Early this morning, Tottenham drew 1-1 in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals when hosting Eintracht Frankfurt at home. Spurs' opponents are considered very strong as they are in the Top 3 Bundesliga and competing for a Champions League ticket with many other strong opponents.
Tottenham are 14th in the Premier League and have no hope for a competition. However, in the Premier League, they have reached the quarter-finals and are preparing to face Frankfurt. If we consider the club's name in recent years, Ange Postecoglou and his team are being ranked among the top candidates for the championship.
Like Man United, if they win the Europa League this season, Tottenham will be more successful than expected. That is also the only lifeline for the team itself and the coaching staff members who are facing the risk of being fired.
If they beat Frankfurt, Spurs' next semi-final opponents will be Lazio or Bodo Glimt. Frankfurt is the champion in 2022, while Lazio have never been considered an easy name to play. However, if placed next to these two teams, "The Rooster" is still considered to be at the top, at least in the matches at Tottenham Stadium. Therefore, as long as he is himself, Postecoglou and his team may go to the final stage in Bilbao (Spain) in May.
Looking back on the domestic journey, this could be Tottenham's worst season in the Premier League era. After 31 rounds, the North London team has lost 16 matches. The last time they finished in a lower position than they are now was in the 1993-1994 season.
The last time Tottenham lost more than half of their national championship matches was 90 years ago (the 193-1935 season). That year Spurs were relegated and could not return to the national championship until 22.
This season, injuries have devastated Tottenham's squad very severely. In the past 2 months in the Premier League, Postecoglou's team has only won against Southampton, Ipswich Town and Manchester United. The lack of both weak and inflated squads will be a huge challenge for the North London team on their journey to conquer something this season.
Like Man United, Tottenham must win the Europa League to save the whole season. In the past, many teams have had poor results in national championships but have won the European Cup. Liverpool in 2005 only finished 5th in the Premier League but won the Champions League. Chelsea finished 6th in 2012 but did the same.
Tottenham are not a roadmap in European competition every time they step onto the continental stage. Remember the 2019 campaign when they reached the finals on an almost unimaginable journey. Other than confidence and determination, Tottenham currently have nothing in hand, from position, personnel to stature.
In the Europa League, there is more interest in Man United, but that does not mean Tottenham are on the sidelines. The return to Germany in a week will be the decisive moment in whether Son Heung-min and his teammates are capable of doing a miracle in May.
