the perfect team like Chelsea then.
ReplyDeleteA fair enough comment, no need to get personal though (I'm a hoot to talk to). This has nothing to do with "Being right" or "doom and gloom" though and I take issue with your "get behind the team accusation. I think we have a good manager and some talented players with the future generally looking bright for the club. I'm merely suggesting we shake off the Top four mantra that's tattooed on the skin of this club and have a genuine crack at the Europa league, something we've never done and a competition we should be genuine contenders for. You can play with your abacus and work out the maths of us scraping top four all you want I just think we as a club should look at trying something new. Taking the Europa league seriously is not just the right logical choice but would also result in a more entertaining season next year in my view. Of course there's been some cracking moments this year, a lot to be proud of and I look forward to more next season, I'm just saying you can pat yourself on the back for your unshakable belief in the club all you want, it's not going to lift us above a club that's had a 300k a week loanee sat on the bench all year for the craic.
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