Defeat May Help Our Progression

So during my temporary suspension from the golden cup of Spurs news that is Newsnow, we've drafted in a couple of temporary players. Not quite by the skin of the teeth but almost. Queue any temporary panic that may have been starting to kick in to ease off a little as we now have another forward in Manu Adebayor. Good. The boy knows the Premier League and has shown he can score at The Lane more than we would have previously liked.

The other boy is one Yago Falque on loan from the Old Lady for a season. I'll be frank and state that my encyclopedia, ahem, of players doesn't stretch as far as this boy but hopefully he'll give Lennon some competition on the flank. Yes, hopefully.

But recently we found that our Carling Cup fate is a tricky tie up in Stoke. This competition has brought the highs (winners 08), the lows (defeat at the first hurdle last season) and the laughs (Arsenal falling in the final at the hands of Brum after a comical error). Although, it's one cup that we find we're pretty split on. In modern football for us there is this perception that finishing 4th would come priority over winning the FA Cup, the Carling Cup or the Europa League. Some of you may argue against this but I do find, as disappointing as it may sound, that this is the general consensus. Such is it where the financial rewards of a place in the Champions League vast exceed winning any three of these competitions should mean that our progression as a club would be boosted should we make 4th. Again.

It still brings a frown and a sigh of disappointment when I see the Scots given a chance to secure a sacred place in Europe's most prestigious competition and then come September seeing that side fallen out of European competition altogether. Yeah I know, FIFA's brilliant idea of spreading the brand of football to all countries and that. I'll still reserve my own opinion about it all though.

With the Carling Cup now seen as more of an irritant more than anything, and with the Europa league having the effect of playing two seasons in one, it could prove a blessing in disguise should we fall short at Stoke. Give our younger players another competition in which to prove their worth, throw them into the rough for a taste of a typical English Premier League game and see how they cope; we may even see one bright light emerge.

I'd never not support Spurs wherever and whoever they play, but giving the youngsters and fringe players a run in the Carling Cup as we should in the Europa League may reveal a star in the making and help the first 11 focus on the fight to regain 4th once more. With Arsenal looking incredibly vulnerable this season, this could well be our last hope to climb into the promised land of the Champions League before another monopoly is reborn.

Regards.

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