Tottenham despite having one of their very worst seasons in the Premier League where they have lost over 20 games and may not reach the 40 point mark will play in next season's Champions League. The Londoners beat Manchester United to win the Europa League this week. It was bedlam on the streets of Bilbao and London. This is the club's first trophy since 2008 and in a nightmarish season for them this trophy feels extra significant.
There is plenty of work to be done at Tottenham of course but a first European trophy in 41 years and beating not the side but the name of Manchester United in a final really is a statement win for them. Manager Ange Postecologu who has been incredibly naive this season did manage the game superbly. It was not a good spectacle but ironically he may have taken a leaf out of a Manchester United's great book in Alex Ferguson in order to win this game. Fergie's United side are of course known for their great free flowing football and attacking style but who remembers the 2008 Champions League semi final? United were tasked of beating Barcelona who were too good for them toe to toe. What did Ferguson do in the 2nd leg that had a 4-4 scoreline written all over it? He reigned his tactics in, played defensively. Played professionally. It worked. And the much more talented Barcelona side saw the game pass them by as they lost 1-0. It was very much not a typical United game, no fan cared the job was done. This is the type of tactic we witnessed from Ange and Tottenham. It was a style that went against Ange's philosophy of how the game must be played. In Bilbao it was all about how the game must be won. Ange adapted, Amorim like the whole of his tenure at United did not.
On the other side of the coin is Ruben Amorim who only has the briefest of magical moments with the club in his first season. The evening at Old Trafford when United came back to score 3 goals in six minutes against Lyon certainly has a memory. Although given it was a game in the Europa League which they did not go on to win may just rub the gloss from that game. Overall Amorim's United have been very poor and one has to wonder if the bottom three had not been so poor this season would United be in a relegation fight on the final upcoming weekend? What is next for Amorim? Winning the Europa League would have installed some belief and perhaps a middle finger to all his critics but now losing it just feels like, well, another terrible defeat in a season of them. If he does stay and that is an if he has what looks like an impossible job at hand. One would think selling 70% of the team may help but what quality players can the club bring in with no European football next season? We have been talking about an end of an era since Alex Ferguson left the club. But it really feels like a new chapter for the club from this day forward, the problem is that the story looks dire.
This has been a season of surprises. Newcastle won their first trophy since the 1960s, Crystal Palace won their first trophy ever, Tottenham are back on the trophy trail after a 17 year gap and Liverpool wrapped up only their 3rd title in 35 years. More cup wise we have got enterainment thrills and surprises but it has not been a vintage season in the league. It all seemed rather too easy for Liverpool who did much of the groundwork by December. They were like a pacesetter in a 5,000m race but when have you ever seen the pacesetter just keep on going with no challenge? At the bottom there is a worrying trend of the 3 teams who come up going straight back down. All three sides were so poor that it left us with no relegation excitement and knowing the outcome for a good three months. As for Manchester City what a fall from grace it has been. Manager Pep Guardiola finally knows the real hardship of the job as his club have dropped points week in and out, though still look good for Champions League qualification. However ending the season with no trophies is going to have hurt him. Losing Rodri so early on was an obvious blow. However reliable players like Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland have been going through the motions although Haaland has had his injuries and can still score goals but he just hasn't looked world class this season. Rodri coming back will feel like a new signing next season but you wonder if City's struggles may continue nonetheless as we also await the final verdict of the 115 charges against them. The club and Guardiola look shattered and so FIFA have rewarded them with a brand new World Club Cup beginning in a few weeks time, just what the club or any of the other elite ones invited do not need....
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