New Delhi: Nearly two years ago, when Ange Postecoglou defended his decision not to drop his attacking approach despite a 4-1 loss to Chelsea, with his team Tottenham Hotspur going down to nine men, it drew a mixed response from the fans and media alike. The words were, “It’s just who we are mate – it’s who we are and who we will be for as long as I am here. If we go down to five men, we will have a go.”
While some felt that his stance was a mark of confidence that a team boss should always have, some called it foolish for not being flexible in the principles, as per situation. He continued to stick by those rules nonetheless, but seemed to have abandoned them for the biggest game of his tenure with Spurs and also the club’s recent history.
On Wednesday, when the Lilywhites took on Manchester United in an all-English Europa League final, held at Bilbao’s San Mames, they successfully extracted a 1-0 win, spending almost the entire second half defending, eventually winning their first trophy in 17 years. Now the coach is known for not changing his tactics, so what made him do it?
Why a change in the style?
Believe it or not, but Postecoglou gave hints that he was preparing to take a more analytical approach in the team’s fourth fixture against the Red Devils, in their second leg Europa League semi-final itself, which was against Bodo/Glimt. According to a BBC report, Spurs had just 31.6% possession at the home of the Norwegians, and against United, they had the ball for just 27.7% of the game, both the lowest in the games won under Postecoglou.
His abandonment of the principles in the Wednesday final can be credited to – him having nothing to lose. How but…? The club has had a torrid domestic form this year, regardless of the fact that they are Europa League winners and are going to the Champions League next year. They currently face the danger of finishing just one place outside the Premier League relegation zone, having lost 21 of their 37 league games with one more to go.
This means that there is some kind of uncertainty over the manager’s future, even after the Europa triumph. The North London side had already played United three times this season and claimed all of the games, scoring eight goals and conceding just three, which underlined their coach’s unique and aggressive style of play.
More to follow…
Tottenham Hotspur lifted the Europa League 2025 trophy after beating Manchester United in the final at San Mamés, but the traditional “Ange-ball” didn’t look at play, specifically during the second half. A change in the tactic? Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
