The sole upside of our poor form and probable failure to qualify for the CL is that going back into the Europa, whilst not desirable (nor assured at this stage), is that we can get back to blooding some youngsters with the first team. If you see how those melts down the road are using it, I fully expect they’ll reap the benefits in the next season or two with a couple of HG players being established in the first team
If we are in the Europa League I'd hope we do blood some youngsters but in 2014/15 and 2015/16 when Poch led Spurs in EL aside from playing mainly established players :
- He used it to 'polish' players with some first team experience (best example obviously Kane). And that was certainly worth while
- He played only a few players without previous first team experience - examples being Harry Winks and Joshua Onomah. But most of the others only had one appearance….ever....for Spurs.
So the area we are most weak in now - developing players from 18 to 21 either with first team experience or out on loan - was little different when Spurs were last in EL to now. We didn't play them much in the EL games or loan them out.
ATM we have 3 players ready to be integrated into first team in Parrott, Skipp and Tanganga. We also have a number of younger players who might follow.....if the opportunity is there.
We have lost a few players in recent years as there is no perceived pathway to first team so they are following the Jadon Sancho route to European clubs - an example being our previous u16 captain Noni Mandueke (just called up for E u17) who went to PSV and who now has started to have first team involvement there.
So the approach to developing players from age 18 to age 21 will still need to change. A bit depressing that what was obvious 5 or 6 years ago remains the same today !
Equally depressing that Chelsea, after loaning out lots of their young players over the years have, as a result of a penalty for illegally signing young players, have had to play some of them (typically one or maximum two from each of the intakes who are now between ages of 18 to 23), and they are looking good.
As we have not loaned out our best players, we don't have players with significant valuable loan experience to try out in our first team, so Spurs are a step behind.