With the impending replay against Leicester just a few hours away, I thought I'd revisit the timeless debate: 4th place or the FA Cup? No doubt this has been done to death but I thought I'd weigh up the pros and cons of both rewards.
First off, let us clarify something quickly. Every Spurs fans wants to win every game. Every proper fan, anyway. No proper fan wants to watch their side lose. Fixture congestion and fitness problems may ensue, but the game is about glory. Winning.
The problem emerges, however, when fans are asked what they'd prefer. Champions League football and a higher finish, or a day out at Wembley and that one moment of eternal bliss - watching Lloris lift that trophy. Both have their positives. I hate seeing fans argue, suggesting the opposing viewpoint is somehow invalid and makes them any less of a supporter. Both sides want success, after all.
Securing Champions League football for next season could be absolutely revolutionary for Tottenham Hotspur. We are privileged enough to have several future stars in our line-up; Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier among others and even some current top-class talents in Toby Alderweireld and Hugo Lloris. Players of this calibre, both present and future, ultimately want to be playing at the top. That is, of course, CL football. Berbatov, Modric and Bale all left for it and the latter both got their hands on club football's biggest trophy (quite literally). The point is this: the best players will want to play in the Champions League. By qualifying through a higher league finish this season, we give ourselves the best possible chance of not only retaining our best players, but also adding to it. One of our best and most exciting signings of the past decade, Rafael Van der Vaart, was signed when we could offer Champions League football. Just imagine the talent we could add to our ranks by finishing 4th this year.
I'll never forget what my Dad said to me as we walked through Wembley stadium one April afternoon. He told me he wanted to win the FA Cup to create a legacy while we had the likes of Bale, Van der Vaart and Modric, purely because everything could fall apart in the near future. And sure enough, four months later, Luka Modric joined Real Madrid after enjoying a trophy-less spell at Tottenham. Sure, we had a great team. But we didn't consolidate that legacy by actually winning anything. I was gutted that afternoon. I wanted to win a trophy more than anything. I felt the same disappointment three years later as we went down to the same side in the same venue. At the end of the day, that one moment of unrivalled passion and celebration is what any fans want. Trophies. Success. Winning.
But look at the facts. Only two of the last few decade's worth of winners has been a club outside that season's top four. Historically, the FA Cup is a trophy with a rich history of upset. Granted, anyone can beat anyone in this cup. But the winners almost always tend to be the clubs at the top of the division. Why? Because they have the best players. And why is that? Because they can offer higher wages, thanks in no small part to the financial windfall that is a Champions League football. There's an undeniable correlation between long term success - and trophies - and regular CL participation.
Essentially, given a black and white choice, I would prefer to finish 4th this season. Looking at the bigger picture, I really think that would set us up to win far more trophies if we can consolidate ourselves as a regular top four side. But I can't begrudge any fan that would rather taste success this campaign. We've haven't won the FA Cup in 25 years - before I was even born - and we're desperate for more silverware. I'll be cheering us on tonight because I want to win the FA Cup. It doesn't matter if I'd choose CL football, I want both.
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