Writer: TQ2Spurs
Despite our top four rivals failing to take advantage from our loss to West Ham (a win would have almost guaranteed us a third-place finish) I believe the club now needs to re-evaluate its priorities as a result and look to the future.
A while back I wrote that I thought we were not yet well equipped enough to win the Champions League. Since that time we have lost our talisman and much of our central midfield to injury, which has placed a huge strain on those who have remained fit and played virtually every game. I believe (with our future prospects in mind) that we should be congratulating ourselves for getting further into the competition than we have ever done before, but now prioritising a top four (preferably top three) finish in the Premier League.
I wish I had faith that we could do both, but the realist in me thinks this would be a bridge too far with the squad in its current state, we would be huge underdogs going up against Barcelona or Liverpool in the final. The effort required to get there in the first place could realistically result in us missing out on the top four, thus failing to make next years competition.
If this were to happen, it could have a massive effect on our ability to recruit the standard of player required to improve our squad and give us an even better and more realistic chance of winning the competition in the next couple of years.
I am immensely proud of what our team have achieved so far this season, a Champions League semi-final and a top 4 finish when viewed in context with our rotten bad luck with injuries and the upheaval of the stadium delay has to be applauded however, I believe we need to be thinking about what is best for us to be even more successful in our first full season (and beyond) in our new home.