Do Tottenham actually want to play in Europe?
For the life of me, I cannot understand why Mauricio Pochettino rested two of his back four in Monaco and then watched Spurs crash out of the Champions League.
After fighting so hard to reach the promised land, even if it was by finishing third in a two-horse race, I have no idea why manager Pochettino gave it away again.
Already, there’s a joke doing the rounds about putting Pochettino in charge of Britain’s Brexit negotiations... because he got Spurs out of Europe in just two months.
But it’s no laughing matter for the Tottenham supporters, who must be seething – especially as Arsenal have qualified for the knockout phase, as usual, and left their neighbours to fight over scraps in the Europa League.
Don’t get me wrong, Pochettino has got a lot more right than wrong in his time at White Hart Lane.
But I cannot understand why he would prioritise their unbeaten Premier League record ahead of staying in the Champions League by resting Jan Vertonghen, Kyle Walker and Christian Eriksen against Monaco.
If Spurs lose at Chelsea on Saturday, they will be out of the Champions League AND possibly out of the title race — so where does that leave them?
Pochettino spoke after Tuesday's defeat about needing a bigger squad, but that doesn’t really wash when you have spent £50million in the summer on Moussa Sissoko and Vincent Janssen, who have not pulled up any trees for Spurs so far.
If you are going to play Champions League football, you might as well give it your best shot and go for it.
Even Newcastle, in the Championship, have spent £50m on new players this season. So perhaps Tottenham could have pushed the boat out further.
Look at the way Leicester embraced the challenge and came flying through the group stage.
Nobody is going to tell me they have a better squad than Spurs do.
And if Pochettino was worried about the physical demands of playing away in Europe and visiting Stamford Bridge in the same week, he got the best deal: Tuesday night in Monte Carlo and the late kick-off on Saturday teatime.
It’s not on the same scale as arriving home from somewhere in Russia or Turkey at 4am on a Thursday, followed by a Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
Spurs didn’t play with the handbrake on in the European Cup when Harry Redknapp was in charge, did they?
Everyone remembers Gareth Bale running Maicon ragged in the San Siro six years ago, and it was fantastic to watch.
Tottenham have got to decide whether they want to compete at Champions League level or just dabble in European football.
They are not the first team from north London to struggle after switching home games in Europe to Wembley, but they should have been good enough to get out of a group containing Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen and CSKA Moscow.
Now the best they can manage is third place and dropping into the Europa League – where I saw Pochettino also field a weakened team away to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of a last 16 tie in March and take a hammering.
So my question to Spurs now is simple: Do you want to play in Europe or not?
If they are serious about being in the Champions League next season, my advice would be to treat the Europa League seriously.
Tottenham could still win the title, but I don’t think they will.
And they shouldn’t take a top-four finish for granted, because two out of them, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool are going to miss the cut.
That’s why I cannot understand Pochettino’s gamble that didn’t pay off in the Monte Carlo casino.
And as usual, it’s Arsenal fans who are laughing the loudest.
