What We Learned From Spurs’ Europa League Campaign

The less said about Spurs’ 5-1 aggregate loss to Borussia Dortmund the better, but if the match provided fans anything it was an insight into what needs to change this summer at the club.

Perhaps “change” isn’t the right word exactly. The fact of the matter is that until they came up against a marvelous Dortmund side, Spurs were favorite for the competition. They breezed through their group and dealt with Fiorentina – the team that knocked them out of the competition last season- with relative if belated ease.

Mauricio Pochettino rotated effectively while still being able to name strong sides in each in match. It’s a testament to his abilities and keen eye for talent that despite culling the herd considerably last summer, Spurs were still able to mount an earnest campaign in the Europa League. Had they been fortunate enough to pick up the likes of Lazio or Valencia instead of Thomas Tuchel’s team, they would likely still be in the competition.

Alas, they are not. With a very real chance at a Premier League title, Spurs’ exit is likely bittersweet for Pochettino and the entire squad. No, they couldn’t prove their chops against the best in Europe, but their aren’t any more distractions for the rest of what will be a hard fought last eight matches.

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Even if the title is beyond their reach in the end, the Champions League seems a likelihood for next season. Unlike the Europa League, that competition will demand much more from Spurs. The level of prestige – and money – that comes with qualifying for it automatically puts pressure on Pochettino to succeed. Plus, matches like the last two against Dortmund are much more common, and rotating in the likes of Nacer Chadli and Ryan Mason won’t be any kind of solution.

No slight intended for either player – or any of the players that came into the squad in place of starting XI regulars – but the level of quality that Spurs have to call upon from the bench is well below the benchmark for Europe’s premier international club competition.

So then perhaps the word we’re looking for isn’t “change”, but “augment”. Spurs’ starting XI is exceptional, and there have even better players that started the season on the bench that have come up and performed. Overall, though, Pochettino will need to be able to call on more quality from the bench than he has this season.

This means that the club will have to break with two trends that have come to define the club since Pochettino’s arrival.

One, the club needs experience. As admirable as the progress Pochettino has made with his youth-oriented recruiting and development policy, naming Clinton Njie or Alex Pritchard to a starting XI in a Champions League match is simply not going to be adequate next season. One day, sure, both those players have immense potential. In the more immediate future, though, Spurs would do well to look for older players, perhaps even ones who have that elusive quality of “Champions League experience.”

Next: Tottenham Bow Out of the Europa League

To do so will break with the second trend of Pochettino’s reign: a tight purse. Money will have to be spent, perhaps more than could be offset by player sales. Who those players will be remains to be seen. Spurs continue to be linked with Europe’s best youngsters and the occasional vaguely outlandish star like Álvaro Morata. We can expect to continue hearing such rumors right up through the summer, though the chances of Spurs following through with the latter seem to be increasing by the day.

Doing so will make future matches against Dortmund-caliber teams easier to plan for, as well as make it easier for Pochettino to feel comfortable in rotating the squad throughout the Premier League season.