Jul 29, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; MLS All Stars forward Kei Kamara (23) of Columbus Crew FC plays the ball ahead of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks (44) during the second half of the 2015 MLS All Star Game at Dick /
Many Tottenham fans have a nasty habit of moaning about the inconvenience of the Europa League, and in particular Europa League matches against so called “minnows.” I, on the other hand, am an unabashed lover of these types of fixtures and here are 5 reasons why:
These games are a great way to evaluate some of our young talent- Given our current club player acquisition model, there’s never been a more interesting or important time to watch our current fringe players compete. In today’s match, we’re likely to see Tom Carroll, Harry Winks, Josh Onomah, Alex Pritchard, Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier feature heavily just to name a few. Several years ago this wouldn’t have excited many of us because these players would be unlikely to ever feature for the senior squad. Nothing could be further from the truth these days. We are quite likely to see these lads feature in the senior starting XI sooner rather than later.
I like to watch Tottenham win-
I don’t mind battering the opposition. Whether or not Tottenham are defeating Arsenal in a tightly contested North London Derby or battering a Europa League minnow 5-0 I’m going to enjoy every moment of it. I can’t understand why all of our fans can’t get behind this very simple ideal.
The Lane is special at night- There’s just something mystical and fantastic about games at White Hart Lane under the lights. I don’t know if it is the lack of sobriety in the crowd, the ghost of Bill Nicholson or perhaps a combination of the two, but there really is magic in the air. In fact, unlike most fans, I’d be completely in support of a regular night game in the Premier League season because the atmosphere would be off the charts.
I get a rush trying to find our Europa League game broadcasts on obscure, pirated websites- Okay so this isn’t really the case, but I do get a chance to learn a great deal about a variety of lewd worldwide services offered all over the internet. If you’re interested in how to purchase a foreign bride or perhaps are curious how to purchase Viagra on the black market just try to find a Europa League game not carried on a major British or American network.
I genuinely believe this is our best shot to qualify for Champions League- I’m not so much of a pessimist that I believe that Tottenham cannot finish in the Premier League’s top four just because we’re off to a mediocre start. I think we can kick on and if we do, who knows how high we could finish. I do think it’s unlikely that we can crack the top four with our young squad this season though. As such, the path of least resistance to Champions League qualification is winning the Europa League. This won’t be an easy task, but it is something I think our team and fans could get behind rather easily. If Tottenham could progress a round or two in the knockout stage I think we could ride a significant wave of momentum all the way to the Finals no matter who we draw as opponents. It might also be the most fun way to qualify as well, especially if it allowed us to keep Arsenal out!
