There is a scenario where Tottenham Hotspur supporters’ pain and misery becomes a distant memory.
Perhaps as they relax on the sun loungers on vacation at the season’s end, the tepid, disjointed performances that have seen the club languishing around the relegation zone won’t feel that important.
The problem is Spurs need to win the Europa League for that to happen. Not that this is an impossible event.
There’s a decent chance of success; the North London team is better than semi-final opponent Bodo/Glimt and would fancy its chances against Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao.
But the insipid Premier League displays that have pushed the club to the lower reaches of the table mean there is a scarcity of belief that such an outcome will come to pass.
Fortunately, the man who appears most convinced sits in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout.
Having been interpreted as promising to win a trophy this season, thanks to a comment about consistently delivering silverware in his second campaign, Ange Postecoglou appears to see it as a point of personal pride.
“Our fans have been through a tough time. Hopefully this gives them something to look forward to,” Postecoglou said in the aftermath of his side beating Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter final.
“I’m the same coach that I was yesterday. The players have never lost belief. People like to mock and diminish my achievements, but I’ll leave that there.
“I don’t care; it doesn’t bother me; it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe?
“That’s much more important than what others may make of me.”
In a manner that has become expected in the past few weeks, the Australian coach added a barbed comment about his future.
“So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you’re going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer.”
The Austrian manager is ireful because he believes he’s been receiving unfair criticism from fans and journalists in the past few months.
However, doubts about Postecoglou have arisen because his team appears less sure of his methods this season.
Last year, there were some moments when Tottenham Hotspur’s bold approach got them into trouble, but you could rarely argue that the team hadn’t bought into the patterns of play.
This year, the same methodology is in place. However, the players don’t move as fast or with the same level of conviction.
As with the first season, it’s arguable that injuries have taken their toll. Postecoglou’s problem is that this excuse is starting to wear thin.
As Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher pointed out, listening to the coach speak can sometimes feel like we’re listening to the same thing on repeat.
“I think like when you listen to managers, you feel like you get the same interview because he’s talking about the same problems, but it’s his job to fix them,” the ex-Liverpool defender said.
“We shouldn’t forget they are in poor form – they lost last week at Wolves 4-2. The worry for me a little bit if I was a Spurs supporter, the manager’s talking about we play good football, we’ve let ourselves down with a couple of mistakes.
Unsurprisingly, Postecoglou refutes any suggestion that his team doesn’t have the same faith.
“They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here,” the Australian said.
“And that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back [from injury], that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me.
“Not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we’re doing. That is crucial when you’re having a difficult season, but there is also a season of opportunity there.”
Spurs’ plight under Postecoglou is somewhat baffling, but only to the extent that Antonio Conte’s implosion and Jose Mourinho’s vicious self-laceration before him were mysteries.
On paper, the club has so much going in its favor. It has one of the division’s best and most profitable stadiums, a vast global reach, a young squad filled with talented players, and a reputation as one of the Premier League’s biggest teams.
Financially, few compare to Tottenham Hotspur’s astute business acumen, as football finance expert at the University of Liverpool Kieran Maguire pointed out on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast recently.
“They are the most profitable club in the history of the Premier League. By far,” he told the ex-Manchester United star, “Best stadium, lowest wages compared to the money coming in.
“As a business, if I take away my football hat and put on my business hat, it’s absolutely perfect. And also they don’t have to pay any bonuses for winning trophies.”
Some would argue that this profitability hinders the club’s success. But that doesn’t really bear out when you look at the money it has spent in comparison to other teams. The club shows plenty of ambition and, contrary to popular belief, hasn’t been afraid of the transfer market in recent years.
If you look at the managers the club has attracted in the past four years, you will see that they include some of the most sought-after coaches in the game.
But for some reason, things keep souring. As if they are cursed, the men in the dugout at some stage start turning anger inwards, either at the hierarchy or, as has been the case quite often with Ange Postecoglou, supporters.
It’s hard to suggest any concrete reason that explains this. It is intangible; a vibe or culture causing the curse.
Yet you can’t help but feel that if silverware is delivered for the first time in around two decades, it is something that can be changed.