The Juggling Act - The Jewish Chronicle

Taken in isolation, Spurs' Champions League campaign was (last night aside) atrocious, woeful, unacceptable or any other suitable adjective you may wish to insert. Taken in the context of the 'project' underway at White Hart Lane, whilst a group stage knock-out is hard to swallow from a fans perspective, there is undoubtedly a bigger picture.

In 2010 when the club reached the promised land of Tony Britten's evocative anthem for the first time there was a wide-eyed, naive and wonderfully exuberant approach to the competition. We knew no fear, all eggs were in the 'enjoy the experience' basket, and boy did we enjoy it.

Some iconic performances against both Milanese sides, the emergence of Bale on a global stage and that journey ultimately ended only with a chastening quarter-final exit to Real Madrid. However 2010/11 is not 2016/17. Back then there was no realistic chance for Spurs to compete for the title, back then before the new TV deal the gap between the perceived top six and the rest was sufficient to suggest that dropping league points after Champions League games wouldn't be terminal for the chase for European football of some hue the following season.

No, 2016/17 is most certainly not 2010/11. The Premier League is awash with the type of money which means it is more competitive than ever - the gap between those at the very top and those striving to join the party are wafer slim. Every loss is a near mortal blow in the chase for the European places let alone the top four let alone the title.

When you overlay the financial imperative for Spurs to quality for the Champions League to help secure the income and also the sponsorship that we need to feed the funding of the new stadium (and after my sneak peak of that this week - wow, what a home we are going to have!) it's not hard to see why consistent qualification for the Champions League at this stage in our development most certainly trumps the need to progress to the knock-out stages.

Granted, this perspective is not romantic, it doesn't appeal to the fan in me (like all fans I want my cake and eat it), it doesn't stop me being pretty hacked off at inept performances from individual players and it doesn't change the fact that bar CSKA home and away, we have as a team broadly been garbage in the four other ties.

However it does provide the context for the very clear choice which (deny it or not) Pochettino has made this season to prioritise selection for league games over selection for the Champions League - whilst some of those selection decisions have been forced on him due to the slew of injuries, the clearest evidence of this policy is that Rose and Walker had not played a single minute together in the Champions League this season until last night against CSKA.

As regular watchers of Spurs will know, those two are so key to how we play that without them operating in tandem we are a very pale shadow of our usual selves. Last night, with them on the pitch together we scored x and they were involved in x of them! They provide pace, width and a creative outlet, on top of their defensive qualities. Whilst we have viable cover in most other positions, Davies and Trippier, good players as they are in their own right, do not have the attributes of Rose and Walker and so our entire pattern of play is impacted when one or both play.

The message from team selection in the Champions League this season is clear, right now we can't spread ourselves between two competitions so if we have to prioritise one it will be the League - because that is the route to becoming serial Champions League qualifiers and that is the path to the greater and sustainable financial muscle which will allow us to invest in a depth of squad that will in turn enable us to compete across multiple competitions.

It's about the medium to long-term and if that means some short-term disappointment then so be it. 27 points (and just one defeat) from 14 league games is a more than solid return and even more impressive considering the absence of Kane, Alderweireld, Dembele, Rose and Lamela for large chunks of the season to date. Sadly rotation was a must over the past few months it was just a question of which tournament to prioritise.

And this is not a theoretical argument. After 2010/11 it took the club six years to reach the Champions League again, a painful journey where once again we lost the best of our players to serial Champions League clubs.

More modern evidence of the choice that has to be made is Leicester. Ranieri accepted and has been open about it, that this season would likely be their one chance to play Champions League football and so they would go for it - and go for it they have, and their campaign to date reminds me of Spurs in 2010/11. A quick look at their team selections show that the Champions League has been their clear priority, and their league form and position equally shows the impact of that decision. That was not a choice Pochettino could make.

When the pain of an embarrassing group stage exit has passed, and provided we are able to re-qualify next season, the long-term health of the club may well have been better served by the choice that Pochettino made this season, however unpalatable it felt at the time.

The Europa League in the second half of the season represents a chance for some of the non first choice XI to get valuable game time as the team once again presses for the upper echelons of the Premier League.

From a personal perspective, I've thoroughly enjoyed the campaign - yes I wish it would have continued in to the new year, but my trips to Leverkusen and Monaco (I decided Moscow was a step too far!) have been great experiences, results aside. A chance to take a little time away from being a grown up with responsibility and be with family and friends in new and different places for a day of eating, the odd libation and the occasional song!

And whilst the locations may not be quite so universally glamorous in the Europa League, for those self same reasons, I will enjoy those away trips too come February and hopefully beyond.

And who knows, maybe a cheeky Thursday night in Tel Aviv or Beer'sheva awaits.

Jonathan Adelman is a season-ticket holder at Spurs, and also co-manages North London Raiders B in the MGBSFL

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