Europa League: Tough but Winnable, Tottenham's Draw Is Best of Both Worlds

The draw for the group stages of the Europa League has often been a source of consternation for Tottenham Hotspur. 

In previous seasons, Spurs have found themselves drawn alongside teams from the Arctic circle, a breakaway state of Moldova and a nearly 5,000-mile round trip to face Anzhi Makhachkala. 

Such arduous away games coming just days before vital Premier League fixtures have often sapped Tottenham's players of energy and crucial preparation time. That has been reflected in their particularly poor record in those particular fixtures. 

While some concerns remain about playing three days after a European tie, this season Spurs have been rewarded with a relatively kind draw. 

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Our @EuropaLeague fixtures have been confirmed. Details - http://t.co/rxZjzyDZaY #UELdraw #COYS pic.twitter.com/YzALccPdB7

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 28, 2015"

This is a group that Spurs should be aiming to win. 

Tottenham have drawn Anderlecht, Monaco and Qarabag for this season's tournament. 

Anderlecht are a proud European club. Winners of the 1983 UEFA Cup and 33-time champions of Belgium, they should not be taken lightly. 

Last season, they met Spurs' north London rivals Arsenal in the Champions League and fought them to a 3-3 draw at the Emirates after losing a tight 2-1 at home. 

However, they have lost key players in consecutive seasons. 

Last year it was Cheikhou Kouyaté, sold to West Ham, and now Newcastle have taken key forward Aleksandar Mitrovic. 

This should prove a great away day for the fans and a pair of winnable ties for Spurs. 

It also evokes memories of Tony Parks' wild celebrations in 1984 when his penalty shootout heroics won the UEFA Cup from the defending champions. 

The fixtures against Anderlecht will be cause to revisit one of Tottenham's greatest triumphs. 

Also drawn against Monaco, Spurs will face two difficult fixtures against a Champions League-quality side. 

Like Anderlecht, Monaco have lost some of their most important players.

Dimitar Berbatov, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Lucas Ocampos and Layvin Kurzawa have all departed the club this summer, and while they have made some astute signings to replace them, Monaco are now a far weaker side.

The presence of Jérémy Toulalan and João Moutinho in midfield and Stephan El Shaarawy, Anthony Martial and the giant Lacina Traoré up front will still be enough to threaten Spurs with a vigorous thrashing. 

There is a neat echo of history in these fixtures too. Tottenham icon Glenn Hoddle moved to Monaco when he left White Hart Lane in 1987. Beloved of both sets of fans, Hoddle provides context for this clash. 

"

Great to see two of my old teams @SpursOfficial and @AS_Monaco drawn against each other in Europa league. 😎

— Glenn Hoddle (@GlennHoddle) August 28, 2015"

The bad news is that, apart from Monaco and Anderlecht, there is one more team.

Azerbaijani champions FK Qarabag complete Group J.

Based roughly 2,500 miles from London, Qarabag will present a unique challenge. 

Their stadium, previously named after both Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin, was completed in the 1950s by labouring German prisoners of war. 

One could certainly not accuse Qarabag of having "no history." 

En route to the Europa League, Qarabag were narrowly beaten by Celtic (1-0) before seeing off Swiss side Young Boys (4-0). 

They have proven themselves good enough to be in the Europa League and will provide a stern test. 

Like other Eastern European sides Spurs have faced in Europe in recent seasons, Qarabag's team is mostly composed of locals with a host of journeymen from elsewhere. 

Tottenham's aims in this group will be to seal progress quickly while also using the tournament to provide experience to their young and out-of-favour players. 

The likes of Tom Carroll, Alex Pritchard, Federico Fazio and Andros Townsend will all likely see Group J as their most obvious avenue to the first-team. 

Julian Finney/Getty Images

The quality of opposition in this group means that manager Mauricio Pochettino must carefully balance his dual goals, but there should be no need for Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane or Hugo Lloris to see action. 

The Europa League is often maligned for its seemingly endless schedule, its exclusive position on Thursday nights and the unfamiliar nature of many of its contestants. 

For Spurs, this draw is as good as they could have hoped for. 

The trip to Azerbaijan is certainly problematic, but Monaco and Belgium are practically walking distance in comparison. 

Tottenham will get to test themselves against two teams that played Champions League football last season. There is some glamour in that opposition. 

Spurs should progress from this group and should be aiming to win it. 

Their opposition is strong but should not be insurmountable.