Tottenham Have the Right Pieces to Win the Europa League

Tottenham remain in contention for the Europa League after their 1-1 draw against Fiorentina. The Lilywhites once again demonstrated signs that they can go all the way in the competition.

For head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the key question is whether to prioritise potential European glory over a coveted Champions League spot come the end of the season. However, Spurs have the strength in depth to put out a relatively strong side on Thursday nights, while still saving their best options for the league.

Strength in depth

Pochettino is in a fortunate position when it comes to rotation. Spurs have lost just under half of their fixtures that have followed Europa League games this season, and they once again looked below their best in Sunday's 2-2 draw against West Ham.

Their progress in the Europa League has shown that Spurs’ second string are capable of keeping them in the competition until the later stages. In the interest of resting the likes of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Hugo Lloris, Pochettino should consider keeping his best XI for the league.

Paulinho was labelled one of the club’s "flop" signings last summer but provided an impressive assist for Roberto Soldado’s opening goal against Fiorentina.

Brazilian Paulinho is particularly well-suited to a 4-3-3 formation, a setup which works perfectly in Europe. His presence will also allow Spurs to save Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb for the weekends. Fellow youngster Ben Davies has fallen behind Danny Rose in the pecking order at left-back but is more than competent enough for European football.

Soldado also looks to have found his role to be in Europe. The former Valencia hitman has likewise been written off by a portion of the White Hart Lane faithful, but a well-hit volley on Thursday will have reminded them what he is capable of. In fact, Soldado looks most at home on the continent.

Although Tottenham’s critics will point to a shortage up front in Kane’s absence, outcast Emmanuel Adebayor should also be utilised away from home, far from north London’s baying crowd.

These back-up options will be vital as Tottenham take on the unenviable task of playing four games in 11 days, including the Capital One Cup final against Chelsea.

Pochettino the tactician

Like many of his squad players, Pochettino himself is particularly well-suited to European football, perhaps due to his time as manager of Espanyol between 2009 and 2013.

One of Tottenham’s most notable improvements since his arrival in the summer is how they play without the ball. Consistently against West Ham and Arsenal, they pressed well when out of possession, a skill that will be of vital importance if they progress in the Europa League, as they cannot always expect to have the ball, especially away from home.

With it, they have been making use of more and more of the pitch. Pochettino has clearly encouraged his side to play wider, and against Fiorentina, Spurs were able to exploit the space given to them by their Italian visitors.

Other contenders

Napoli, Roma and Wolfsburg are currently among the favourites to lift the trophy. Rafa Benitez’s Napoli cruised to a 4-0 victory over Trabzonspor, but their Turkish opponents did not put up too much of a struggle, so this fine form may be unrepresentative.

Roma, meanwhile, could not find the net against a distracted Parma side who may well have played the now-defunct club’s last game. Should Spurs come up against Roma, they have the wherewithal to frustrate them.

The strongest English competition, Liverpool, cannot justify a poor league finish. Having finished second last year, a spirited cup run would not make up for the disappointment of failing even to make the Champions League places. Unlike Spurs, Liverpool’s squad is not particularly strong without their star men.  

The most serious threat on Spurs’ road to the final could therefore come in the form of a familiar face. Zenit St Petersburg have enjoyed a revival under former Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas, but tactically, Spurs have enough experience of thwarting ex-Arsenal man Andre Arshavin and Javi Garcia, formerly of Manchester City.

Hulk, who Spurs have been scouting for the past few years, could be key in getting Zenit to the later stages of the tournament.

The Europa League has been a contentious issue for successive Spurs managers. Villas-Boas favoured the competition, having previously led Porto to glory. Harry Redknapp, on the other hand, insisted the club’s priorities lay in reaching the top four.

During his time at Southampton, Pochettino told The Telegraph that he did not consider the Europa League "an attractive competition." That will surely have changed now he is in charge of a squad who could potentially bolster his CV even further with a trophy.