Arsenal also played CL at Wembley, and were as ineffective as us at it. Next season all our games are at Wembley. We'd better get better quickly or we're Championship bound.
If we were playing at the Lane we would have pissed that group....playing at home can't be under estimated.
Experience is a factor, certainly. It takes time to adjust the demands of the CL - not least the relentless Saturday/midweek cycle of games. It takes good management to set up the team with the right personnel and tactics for the different challenges teams with good players pose, especially in the latter stages. But in terms of resources, quality and depth of the playing squad, facilities etc, the top English teams are far ahead of all but the recognised elite. Elimination at this stage is underperforming, no doubt, especially as the group was comparatively easy. On paper, Spurs are a Q-F stage team. I think fair criticism would be to say that giving up home advantage to play at Wembley was a mistake. Beyond that, the team just played below par most of the time. Missing key players at times was important. Some of the others haven't hit the heights they did in the spring and there isn't enough strength in depth in the squad to compensate - crucially, nobody else can come in score the goals Kane and Alli got last season.
Not just that but spurs have had plenty of experience with the midweek/weekend cycle as they have been in the europa for how many seasons now. Admittedly, maybe not all the players are used to it but even last year there weren't whole sale 11 changes every europey match. I think the hardest thing isn't necessarily players getting tired, it's the preparation time for the manager and as such there is no difference between this season and any other season.
I was debating which of Chelsky / Citeh to use (I could not use the Goons has they have not won the PL/CL recently enough to plastify a supporter) .
Last season is the first time that Spurs have qualified for the CL via the PL, while having UEFA games during the business end of the PL season. That is a material step up from 2010-11 onwards. Now, if Spurs repeat their PL season having written off UEFA tournaments (CL +/- Europa) , then that is not progression.
My first season supporting Spurs was 1994-5 and I stuck with them through all the ****e of the early PL era whilst everyone around me was suddenly magically able to trace their ancestory to towns and villages in greater Manchester. Unlike many of the older posters on here, I have never seen us enjoy a sustained period of success with multiple trophies to show for it. So next time, please use City. Or even Arsenal. Anyone but Chelsea.
Agreed, the CL is very different to the EL in that the quality is much higher. However you mention the midweek/weekend cycle as one of the key issues. This is something Spurs are used to as they have been in europe for many seasons now which is the point i was making.
What do you mean by this? Finishing lower than 2nd now that we have no Euro commitments is not progress?
I say it as I see it. I can remember when Chelsea were a joke.......and they still make me laugh.Thank you,Pensioners!
That's not what you intimated, is it? You tried to say that Pochettiino won't win anything because he's never won anything. Well, neither had Leicester nor Ranieri!..
From the knockout stages onwards, teams need to put out their first XI. That's the main difference. From February onwards, that's two physically and mentally demanding games per week. Very different challenge from the EL.
Sorry LDL...I absolutely agree about us under performing...was just bringing up the points I disagreed on but I should have been clearer
Agreed, but: 1. we aren't at the knockout stages yet (not that this is relevant to the original point) 2. The midweek/weekend cycle mentioned originally is part of the EL as well as the CL so i'm not sure that point is key point to spurs failing. Anyway, i won't discuss this further as its sort of going off on a circular tangent. We'll just have to agree to disagree about this
Karma...for what? We were lucky v West ham cos they imploded...but that's their problem not our luck. We weren't lucky v Arsenal or Leicester or west Brom or Liverpool or Everton or Bournemouth (all our draws). Don't really get what you are on about tbh
