European Football: What is all the fuss about?

I really don't know why we've been so obsessed with qualifying for Europe for all these years. The format of this competition just seems to drain the excitement right out of it. I mean, what are we now, the last 32, last 16? I don't even know but it seems like we've played about 20 games so far. It appears as though I'm not the only person who couldn't give a toss anymore as Harry Redknapp thoughtfully decided for us that 3 points against Hull on Monday are more important than continuing in a competition we have been busting our balls to get into for the last 10 years. If we don't get those points I'm going to be more than a little upset.

Much was made of his decision to field his second string, but it didn't look much like a reserve team to me. I was under the impression that Gomes, Huddlestone, Dawson, Chimbonda, Jenas, Zokora and Bentley were all first teamers - at least they have been in the not-so-distant past. No, I don't think the team sheet was too shabby, but the tactics were definitely unambitious. Maybe playing for a draw looked like the sensible option at the time, after all it was away from home, on a crappy pitch and with a glut of 'more important' games on the horizon perhaps he thought we could take a draw and then nick it at The Lane. The plan has backfired.

In what was for most part a rather tedious affair, Tottenham's trademark collapse in the last 10 minutes cost us yet again. A 2 goal deficit looks too much to claw back against a Ukrainian side who are no mugs. Michael Dawson, ever the optimist, believes otherwise. "We knew coming to a place like this they would have a lot of the ball but we're disappointed. It's going to be an uphill task - but we still believe we can do it."

Well Michael, I beg to differ. Is there anybody out there who really believes we can keep a clean sheet next week? No, not much chance of that I'd of thought. Even letting in 1 goal means we'd have to stick 4 past them and I suspect our strongest team would struggle to do that, let alone the rag-tag mish-mash of reserve players and kids that will no doubt constitute the starting XI next Thursday.

"I gave one 17-year-old (Dean Parrett) his debut and might have four 17-year-olds next week," said Redknapp. "When we play the second leg it will only be half as strong as this side." Oh, ok, so that's that then. Ever struggled to get a ticket? Well next Thursday's game is for you.

"The magic of the UEFA Cup" isn't something you hear people saying very often, and for good reason. The ridiculous qualifying procedures, the excessive group stages and the unnecessary home and away legs for each of the knockout stages means that this competition just rumbles on and on and on. Unfortunately the powers that be have missed the opportunity to make significant changes and turn it into something genuinely exciting.

The Europa League, as it will be known from next season, will mean teams playing even more games to get to the knockout stages than they have to now. What UEFA should have done is expand it to include 64 teams and then just had a one legged knockout competition all the way to the semi-finals. That would add a bit of magic as we might be treated to some pulsating winner takes all cup ties and plucky underdogs having a right good crack at it. So what actually have they changed?

"The new name heralds major changes to the competition, which will have a new 48-team group stage with centralised marketing of broadcast rights, a presenting sponsor and an official matchball in addition to centralised sponsorship from the knockout stage and a new logo and visual identity."

What a load of old bollocks.