Conflicted
Spurs travelling out of England for a Europa game and then having to get back in time (for rest and refreshments) for a noon kick-off against Chelsea on Sunday. Suddenly this whole continental lark is looking to be the annoyance it's always been but tenfold thanks to our sparkling league form. It's meant to be silverware greater than league placement, no?
I'm beginning to think this (choosing one over the other) is the single most abused expectancy among us, altered to suit our form and predicament. It's already been duly noted that we muddle through the European games then peak during the bread and butter Premier encounters. Oh what to do? Not a lot can be done. Calculated rotation (bearing in mind Monaco have to visit us) and the unequivocal protection of our momentum outside of any given cup game is probably the priority for the coaching team, squad and most supporters.
The squad dynamic is thinly balanced. Our best starting eleven is powerful, make the odd change and it retains it's strength. Make more than five and it's a prototype version of the real thing. Perhaps in a year or so we'll have improved even more, not just on the field but on the bench. For now, I'll admit that my heart is screaming 'Chelsea game' and is nonplussed about the trip to Azerbaijan to face the plucky Qarabağ Futbol Klubu.
I'm not for a second saying that winning the Europa would not be a welcoming experience. Any cup will do. It's just that, we're back to the reality that the players fancy their flight to take off from the thirty-eight mini-cup games that could send them on the type of away day tour they'd prefer. You know the one, right? It's where midweek games retain the same level of intensity and effort as the weekend ones and talk of tiredness doesn't become a reoccurring complaint. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be greater than a Thursday.
The supporters are not the only ones conflicted.
