Europa League 2012-13 - QF: Basel (SUI)

[SubZero]

We'd have a what, 1 or 2% chance of winning the CL if we got into it? I don't see getting into the CL and losing to Barcelona or Real Madrid as glory. Winning the Europa League goes on the honours list and into the trophy cabinet. Spurs need to win something. I hate the modern fan attitude, I hope those who don't care about the EL don't watch on Thursday.

While I agree that we don't have much chance of winning the CL, that is where we belong. Or at least where we should aspire to be. We don't have much chance of winning the league either, but we should prepare as if we were to win it. Participating in the CL would give us better economic means to strenghten the team and be competitive in other cups as well. Don't get me wrong, I'd absolutely love it if we won the Europa League, but to be honest I'd rather we won the FA cup qualifyng for CL than win the Europa League and finish 5th any season if given the choice.

Edit: I am hungover, and would have course rather win the Europa League every year now that I read my own post.

 

[Spursalot]

While I agree that we don't have much chance of winning the CL, that is where we belong. Or at least where we should aspire to be. We don't have much chance of winning the league either, but we should prepare as if we were to win it. Participating in the CL would give us better economic means to strenghten the team and be competitive in other cups as well. Don't get me wrong, I'd absolutely love it if we won the Europa League, but to be honest I'd rather we won the FA cup qualifyng for CL than win the Europa League and finish 5th any season if given the choice.

The best preparation to try and win the Champions League would be to try and win the Europa League.


Winning trophies breeds a winning mentality. Also the squad would be better prepared for the rigours of playing three games a week.

 

[Robspur12]

I certainly would not have any interest in that. But some of your comments could come across as somewhat - hating. Anyway, I stand firmly in the win-a-trophy camp too, and the prioritizing should be dealt with in the transfer windows by proper squad building.

=D> Halleluya you must, like me, come from another era where there was glory in winning "tin pot" tournaments like the uefa, league and FA cup. You know my most favourite recent Spurs memory was our league cup run in 2008. The 5-1 against L'arse, the lane rocked that night then the victory against Chelsea believe it or not for me that eclipsed even the CL run. The glory of winning a trophy is truly unforgettable.

 

[Essex Yid]

I hate this attitude of caring so much about what Arsenal fans think. Who gives a brick? I want to win this competition because of the glory of Tottenham Hotspur winning it, not because of how much grief it may cause Arsenal fans.

I despise this ridiculous over-the-top obsession so many of our supporters have with Arsenal. Yes, they're our rivals, and yes, it is sweet to beat them. I love beating them. But not as much as I love us winning a cup. I remember just minutes after we drew 0-0 with AC Milan to ensure we were through to the quarters of the Champions League a chant of 'Are you watching Arsenal?' started. I hated that. We should have been celebrating the glory of OUR CLUB, not the misfortune of another.

Anyway, I really really want to win this competition. I'm going on Thursday and can't wait. And if other clubs devalue the competition, so what?

 

[Bonsaiboy]

Ultimately, I think that football, like life - is all about feeling you're progressing, and at this time I feel progression is about becoming a team that can challenge for the title and regularly qualify for the Champions League.

Beating Chelsea in League Cup was one of my highlights as a Spurs fan. Because for a club of our stature, we'd gone way too long without a trophy, and we were also running out of of time to maintain our record of winning a trophy in every decade since the war - a notable achievement - I was so nervous the last ten minutes that I nearly threw up. The final against Man U didn't have anything like the same importance for me.

The time any football fan is happiest is when he feels his team is moving forward and progressing.

If Tottenham got relegated out of the league and into the conference, I'd be devastated. But, on the other hand, the journey of watching us rise up through the leagues over a number of years would be exhilarating.

 

[Spursalot]

I hate this attitude of caring so much about what Arsenal fans think. Who gives a brick? I want to win this competition because of the glory of Tottenham Hotspur winning it, not because of how much grief it may cause Arsenal fans.

I despise this ridiculous over-the-top obsession so many of our supporters have with Arsenal. Yes, they're our rivals, and yes, it is sweet to beat them. I love beating them. But not as much as I love us winning a cup. I remember just minutes after we drew 0-0 with AC Milan to ensure we were through to the quarters of the Champions League a chant of 'Are you watching Arsenal?' started. I hated that. We should have been celebrating the glory of OUR CLUB, not the misfortune of another.

Anyway, I really really want to win this competition. I'm going on Thursday and can't wait. And if other clubs devalue the competition, so what?

I was using them as an example of a top club who haven't won a trophy in a number of years. That they are our rivals is irrelevant in my mind in this discussion.

 

[Essex Yid]

I was using them as an example of a top club who haven't won a trophy in a number of years. That they are our rivals is irrelevant in my mind in this discussion.

I was referring more to Bonsai's post obsessing over them feeling anguish and pain and whatever other odd madness he wrote

 

[Spursalot]

I was referring more to Bonsai's post obsessing over them feeling anguish and pain and whatever other odd madness he wrote

Ah yes, fair enough.

 

[SubZero]

The best preparation to try and win the Champions League would be to try and win the Europa League.


Winning trophies breeds a winning mentality. Also the squad would be better prepared for the rigours of playing three games a week.

I fully agree, and I stand firmly in the belief that we should try to win every competition we enter. We still need the squad to do it though, and to get and keep the best squad possible we need to be in the CL, that's the sad fact. I wish it wasn't so, and that everyone had a level playfield. Yes, the club and the fans needs trophies, but it helps precious little if our best players (or potential targets) don't feel the same way.

Maybe I have been a little spoiled, but having tasted CL participation after years and years of drought, that's where I want us to be. That's where we belong.

 

[Bonsaiboy]

I fully agree, and I stand firmly in the belief that we should try to win every competition we enter. We still need the squad to do it though, and to get and keep the best squad possible we need to be in the CL, that's the sad fact. I wish it wasn't so, and that everyone had a level playfield. Yes, the club and the fans needs trophies, but it helps precious little if our best players (or potential targets) don't feel the same way.

Maybe I have been a little spoiled, but having tasted CL participation after years and years of drought, that's where I want us to be. That's where we belong.

I think you summed it perfectly. If Sandro hadn't got injured and we'd got Damiao. And if we hadn't of loaned out Townsend and had recalled Rose, and maybe bought in one or two more players, my attitude would be unequivocal in my desire to see us try and win the Europa League. But we've left ourselves too short in key areas to be able to rotate like we would need to do.

And my nightmare scenario is failing on both fronts, which would be a disaster.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I hate this attitude of caring so much about what Arsenal fans think. Who gives a brick? I want to win this competition because of the glory of Tottenham Hotspur winning it, not because of how much grief it may cause Arsenal fans.

I despise this ridiculous over-the-top obsession so many of our supporters have with Arsenal. Yes, they're our rivals, and yes, it is sweet to beat them. I love beating them. But not as much as I love us winning a cup. I remember just minutes after we drew 0-0 with AC Milan to ensure we were through to the quarters of the Champions League a chant of 'Are you watching Arsenal?' started. I hated that. We should have been celebrating the glory of OUR CLUB, not the misfortune of another.

Anyway, I really really want to win this competition. I'm going on Thursday and can't wait. And if other clubs devalue the competition, so what?

I get what you're saying and I agree with most of it. I too would love to win the EL and would be happy to win without rubbing Arsenal fans noses in it. I'm happy enough beating them and knowing they feel like brick to bother gloating.

I just think finishing below them again after being in such a healthy position will be just as damaging psychologically as it was last season. I mean you've got to think eventually they will spend some money and get their act together. I agree we need to win trophies, but our last one was 2008, the last time we finished below Arsenal was 1995.

I'd be ecstatic with 3rd/4th and no EL or winning the EL and say finishing 5th, but I'd prefer getting 3rd to be honest, not just finishing above Arsenal, I think Chelsea are there for the taking too.

 

[SubZero]

I think you summed it perfectly. If Sandro hadn't got injured and we'd got Damiao. And if we hadn't of loaned out Townsend and had recalled Rose, and maybe bought in one or two more players, my attitude would be unequivocal in my desire to see us try and win the Europa League. But we've left ourselves too short in key areas to be able to rotate like we would need to do.

And my nightmare scenario is failing on both fronts, which would be a disaster.

I hope we don't, or even have prioritized down the Europa League, even less so now that we have a proper chance of winning it. But as you say, there's a chance we may fail on both fronts, and my biggest fear is that we won't be able to build upon what we have achieved if we do so. There are lessons to be learnt from this towards next season.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I think you summed it perfectly. If Sandro hadn't got injured and we'd got Damiao. And if we hadn't of loaned out Townsend and had recalled Rose, and maybe bought in one or two more players, my attitude would be unequivocal in my desire to see us try and win the Europa League. But we've left ourselves too short in key areas to be able to rotate like we would need to do.

And my nightmare scenario is failing on both fronts, which would be a disaster.

I still don't get why we did that. For a team that relies so much on wingers like we do to have virtually no cover for them is madness! Sig and Dempsey can do a job, but they don't have the pace we usually have in order to hit teams on the break.

 

[SubZero]

I'd be ecstatic with 3rd/4th and no EL or winning the EL and say finishing 5th, but I'd prefer getting 3rd to be honest, not just finishing above Arsenal, I think Chelsea are there for the taking too.

As it looks now, I think we have a better chance of finishing above Chelsea than Arsenal. Chelsea look like the ship with lots of holes and cracks fixed with bubblegum that finally is going down.

 

[Bonsaiboy]

I still don't get why we did that. For a team that relies so much on wingers like we do to have virtually no cover for them is madness! Sig and Dempsey can do a job, but they don't have the pace we usually have in order to hit teams on the break.

I didn't get it then and I get it even less even now, especially as AVB was clearly giving consideration to moving Bale more centrally even back then. It's his single biggest mistake he's made as manager so far. This isn't being wise after the event, the kid's had obvious talent and pace for a long time.

The Rose loan move was a good one for his development, but given he'd been their player of the season up until his hamstring problems, I think he should have been recalled, especially as I don't think AVB is convinced by BAE, and BAE feeling the manager isn't convinced by him is a troubling prospect.

 

[jimmyb]

If we won the Europa League this season and didn't qualify for the CL for the next ten years, I'd look back more fondly at the memories of the 2010/11 CL campaign. Destroying the reigning European Champions at the Lane. Beating AC Milan in the San Siro. Seeing the likes of Real Madrid grace the turf of White Hart Lane. I felt this was where we belonged. This was the club we had been under Bill Nic, the club we can be again.

You have no right to cite Billy Nick if you persist with your small time attitude to the Europa League.

Billy Nick, himself, would have been appalled by your stance.

 

[jimmyb]

You can say the Europa League is great and it would be wonderful to win, the reality of the competition is far different.

There were 10 men and a dog at the San Siro for our game against Inter and a TV audience that consisted of probably 90% Spurs fans. A Far cry from our game against AC Milan in the CL.

The games against Basel will take place and the rest of football world will be oblivious to them, the only interested parties will be Arsenal fans, wanting us to win - to play more games - and hoping we pick up injuries.

Every Spurs fan would like us to win the whole thing - the difference in opinion is whether it's worth potentially sacrificing a CL place for it. We'd all like to have both, but we clearly lack the squad depth for that.

Rubbish.

Maybe you (like many others in this country who seem to think that they're better than they actually are) couldn't give a toss about the EL and consequently treat it with disdain.

But most of the rest of Europe has a healthy respect for the competition.

Once again, you fail to provide a shred of evidence to support your theory that taking the EL seriously necessarily harms our Premier League prospects.

 

[jimmyb]

also Inter don't get the best crowds anyway, San Siro wasn't even half full when we played there in the CL so using the game against them as a measure of the cups popularity isn't the best yardstick. also considering that they are an established CL club, which we are far from being at this moment and it becomes an even poorer example.

(not to mention the fact they were 3-0 down and that most games out there are pay on the day)

To be fair, in terms of average attendances, Inter and AC Milan have been comfortably the best supported teams in Italy over the past 10-15 years - including during this very disappointing season. In that time, they probably average 55K. Nothing shabby about that.

As you say, I think the attendance against Spurs had far more to do with the fact that they had been steamrollered at WHL.

 

[jimmyb]

That is the biggest most uninformed post ive eeeever read. Its completely based on assumption and us quite frankly, absolute fudging flimflam.

Ive registered on a Basel forum and live in Germany, and for the first time a swiss team is being shown on national broadcasters in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I have options of about 6 channels I can watch the game on.

The build up has started already and its seen as a watershed moment for swiss football. Basel are a good side and haven't even conceded a goal at home since October, and for us people want to watch Bale, Vertonghen, Lloris and Dembele.

Its really big news over here, really big.

Typical crap fudging myopic british footballing mentality. Football does exist outside of the illiterate Paul Merson sky old boy top four premier league tossfest.

With the champions league being so fudging sexual, I question why other competitions / teams not in the competition are allowed to exist.

fudging unbelievable.

=D>

 

[Bonsaiboy]

Rubbish.

Maybe you (like many others in this country who seem to think that they're better than they actually are) couldn't give a toss about the EL and consequently treat it with disdain.

But most of the rest of Europe has a healthy respect for the competition.

Once again, you fail to provide a shred of evidence to support your theory that taking the EL seriously necessarily harms our Premier League prospects.

Fulham

That enough evidence?

Everton are significantly better than Fulham.

If we play our strongest team against Basel and rotate none of our key midfielders, Everton will turn us over.