It’s a return to Wembley for Tottenham Hotspur tonight as they host Gent in the Europa League, trailing their Belgian opposition by a goal to nil following a disappointing first leg for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, despite the Argentine fielding a strong team in the Ghelamco Arena a week ago.
While the continent’s second competition is not looked upon overly favourably on these shores, recent comments from Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher are sure to resonate on Hotspur Way. As remarkable as Pochettino’s rebuild has been in north London since taking the reins back in 2014, they really do need to start winning things to take their attempts to fully develop to the next level.
“I’ve seen it too often with Spurs, they fail to turn up in big games, maybe going back 20 years. Is it a belief thing? Is it a mentality thing, ingrained in the club?”
Still, though, even the idea of progressing into the next of the tournament isn’t the most important aspect of Spurs’ need to win at the national home of football this evening. During their brief stint in the Champions League this season, Wembley proved to be much more of a talking point than it really should have been, with their ‘home’ form proving mightily disappointing in a group where progression – in second at least – should have been achieved comfortably.
Over the course of the three games Spurs played in North West London between September and December, they won just one of them, a game against CSKA Moscow when their exit from the European elite was already confirmed. While it was a strong performance on the December 7th, continuing that trend tonight is of paramount importance.
Next season, the Lilywhites will play all of their games at the national stadium, so it’s vital they start to get to grips with life in front of such a big crowd and an arena not all too often exposed to a raucous atmosphere. Which is why their game later today can provide a platform to grow out of a mentality that clearly dogged them in the Champions League.
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It’s perfectly set up for a wonderful night under the lights. Spurs are behind, so any performance to right the wrongs of their Belgian beating will have to be a big one, potentially giving the baying crowd fond memories of Wembley, rather than the miserable ones currently so readily associated with it. Everything about Pochettino’s reign in charge of the club so far looks to be lending itself toward a long-term assault on the Premier League’s top order, so the venue will play a big part of their future plans (even beyond next season) if they truly harbour such lofty aspirations.
Considering the strength of their rivals, a motif only likely to weave itself deeper into the fabric of the division over the next few years, Pochettino’s best chance of delivering silverware to the club will come in the shape of cup competitions, so lifting the mist of their Wembley woe is something that needs to be instantly addressed. With semi finals and finals of the FA Cup hosted at the national stadium, if Spurs want to be successful, they’ll certainly have to get used to winning games there.
There’s also the small matter of the strong contingent of Tottenham players likely to be involved within the England setup over the next few years. Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane are all major parts of the Three Lions side right now and there’s surely more to come, so having a bad connection to the national home isn’t overly helpful in Gareth Southgate’s plans to overhaul England’s fortunes.
Not that it’ll be his only problem in doing so, though that’s a story for another time.
Tottenham are a team who struggle to get over hoodoos and curses, the darker themes of magic in football, as their collapse towards the back end of last season proved. Leading bitter rivals Arsenal for pretty much the entirety of the campaign, St. Totteringham’s Day was still somehow celebrated by the Gunners after the pressure got too much for their players, extending such a miserable tradition for the club.
A loss tonight, even a poor performance, would leave a sour taste in the mouth of Pochettino’s men ahead of their move next season unless they’re able to win the FA Cup. There’s even a possibility that Spurs draw Arsenal in the semi final of that competition. Should they exit the Europa League later and not see much success in the cup, the Wembley curse will still loom large over them and become the scene of some painful memories at a ground where they still have so much football left to play.
Enjoying life at Wembley could really help Spurs achieve their dreams, merely enduring it could have a serious impact on the complexion of next season.
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