Even though he can be a bit of a pharisaical knobhead, Jayram when he wants to can be a very intelligent poster and can post without the club he supports clouding his judgement on the reality of how things are. However, in this instance, I just can not believe what he's saying.
Sorry, but Champions League football is far too important. I appreciate that we don't need to be in it to compete financially but it's not as if the board will allow us to spend most of the money we have on transfers anyway and the income we'd lose from the Champions League to the Europa League would be massive. It would also mean losing some very key players like van Persie and possibly even Walcott. The effects that it would have on the club would be completely deleterious.
If it was a choice of Spurs finishing third and us finishing fourth, or us finishing fifth and them finishing sixth, it'd be the former, without a shadow of a doubt. Anyone who says otherwise is clearly not thinking straight. Put the traditional club rivalry to one side and think about the importance of the Champions League. Should we fail to qualify, which is very much a possibility, we would not be able to attract the calibre of players we'd want, there could potentially be a mass exodus, the supporters would rebel, and this vibrant buzz around the club which we currently have would vanish in an instance.
Champions League football is far more important than Spurs finishing above us for one season.
Anyone who claims otherwise is not thinking straight at all.