The open-top bus parade begins at Monday lunchtime. 1000’s of followers are anticipated to line the streets to pay tribute to Ange Postecoglou and his workforce as they wind their approach down the Excessive Street, earlier than a civic reception at Tottenham City Corridor. There, captain Son Heung-min will finish 16 lengthy years of silverware famine by hoisting aloft the Denying Arsenal The League Trophy, and albeit few males have achieved extra to earn it.
In fact Spurs have by no means made issues simple for themselves, and there have been loads of heart-stopping moments throughout that essential defeat by Manchester Metropolis when it seemed like they may salvage a draw, or perhaps a disastrous win. To return by way of in the long run was a real workforce effort, key gamers standing down when it mattered most: that reliably unreliable defence, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg failing to plug the gaps in midfield, Son gloriously fluffing that one-on-one probability within the closing levels.
And maybe probably the most arresting side of this deeply bizarre sport was the best way that – even within the depths of its weirdness – it additionally felt like a wholly logical fruits of every part that has come to cross in Postecoglou’s first season. The hearty embrace of pyrrhic victories over precise victories. The spinning and repackaging. And above all a marketing campaign outlined much less by tangible goals than by the irreverent pursuit of pure enjoyment at any price. Welcome to the temple of Ange, the place the wins really feel like wins and the defeats – in some way – additionally really feel like wins.
So actually this was the right end result all spherical: a defeat that made Anne Hathaway, Martin Keown and Piers Morgan depressing, and but nonetheless preserved a sure self-pride and enhanced Postecoglou’s personal teaching status. In spite of everything, there may be little disgrace in shedding to Metropolis, significantly while you achieve this as stylishly and ambitiously as this: attacking with startling abandon and tactical verve, having fun with the lion’s share of possession and a slew of fine possibilities.
And but at the same time as Son ran by way of on purpose within the closing minutes, you may nonetheless detect a sure ambivalence among the many Spurs followers behind Stefan Ortega’s purpose, a way that it could be tremendous if he scored, and tremendous if he missed, and good banter both approach. The successful of a nook within the 78th minute was greeted not with the type of feral roar you would possibly count on from a workforce 1-0 down and nonetheless in with a shout of Champions League qualification, however a well mannered and virtually embarrassed ripple of applause.
It had been that sort of week, actually. Ever because it turned clear that Tottenham held Arsenal’s destiny of their fingers, this was a sport condemned to die on the altar of The Discourse.
There have been rumours of Spurs followers returning tickets to the change of their a whole bunch. Rumours of Arsenal followers hoovering them up. Rumours {that a} 61-year-old Erik Thorstvedt would possibly begin in purpose.
Naturally most of this belonged within the realm of on-line silliness, and shortly sufficient pre-game ambivalence gave approach to a thrumming, relentless opening, a sort of Whole Angeball: 4 midfielders, two wingers, no strikers, the sort of lineup Pep Guardiola used to place out when he nonetheless had beliefs. Half-time arrived with Spurs on 55% possession, and Erling Haaland on simply 11 touches.
Haaland’s inevitable opening purpose smashed the facade, and but Spurs spent the remainder of the sport gallantly attempting to keep up it. Pedro Porro tried a backheel and misplaced possession, however Ange nonetheless appeared to love it. Rodrigo Bentancur got here off and seemed livid about it: once more good, as a result of it confirmed he cared. Son sprinted 40 yards to cost down Ederson, placing him 40 yards offside for the following section of play, however good depth, good areas.
In a approach, the complete Postecoglou mission is an impressive act of misdirection, an train in making the identical failure style higher. Shedding 4-1 at residence to Chelsea with 9 males: a daring signal of progress. Shedding 3-2 at residence to Arsenal: a unbelievable comeback from 3-0 down. Not qualifying for the Champions League: tremendous, truly, as a result of this can be a holistic journey and we aren’t sure by your staid earthly metrics. Sending on 16-year-old Mikey Moore at 2-0 down for a pointless injury-time debut instructed us nothing about Moore, however did inform us what an incredible man Ange is.
And, frankly, why not? Tottenham are usually not set as much as win trophies on an industrial scale, now or sooner or later, and so to an extent the job of any Spurs supervisor is to search out the enjoyment within the sport, to reconnect with the method slightly than fixate on the ends. If stopping Arsenal from successful the league makes Spurs followers really feel good, then who’s anybody to begrudge that?
Naturally Postecoglou affected a livid manner afterwards, however actually this was a scenario he himself has created. This has been a season of real progress, a obligatory palate-cleanser after the sourness of the José Mourinho and Antonio Conte years. Fifth place with a makeshift squad after promoting Harry Kane: actually, not unhealthy in any respect. However while you detach your mission so totally from precise outcomes, you don’t get to behave stunned when followers begin to do the identical.
