Tottenham have turned the narrative around themselves over the past week with back-to-back victories. Their latest victory, in particular, saw them run riot against Manchester United on their home turf.
On the back of their latest exploits, Spurs have received some huge backing from two big football media personalities.
Ian Wright and Julien Laurens back Tottenham to win a trophy
In a recent appearance on Premier League Productions, Ian Wright and Julien Laurens claimed Tottenham had what it took to win silverware.
The Arsenal legend was full of praise for Ange Postecoglou and his men.
“I think, if we’re gonna judge him on his last result, he’s confident in himself to say that [he always wins in his second seasons], and when you look at the way Tottenham play, and of course injuries are key, you could see that Tottenham side winning a trophy.”
The French football expert echoed his sentiment.
“Yeah, like the Europa League, since there are no teams dropping down from the big one [Champions League], I think they’ll have a chance, and in the two domestic clubs as well.
“When Plan A works, like it worked yesterday, it’s possible. Of course it didn’t work against Arsenal and Newcastle, but if they can do Plan A better, then they can beat anybody on the day.”
Spurs face Man City in Round 4 of the Carabao Cup.
Bold, but doable
Once you put the “Spurs always bottle” banter aside and look at things sensibly, you realise that Spurs have always been capable of winning silverware. The side that lifted the League Cup in 2008 was not necessarily better than the 2019 side that lost the Champions League final.
But that’s how the narrative goes; people care little for nuance and reach for surface-level conclusions which are driven by results, and owing to a mixture of poor squad selection, fixture allocation, and sheer bad luck, Spurs remain trophy-less for over a decade and a half. One can understand why Daniel Levy tried to rectify that with José Mourinho and Antonio Conte, even though it did not work out.
Tactically, the win over United has sent Spurs fans into a phase of euphoria, and why should we take that away from anyone while it lasts, let alone them? The fact remains that Postecoglou’s dogmatic take on playing football one and only one way is simply not a recipe conducive for success in the long term, especially not in the Premier League, when teams tactically figure you out right during a game.
On Sunday, Spurs came up against a United side that went on the backfoot right away by offering them the initiative; they took it, they ran with it. It just as well could have turned out the other way, and when the two sides face each other again this season, regardless of who is at the helm at Old Trafford, Postecoglou will find himself facing a side set to thwart his so-called “Plan A”, which is what he has been experiencing since the start of the season against sides that are, well, more competent.
It’s a good moment for Spurs, but it will not last.
