As an avid fan of the North London club, I want Tottenham Hotspur to do as well as they can; I want Spurs to be competing for every trophy going and above all, to win. But this season, I would be happy not to finish in the qualification spots.
Depending on who wins this year’s FA Cup competition, the last remaining place to qualify for the Europa League will be seventh. Following that formula, I hope that the team finish eighth. Now, I know I am likely to take some flak for this opinion, but allow me to explain. Spurs are currently sixth in the league with seven games to go; they are above Southampton by one point, and have a nice run in, with only Manchester City to play from the “Big Four“. Let’s look at the reasons why I think that missing out on European football next season will be a good thing.
By simple mathematics, just playing in domestic competitions means fewer games. Fewer games equates to less tiredness. It means more energy and fight, something that Spurs teams have notoriously lacked in previous seasons. Playing once at the weekend and possibly once more during the week would be a good thing; the recovery period the players would increase, and that is only a good thing. Look at this season: at some points the team has had to play three games in the space of seven days. For instance, in February, a London derby against West Ham was sandwiched between two Europa League fixtures against Fiorentina. Then a long trip back from Italy before facing Chelsea in the Capital One Cup final. In those four games, Spurs drew two and lost two, and I went to the home games against Fiorentina and Chelsea; both were exemplified by tired performances.
Another point would suggest that, without the constant travelling to these European games, some of which have been as far as Russia before, the team would benefit from better preparation before games. Not being knackered all the time would mean that the players are more confident and can focus on the game. As I am not a professional footballer, I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes in terms of match preparation, but again, simple logistics suggest that more time available would be better for the team.
Playing on a Sunday can be a problem; the atmosphere around the ground is completely different on a Sunday. It’s almost like everyone has half an eye on Monday morning, getting into the mindset of going back to work. This must translate to the players; after all, they are only human. They say that the crowd can be the 12th man and I strongly believe this. I have seen better performances on a Saturday, whether the players are up for it as they are excited about going out partying on a Saturday night, I don’t know. On a Sunday they look sluggish, whereas on a Saturday, their play is more creative. This season I have been to many games on a Sunday and a handful on a Saturday and the difference in play is immense. If Tottenham don’t qualify for the Europa League this year it would be interesting to see how the team manage playing at 3pm on a Saturday.
Now, of course there are downsides to this argument; if the club doesn’t play European football next season, it could have a whole host of knock-on effects. By not competing in Europe, it narrows the chances of winning silverware. The likes of Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Jan Vertonghen would no doubt be looking for the exit. Top players want to play at the very highest level; it would just come down to loyalty. With players leaving, it would then be hard to attract top players to join the club – that goes without saying. This is only a problem if the team were out of the competition for any longer than a year, especially as shrewd chairman Daniel Levy has already tied some crucial players down to long term contracts. With the building of a new stadium, the extra income garnered by European competition would be lost, which could have an effect on the financing of the club and its power in the transfer market.
If the club were to miss out this season, it would not necessarily be a bad thing. The club boasts a young squad that has come together well this season, with several youth players emerging into the first team set-up. But they are clearly beginning to burn out. The performance against Burnley was one of the worst I have seen; the players looked shattered and couldn’t even control simple passes. A year out would rejuvenate the club and make them hungrier for the next season. Look at Manchester United: admittedly they started slowly, but this was more to do with the new manager implementing his tactical style, but they are getting back to their best. As Spurs fans, we seem to believe that fourth spot or European Football is ours by right. Maybe a season of failing to achieve these goals is just what we need?
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