Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has claimed the club could benefit from dropping into the Europa League this season because they have the weaponry to go all the way and win the competition.
Spurs have not won a trophy since the 2007-08 League Cup under Juande Ramos but Sherwood is convinced elimination from the Champions League need not be disastrous for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Tottenham face an uphill struggle to reach the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition after drawing 2-2 at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night but Sherwood believes that finishing third could have major spin-off benefits.
“If they go into the Europa League, I think they can win it,” he told Sky Sports’ Debate programme on Wednesday night after the PSV clash.
“The Europa League is often seen as a hindrance to your league position, playing on Thursday and again on Sunday, but I believe Tottenham need to get a trophy.
“I think that’s a realistic chance. It’s not easy because there’s a lot of games and a lot of travelling and the squad is not the biggest.
“They might have to dip into the transfer market if they possibly can in January, depending on where they are going to be.”
OPINION
Spurs badly need to end their trophy drought that will extend to 11 years by the end of 2018-19 and, as Sherwood points out, the Europa League is now a more realistic target than the Champions League. Mauricio Pochettino admitted last night that his side must win their final three group matches – at home to PSV and Inter Milan and away to Barcelona – if they are to get out of possibly the toughest of all the groups. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Spurs would need to finish third, above PSV, to secure a place in the post-Christmas Europa League knockout stage and that now appears the best they can hope for. There are some top quality sides in the competition and there will be even more in the new year, so it is a massive claim for Sherwood to say Tottenham can win the Europa League this season, their first European title in 35 years. That said, the club have a quality squad packed with internationals. They’re certainly not good enough to win the Champions League this season, but have the calibre to go all the way in the lesser of the two knockout competitions.