Potty Europe

Already there is much drama about why Spurs should be placed in Pot 3 in the seeded draw for next years Champions league and even wilder talk about being drawn into a potential nightmare group with either Real Madrid, PSG and Roma or Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Roma mentioned as possible nightmare scenario's.

There was only one ever nightmare scenario and that was Tottenham not making it to the Champions League. The reason I hope Ajax Amsterdam beat Manchester United in today's Europa League Final is not because it improves Spurs outside chances of being drawn into Pot 2 but because Ajax has built their side through both youth development and its total football philosophy pioneered by the late and great Johan Cruyff, who taught Barcelona the same philosophy and why he is revered as a legend in both countries.

Spurs actually benefited from Ajax's youth development policy and how it nurtures footballers, because three of the main Spurs team originate from Ajax and it is likely that Spurs will buy more of Ajax players or at least put in bids to bring them to Tottenham next year.  Ajax have a tradition of playing great football, which is what Tottenham's football has been about.  Whereas Jose Mourinho plays a football strategy that even Manchester United fans dislike under their breath, but they give Mourinho the benefit of the doubt so long as he delivers on Champions league football and wins them silverware.

The Sun Newspaper tabulated Tottenham's form over the last two seasons but the results of this tabulation are deceptive because it takes into account a weird season where the top teams all went into disarray at the same time :

Never the less it is impressive reading.  Last year Spurs were drawn into Pot 3 and in the end were considered to have had an easy draw, and yet they failed to come through the group stages.  If Spurs should fail it is better that it be in a so called nightmare group - and such a group would be absolutely great for Tottenham.  It means it can pit its team against the best and start overcoming an inferiority complex that has seen the main failings being not having the moxy to feel like they can win against top teams. 

This is what Pochettino is honing in this Spurs squad, and with 6-1 wins against former champions Leicester followed by a 7-1 thumping of Hull City on the last day of the season, he has shown that the complacency they have shown in the past is being eradicated and he is teaching them to develop a "winners mentality".  Spurs are close to it, but need to play the best in Europe to prove that they do.  So a nightmare scenario is actually a nightmare scenario for the top teams in Europe and Pochettino does not share the regular Tottenham fan's inferiority complex or even care one iota whether Spurs finish about Arsenal.

This new mentality is being shaped into the team and Wembley Stadium as a grand cathedral of football and a temporary home ground will showcase whether Tottenham as a team are going to develop into a team of world-beaters.   Being drawn into Pot 2 or Pot 3 makes no difference - and being in nightmare group is exactly what Tottenham need to see where they are in terms of their professional development.

With an excellent stadium in development, the investment has been made to finally shape Tottenham as a "big club".  This idea of "big club" is a big red herring because other teams are developing their stadiums as well and the idea of being a big club is a test of character and mentality rather than dollars and cents.  Again, the two season table published by the Sun Newspaper shows the net spending to establish the team and Spurs have a net spend of $7 million compared to Manchester City with a net spend of $270 million.  Spurs pay even less than Liverpool do and yet have a highly competitive young team.

Tottenham like Ajax and Southampton and even West Ham have a good youth focus and there are plenty of hot prospects that might come through which will keep Spurs net spend much lower, and yet they can also poach players from the youth development at Ajax, Southampton and West Ham.  The only difference is that Ajax Amsterdam should be considered a "big club" because it has a club with history and top European honours.  Klaassen and Veltman may yet be transferred to Tottenham, though they have much better young prospects that Spurs should pay attention to, especially a 19 year old left back. 

Whoever Spurs get in the Champions League group stage it is now simply a test of their development and belief as a team.  The irony is that if PSG is drawn in Spurs group, that is the ultimate test for Mauricio Pochettino, who played for PSG and harbours a desire to one day manage that club due to his prior affection for Paris.  Ultimately Spurs already have the team to get past a team like PSG.   The question is whether they can beat any of the four semi-finalists of this years Champions league competition.  In playing Monaco in the group stage, that showed that up and coming teams like Monaco were better placed to compete than Spurs were.

Tottenham do need to buy quality players in this transfer window and not the duds without a winners mentality they purchased with the exception of Victor Wanywama in the last transfer window.  There is no reason to go potty over which pot Spurs will find themselves in.  It should not matter if Spurs were placed into Pot 4, and we must remember when Monaco were - what matters is how this team is coming together not what the past says about a European co-efficient.  Pochettino is building a team for today and tomorrow, not one from the past.

In the Champions League every team is worthy of being there.  Each year the standards of the Champions League get tougher and tougher, so next season Spurs have to show their mettle, and show the heart and quality Pochettino's management methods are trying to instill and if they do, then they do not have to worry about teams like PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or even Manchester United coming to take away a manager who by the end of next season will be the hottest ticket in town.

To be the best, one has to beat the best and this is the next stage of Tottenham's development.