Tottenham Hotspur Cup XI: Good Enough to Finish Ninth in the Prem

Reports this morning from several sources—including the Daily Star, The Telegraph and Goal.com—make it seem that by the end of the day, or perhaps by tomorrow, Gareth Bale will be gone and Willian, Erik Lamela and Fabio Coentrao will all be brand new Spurs.

Add those moves up with this summer's arrivals (Nacer Chadli, Paulinho, Roberto Soldado and Etienne Capoue) and departures (including Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore, Scott Parker, William Gallas, David Bentley and Steven Caulker) and a formidable starting XI begins to form. But that got me to thinking. Spurs definitely want to make a splash this season in Europa League. Winning that tournament is probably the second highest priority goal of the season, after Champions League qualification.

Playing in continental and cup tournaments, along with the Premiership, isn't easy for any club. But it becomes much easier when a club can rely on a "Cup XI," or as close to a second set of starting-caliber players to slot in for their cup and tournament matches, leaving the main starting XI to concentrate on the League.

And I think that Spurs' Cup XI could finish in the top half of the table of the Premier League. Let's take a look at them, assuming a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Goalkeeper

Brad Friedel

Sure, Friedel is no spring chicken at 42 years of age, but he's also just 15 months removed from the end of a Premiership campaign that saw him start all 38 matches for the club that finished fourth. Not a bad man to lean on for your Europa League and FA Cup matches.

Andre Villas-Boas often used Friedel in cup ties last year, and I can't see why he wouldn't do so again.

Defense

Kyle Naughton, Michael Dawson, Zeki Fryers, Danny Rose

Sure, Dawson was Spurs' captain in their bow against Crystal Palace, but once Younes Kaboul is healthy, I'm assuming that he'll spend more time anchoring the central defense alongside Jan Vertonghen than the Englishman will.

And Danny Rose was also a starter in Tottenham's first match, but if Fabio Coentrao really is coming to the Lane, then young Danny will find himself second choice for sure.

Defensive Midfield

Etienne Capoue, Lewis Holtby

The young Frenchman and the younger German should make for a nice pair at the "2" in the 4-2-3-1 that worked so well for Spurs last year. The name of the game is passing, and while this might not be Holtby's most natural position, it certainly is that for Capoue.

Attacking Midfield

Aaron Lennon, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Nacer Chadli

Another of Spurs' new additions will find himself more comfortably in a Cup XI than as a regular starter this season. Nacer Chadli is a talented young player, but he is neither Willian nor Erik Lamela. Still, this group of three backing up the striker is a pretty formidable group.

Striker

Jermain Defoe

Sure, he's not spectacular, and the fact that just he and Emmanuel Adebayor were AVB's only choices last season up top was a liability and not an asset. But if Roberto Soldado is going to get the needed rest to stay crisp and sharp for 38 Premiership matches, then Defoe is going to have to step up in the FA Cup and Europa League ties.

So Who's Starting?

This all assumes an AVB-loved 4-3-3 formation for the Spurs' first-choice starting XI that would look something like this:

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris

Defense: Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Younes Kaboul, Fabio Coentrao

Midfield: Sandro, Moussa Dembele, Paulinho

Attack: Willian, Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela

Is that starting XI enough to win the Premiership? Probably not, in all honesty. Manchester City's starting group is better, and Chelsea's is at least as good. But a third-place finish with an FA Cup and Europa League double would be more than Spurs fans could have ever hoped for in the recent past.

And this Cup XI would be good enough to finish in the top half of the English table. I think they'll be able to take a run at Europe's number two tournament.