Tottenham Leave Europe with Few Lessons Learned

What, if anything, can be learned from Tottenham’s inability to overcome a 1-0 deficit against Gent in Thursday’s Europa League game?

It can’t be said that Mauricio Pochettino didn’t take the match seriously. He named perhaps the strongest XI that Tottenham could bring to bear with Danny Rose and Érik Lamela out.

Nor is it possible to lay the blame on the player’s lack of motivation. Though the first leg in Belgium certainly suffered from some unenthusiastic displays, it was clear throughout the 90 minutes on Thursday that, if anything, Spurs cared too much.

Even with a slew of errors, including an own goal and red card, Tottenham looked committed and the more likely team right up until Gent’s 82nd minute goal.

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Pochettino returned to a back three and the results were immediate. Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Dele Alli coordinated well as part of the front three. Mousa Dembélé diligently played through Gent’s press. Kyle Walker might have had the best match of a season full of fine displays.

It sounds inadequate, but could the takeaway here just be that Spurs are in a slump? We know what this team are capable of. It’s the same team that remained unbeaten through the end of November. The same team that won six matches in a row through the dense festive period. The same team that beat pre-season title favorites Manchester City and Chelsea 2-0.

Two weeks of bad results does not a season make. With Jan Vertonghen healthy and both Rose and Lamela also on the way back, Spurs have every reason to believe that the best is yet to come.

It’s hard to see that now though. For yet another season Spurs leave a Europa League despite being among the favorites to win it. But for last season’s more or less expected capitulation to Borussia Dortmund, Spurs’ exits have come at the hands of teams much lower in status.

Though it’s a popular refrain, it doesn’t seem helpful to say that Tottenham simply lack the ability to succeed in Europe. Autumn’s failed campaign in the Champions League group stages notwithstanding, Tottenham have only featured in the Europa League since 2010.

A team with sights set on the Champions League might be forgiven for not taking Europe’s lesser international club tournament that seriously. The monetary reward pales in comparison, and with Tottenham’s improving Premier League form the promise of a Champions League qualifying place  for the Europa League champions hardly seems as appealing.

Next: Errors Cost Tottenham Against Gent

So, in the end, however much it stings, this latest Europa League failure is more speedbump than brick wall. Pochettino can be confident that his Spurs side will rise from this brief slump as they have countless times before. Sunday’s match against Stoke City will be the first step in getting Tottenham back on track.