5 Reasons Why Tottenham Hotspur Are Better off out of the Europa League

This season’s edition of the Europa League may hold the added incentive of Champions League qualification for the winners, but for Tottenham Hotspur, it is more likely to prevent than enable their graduation into Europe’s top-tier tournament.

Spurs travel to Fiorentina on Thursday night after drawing 1-1 back at White Hart Lane, leaving them with a tough task in reaching the final 16.

However, they face an even tougher one in balancing their priorities, with the Capital One Cup final awaiting on Sunday and battle for a top-four finish in full swing.

There's a danger they could end the season empty handed if they continue to stretch themselves with the pursuit of success on all three fronts, having experienced detrimental results on the back of their Thursday night efforts.

In no particular order, here are five reasons why Spurs could well be better off without extending their stay in the Europa League.

No More European Hangovers

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Tottenham’s records on Sundays after Thursday night fixtures are well documented and have been for a number of years.

The Europa League seems to create a perfect storm, with some players having to recover in less than 72 hours while others have to fit back in after watching from the sidelines.

In fact, Spurs had just over 60 hours between their 1-1 draw with Fiorentina and Sunday’s early kick-off against West Ham United, which they unsurprisingly started sluggishly, going 2-0 down before another late comeback.

That 2-2 draw added to a concerning trend of results following Thursday fixtures, leaving Spurs with just four wins from the nine fixtures they’ve played directly after Europa League games.

The stats get more concerning when we look at their form at White Hart Lane, with all four of their league home defeats coming on the back of European games.

On each of those four occasions, Pochettino has made at least seven changes to his starting lineup, suggesting that the heavy rotation is a bigger issue than fatigue.  

Finding a More Settled Side

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Finding a best starting XI has been one of Pochettino’s greatest challenges this season, having been left with a bloated squad.

While the argument over the benefits and detriments of squad rotation is too vast to address right now, a couple of relevant examples are easy to find.

If we compare the amount of players to have played 20 or more league games this season between Spurs and leaders Chelsea, then the results are remarkable

The White Hart Lane outfit have just three players with 20 league appearances to their name, Jan Vertonghen, Hugo Lloris and Christian Eriksen, compared to Chelsea’s tally of 10.

If we take this study beyond London, the trend is equally concerning.

The league’s bottom side Leicester City have the same amount of players with 20 plus appearances, while the season’s overachievers Southampton, who were tipped by many for relegation after their summer sales, have used seven players 20 or more times.

It would be over simplifying things to suggest playing the same players every week will bring success, but it seems that managers who know their best team and utilise them when possible produce the best results.

Spurs Have Little Chance of Winning It

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If Mauricio Pochettino’s priority was winning the Europa League, then the above statement might not be correct, but Spurs cannot not be considered favourites even if they do progress on Thursday night.

The record of Premier League clubs in Europe’s second-tier tournament speaks for itself, with Chelsea, who had dropped down from the Champions League, the only English winners since Liverpool’s 2000/01 success.

The major issue is prioritisation. Few sides take the competition seriously enough to win it, with Spurs as guilty as any over recent years.

Andre Villas-Boas named five youth-team players and Christian Eriksen on his substitutes’ bench for the second leg in Benfica last year as his side crashed out at the final-16 stage.

Pochettino benched star man Harry Kane for last Thursday’s first leg, leaving Roberto Soldado to lead the line despite the Spaniard’s inability to score in his 10 previous appearances.

Soldado may have scored the opener, but he also committed the petulant foul which allowed Fiorentina to equalise, tipping the tie in the visitors’ favour.

With Champions League qualification up for grabs and the likes of Liverpool, Napoli and Wolfsburg in the draw, Spurs have no chance of winning the Europa League if they do not commit themselves to it.

In fact, if we compare their prices on Oddschecker, we can see them typically priced at 20/1 to win the Europa League compared to 5/1 for a top-four finish.

Increased Risk of Injuries

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It goes without saying that the more competitive minutes you play the more chance you have of getting injured.

Spurs fans will remember looking on with horror as Gareth Bale went down in agony during a Europa League tie with Basel in March 2013, prompting fears that their star man’s season was over.

While the Welshman produced a remarkably quick recovery, only missing two games, Pochettino can ill-afford to lose one of his key men.

Spurs have been dangerously reliant on Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen this season, and the increased risk of either of them picking up an injury will be a real worry.

OptaJoe highlighted the club's dependence on the duo last week, tweeting: "The last time Spurs won a PL game without either Harry Kane or Christian Eriksen scoring was back in August vs QPR on Matchday 2."

That concern will be no more apparent than in Florence, with Spurs set to contest the Capital One Cup final with Chelsea on Sunday.

Resting key men on Thursday may all but end their hopes of progressing, but it will improve their chances of succeeding in two other competitions, which are both more realistic targets.

Single-Minded Focus

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If Tottenham are eliminated on Thursday, they will only have one more midweek fixture this season. If they go on to make the semi-finals, that total rises to seven.

Defeat in Florence would mean Pochettino would have a full week to prepare for each of their final 10 Premier League matches.

If Spurs do progress, they would have a round-of-16 first leg just before they visit Manchester United on March 15 and could face a quarter-final second leg ahead of their trip to Southampton. 

Liverpool’s performances in the Premier League last season were clear evidence of what can be achieved without European distractions, while their rivals Everton have found it difficult to deliver on both fronts, currently sitting 12th in the table.

If Spurs go out, of those competing for a top-four finish, only they and Southampton will be without European or FA Cup commitments, surely serving as an advantage in the run in.