Saints visit to face ex manager Mauricio Pochettino has been put back a day due to Spurs playing in the very competition our ex manager dreaded.
When he needed an interpreter to talk to his own supporters through the media, we Saints fans were told that the Europa League would be the worst thing that could happen to the club, presumably because Pochettino saw it as a drain on his playing resources which in turn could drag the team into a relegation battle, I can only think that because a club like Spurs see qualification to the competition as a minimum requirement for their season ad a springboard for higher things.
That was not how it was seen last season at St Mary's which probably tells you more about where the real ambition of the then manager and Chairman lay than any brash statements trolled out to appease the fans.
Now though Saints fans will have to travel on a Sunday to White Hart Lane for a 2.05 kick off with the game being put back a day to Sunday October 5th with a 2.05 pm kick off.
The Sky Sports live games for that day will be from London but not from White Hart Lane with Chelsea V Arsenal being the lunchtime game and West Ham V QPR scheduled for the late afternoon kick off.