Let Down

That's the only way to describe this Champions League campaign - one giant let down. A mixture of bitter disappointment fueling a much-needed reality check, exit from the Champions League has to spur us on - or we risk the long term implications of failing to secure a top four finish.

I think it's safe to say we can attribute partial blame to the utter catastrophe that has been Wembley. Our record there is abysmal, skewed partially by some unfavourable cup ties, but still makes for difficult reading. On paper, it should've been magical - 80,000 yids under one roof - but the results couldn't have been more horrific. I'm serious - Leverkusen at home is as bad as I've seen us play under Pochettino. Stage fright? Perhaps. It's a stadium devoid of any real atmosphere, bar the largely fantastic away support. It was never a home tie, but you've got to win your home games if you're going to get anywhere in football. In truth, we were in trouble a mere thirty minutes into the group stage when we found ourselves 2-0 down to Monaco, a theoretically weaker team than ourselves. Our confidence in the competition never truly recovered. Bar a smash-and-grab in Moscow, we were largely out-performed in every single match. But is it a case of gulf in quality - between both our first team/reserves and Champions/Europa League? Or were we simply disinterested and uninspired from the get go?

In truth, it's a bit of everything. Blame can be attributed to just about anything connected to Tottenham; at this point, I'm not entirely convinced the much maligned Moussa Sissoko wasn't behind Lasagnagate. Importantly, we must recognise that no one is blameless, and that Pochettino himself must be partially accountable for his persistent rotation. It's the ultimate catch twenty-two scenario - play your strongest team in the league and rest them in the Champions League in order to qualify for next year's competition. Logically, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and I think Poch will have learnt a lot from his team selection last night. I like Kieran Trippier as a player, but he was god awful last night. It's all well and good saying he's a great crosser of the ball, but what's the point in whipping a good ball in if you can't defend? I was closer to the opposition for both of their goals than Trippier was, and I was in f#cking London. And don't get me started on Dier and Wimmer - both good defenders with high potential, but without the experience of the Belgian duo beside them they looked immensely fragile at times. Dier's conceded penalty, although inconsequential in the end, still reeked of absolute nonchalance, as if to sum up our entire Champions League campaign. No conviction whatsoever, and that's before I reach Son's one on one.

That finish - or lack of - from Son had shades of Fiorentina away from a couple of years ago in the sense that it should not have been physically possible to mess up that badly. He dribbled so far wide of the keeper he had £2,000 on the blackjack tables of Monte-Carlo casino. He's undoutedly a good player, but he seems to operate seems to work off instinct; when given too long to think  about it , he struggles to make a meaningful decision, further highlighting how much we miss Lamela's decisiveness in and around the area.. In fairness, the only genuine highlight of the match was Harry Winks bursting past three players instead of playing a simple pass backwards. It speaks wonders for not only his natural ability but also his confidence, and I would imagine he's in line to keep his place against Chelsea. 

We now come to the elephant in the room: Wembley stadium. God help us if we don't conquer this fear by next season, when all our home games will take place in an atmosphere similar to the International Space Station. We've missed the white hot noise of the Lane, with the enclosed crowd playing a pivotal role in our success last time we were among Europe's elite. It's a hostile atmosphere for away sides, not a neutral stadium that cup finals are played in. If our players shirk responsibility in the home matches, the opposition thrive on it; in their relatively short careers, most footballers won't even get the chance to play at Wembley, adding an extra incentive to their play. What our supporters must understand, though, is that if we're to improve in the long run then this is a necessary evil. A year or so at Wembley, despite drawing obvious detriment to our performances, will see us into a brand new stadium, part of Levy's masterplan for the development of the club. I believe Hot Fuzz called it 'the greater good'.

I think the title is the perfect summation of our fans' feelings towards the Champions League. After all the excitement and buildup, particularly before home games, I cannot help but feel utterly let down by the team. Still, we were due a good moan - we're still unbeaten in the league after all - and I'd much rather be in our position than say Leicester's, who went all out in this competition but have struggled immensely in the league. What we do need, though, is a massive response this weekend, before serious questions are asked of our credentials this season.