Why Spurs need to ‘go for’ Europa League and FA Cup as well as Premier League title
Tottenham’s incredible season is now met with an incredible dilemma. Even the most optimistic Spurs supporter, or staffer, could not have seen Spurs being two points off the top of the Premier League in February, right as another major glut of fixtures awaits. With this fixture congestion, the fear of […]
Tottenham’s incredible season is now met with an incredible dilemma. Even the most optimistic Spurs supporter, or staffer, could not have seen Spurs being two points off the top of the Premier League in February, right as another major glut of fixtures awaits. With this fixture congestion, the fear of a late season swoon, and the real prospect of a title staring Mauricio Pochettino and his men in the face, should Spurs dump the Europa League, the FA Cup, or even both?
The Europa League is certainly cumbersome and at times massively inconvenient, but with the carrot of a Champions League berth now dangled in front of everyone, it’s not a competition to throw reserves in as Harry Redknapp did when he took Spurs into the Europa League. Future managers took the competition more seriously, but with the prospect of nine games needed to win the competition, it’s a tough ask on any squad, let alone one that could qualify for the Champions League outright.
The magic of the FA Cup is a phrase with little magic left in it. And while there certainly still is prestige in winning the trophy (and a potential domestic double), the amount of games needed to win it is also certainly cumbersome. Four rounds before Wembley could come complete with added replays, as well as the rescheduling of Premier League fixtures for the quarterfinals and semifinals, the fixture backlog really does begin to ask questions even of a deep and fit squad, which Spurs certainly have. Most teams would already play weakened squads in the FA Cup anyway, but as the end gets closer and so does the trophy, the thinking often changes.
SEE MORE: Complete forward Harry Kane can make the difference for Spurs in the title race.
Mauricio Pochettino certainly has a fit and mostly healthy squad, but teams that play the style that his teams do certainly have fears about fading legs and minds as the wear and tear of a long season in all competitions piles up. This would be a major concern if Spurs were just competing for fourth place, let alone the title. But now as a path has emerged towards not only for their first trophy in eight years, but their first title in 55, Pochettino has to wonder whether it’s worth risking the Europa League and FA Cup to the detriment of a title push. He has players such as Eric Dier, Harry Kane and Dele Alli who looked tired and leggy towards the end of a rough game against Manchester City, and with the prospect of six fixtures in the next 16 days, including two London derbies (the North London derby coming up on March 5), and more on offer afterwards if they beat Fiorentina, is it worth it to play so many games with a title at stake?
Some would say drop out of these competitions entirely, but even though a title is within reach; winning a trophy of any sort is not a bad deal to take. Having come so close last season in the League Cup will make more supporters and players want a trophy even more than usual, even if the title is certainly up for grabs. Pochettino also shows enough belief in his training methods and players that they’ll be fit enough for this challenging run of games, and even if the team that goes out against Fiorentina and Crystal Palace in the two cups is stronger than some supporters would have hoped, this team has only lost five games in all competitions all season. Dropping the cups, even considering the circumstances, would not be a good look.
SEE MORE: Schedule of Europa League games on US TV and live streaming.
Winning the treble would be a massive ask of this squad, even as good as this season has become. But finishing third with a trophy in hand is not a bad season by any stretch. Ask any Spurs supporter or player before the season that they would finish the year third with a trophy in tow and they’d take it. Certainly the optics have changed, but the mentality of Spurs is never going to, even in the face of the Premier League trophy’s shadow.
Time will tell whether the decisions made by Pochettino in the next few weeks will be the correct ones. But for Spurs supporters, even the most cynical, enjoy the ride while it’s still going on.
The motto of Tottenham Hotspur is: “To Dare Is To Do”. There isn’t anything daring about dumping any competition, even in the face of another as big as the Premier League title. This Spurs team has dared to do all season, and it has them where they are now. Why not continue to dare, even against the odds?
