Europa League does not cut it for Tottenham

Posted Thursday, December 01, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Tottenham Hotspur look almost certain to become the biggest casualties of the Europa League group stages but judging by their indifference towards the competition this season the London club may regard it as a blessing in disguise.

Wednesday’s 2-1 home defeat by PAOK Salonika means Spurs need a large win at Shamrock Rovers in their last group match allied with a PAOK defeat of second-placed Rubin Kazan if they are to keep their interest in Europe alive.

“I am disappointed now because we are not going to be in the last 32,” manager Harry Redknapp said after losing to 10-man PAOK. “It’s very slim—it is very difficult now. I wanted to stay in the competition but it wasn’t to be.”

However, Redknapp is unlikely to be sending his big guns to Dublin, while visiting fans will probably have more interest in Ireland’s most famous liquid export.

The reason? Tottenham are desperate to get back into the Champions League—the competition they illuminated last season on their debut—and the fixture congestion produced by Europa League progress is regarded as a threat to those ambitions.

Having said that, they have juggled it well so far, winning nine of their last 10 Premier League matches—a run that has propelled them into third spot, two points behind second-placed Manchester United with a game in hand.

With a busy December fixture list approaching, Tottenham are in a strong position to consolidate a top-four place and a route back into the Champions League, possibly at the expense of bitter north London rivals Arsenal.

Last season they missed out, finishing fifth, and the Europa League has proved a poor substitute.

Tottenham have managed just two wins, one of them at home to European lightweights Shamrock, and notched five goals in a group Spurs should have negotiated with ease.

Yet Redknapp defended sending out five teams made up of youngsters, squad players and the odd big name, although did not go so far as saying an early exit would be beneficial.

“We have been lucky so far and the important thing is that we have the players fresh for the Premier League at the weekend,” Redknapp said.

“If we had Roman Pavlyuchenko and Giovani Dos Santos fit, we would not have played Luka Modric, Jermain Defoe or Aaron Lennon. I wouldn’t want to say going out is a blessing. I wanted to win tonight. You want to win every game.”

Last season, Tottenham topped a Champions League group containing holders Inter Milan, Werder Bremen and FC Twente, scoring 18 goals in the process, before knocking out AC Milan in the quarter-finals. Real Madrid ended their adventure.

Redknapp made nine changes to the side that beat West Bromwich Albion 3-1 in the Premier League for the visit of PAOK and but for injuries would have changed all 11—his priority clearly Saturday’s home match against Bolton.

Tottenham have a proud history in Europe, winning the UEFA Cup (the predecessor of the Europa League), then highly regarded by the continent’s biggest clubs, in 1984.

The fact that only 26,000 turned up to watch against the Greek side PAOK, 10,000 short of White Hart Lane’s capacity, also spoke volumes for the fans’ view of the competition.

With their best squad for decades, title talk in the air and a new stadium in the pipeline, Tottenham’s ambitions, rightly or wrongly, have transcended participation in the Europa League — a competition that puts a strain on playing resources.

Should Tottenham go on to finish in the Premier League’s top four, or better, defeat by a sprightly Greek side on a rainy night in north London will be regarded as a worthwhile sacrifice.