Tottenham currently sit in sixth place with four games remaining. Fifth place is currently occupied by north London rivals Arsenal, who are four points ahead. Do note that Arsenal also do have a game in hand.
Sixth would be enough for Europa league qualification ONLY if Arsenal were to win the FA cup. The Gunners will face Hull City in the FA Cup final which places them as favourites to win the cup. So the question is, to qualify or not to qualify for the Europa League?
Many fans believe that Europa League is nothing but trouble to Tottenham in their domestic league. There is some proof to this as for a number of games, their performance has suffered after Europa League games. At one point Spurs had dropped 14 points in the Premier League after Europa League games.
Although, at the same time they had dropped 14 points without Europa League matches before the domestic fixtures. A big example of this was the 3-3 draw against West Brom. A dire start which leaked two goals very early on. A start which many fans would of blamed the Europa League for tiring the players out, if they hadn’t been knocked out of the competition. The game proved that poor performances sometimes just have to be blamed on something else. Poor tactics, unfocused starts, momentary lapses of concentration, poor finishing etc.
So, why do Spurs want to qualify for the Europa League?
It’s a big cup. It’s even bigger when a club wins it. It may not be as big as the Champions League but it’s better than having no European competition at all. The Europa League is of course winnable, but if a manager prefers to keep his first team fit, then it is a great opportunity for the younger players to get a game.
Zeki Fryers, Ryan Fredericks and Harry Kane all got some game time in this season’s Europa League competition. First team action is vital for them and game time is the only way of becoming a good footballer. In the group stages some of the teams in the Europa league can be quite weak and thus Tottenham had quite an easy route to the knockout stages this year. But, any kind of European football is different to that of the Premier League.
No European competition for Tottenham next year would mean there would be less games to play and therefore less fatigue and chance of injuries etc. Injuries have really plagued the club this season. But, for many fans they like having Europa League matches for the cheaper tickets. Usually a Premier League game is over double the price of a European one. For some fans, this is the only time they can see their beloved club play. Of course the domestic cups such as the FA Cup can provide these cheaper tickets too, but once the team is knocked out there’s no more games to go to.
Only four games remain. Europe is still in reach for Tottenham. Can they qualify for the Europa League?
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