The New York Times

Tottenham Hotspur were a huge disappointment for the majority of the 2024-25 season. They finished 17th, losing 22 times — the most ever in a 38-game Premier League season by a side who were not relegated — but how much does any of that really matter anymore?

While their league form nosedived, Spurs kept plugging away in the Europa League. Ange Postecoglou tweaked his tactics and guided them to a first major trophy in 17 years.

Luka Modric, Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Hugo Lloris were world-class talents who never lifted silverware with Spurs. This current squad have endured an often torrid season but are now heroes in the eyes of every single supporter.

This season will be remembered as…

A wild rollercoaster which ended in the best way possible.

A crippling injury crisis derailed them in the league so attention shifted firmly to the cup competitions, but it was still difficult to have faith that they would end the season with silverware.

Postecoglou proved everybody wrong. The squad and the staff stuck together and it all paid off in Bilbao when they beat Manchester United 1-0 to win the Europa League final.

Game of the season

Two weeks after Spurs lost at home to Ipswich Town, they thrashed Man City 4-0 at the Etihad. James Maddison was sensational and scored twice while Guglielmo Vicario played the entire second half with a fractured ankle. Things spiralled out of control in the league soon after this game but at the time it felt like anything was possible.

Spurs’ 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-final second leg stands out too. Everybody thought Spurs would lose in Germany and that the pressure on Postecoglou would be cranked up even more, but he surprised us all by coaching a disciplined performance. It turned out to be the blueprint for their success against United.

Goal of the season

It has to be Johnson’s scrappy effort in the final for its sheer importance but let’s look at our options if we want something more aesthetically pleasing.

Maddison produced a couple of superb goals this season including a delicate chip against Man City and a free kick in a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa. Son Heung-min scored directly from a corner in the crazy Carabao Cup quarter-final with Manchester United.

Johnson’s strike against United at Old Trafford in September was inside the six-yard box but the real beauty of his goal came from Micky van de Ven’s glorious run. The centre-back pinched the ball from Marcus Rashford before he charged forward 70 metres and drilled a perfect cross for Johnson to attack. It was an incredible display of skill, speed and strength from the Dutchman.

Moment of the season

Johnson might have scored the winning goal in the Europa League final but, in the 68th minute, Van de Ven produced a jaw-dropping goal-line clearance. Rasmus Hojlund’s header looped over Vicario but Van de Ven jumped and smashed the ball into the air with his right foot. It was a stunning piece of acrobatics and at one stage he was horizontal in the air.

If Hojlund had scored, United would have drawn level with 20 minutes remaining and the momentum would have completely swung in their favour. Van de Ven boldly sacrificed himself, he hurt his back when he landed, and produced an instantly iconic moment.

Spurs’ 3-0 victory over Elfsborg deserves a special mention. All three goalscorers — Damola Ajayi, Dane Scarlett and Mikey Moore — were academy graduates. It gave the supporters a glimpse of an exciting future.

Did that really happen?

Spurs played Liverpool four times this season and conceded 16 goals but they beat them in January in controversial circumstances in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg. Lucas Bergvall made a couple of erratic tackles while he was on a yellow card, including wiping out Kostas Tsimikas when Liverpool were on the counter, but somehow was not sent off.

Just over a minute after Bergvall’s challenge on Tsimikas, Kevin Danso launched the ball long for Dominic Solanke to chase. Tottenham’s club-record signing then set-up Bergvall for a simple finish. It was a special moment for the teenager but Liverpool were incensed. Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk were furious with the referee while assistant coach Sipke Huslhoff was sent off.

Favourite quote

“I don’t usually win things in my second season, I always win things.”

This quote has hung over Postecoglou ever since he said it after September’s defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby. Postecoglou tried to explain a few days later that he was just stating a fact, but lots of people interpreted it as an arrogant boast.

He would have been mocked if Spurs lost the Europa League final but now people will look at his comments as a prophetic statement. During the post-match celebrations, Sergio Reguilon and Maddison held up a banner with an image of Postecoglou with that famous line written underneath.

Biggest surprise

It has to be the unlikely redemption of Djed Spence. The full-back joined Spurs from Nottingham Forest in July 2022 but spent his first two years at the club sitting on the bench or on loan at Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa.

He seemed destined to leave but produced a couple of encouraging performances in pre-season which prompted Postecoglou to keep him. The 24-year-old had to wait until December to make his first start but was one of the team’s best performers during the second half of the campaign. Spence has looked excellent on the left and right, capable of driving the team forward with his runs and defending diligently.

The funniest moment

Take your pick from the crazy celebrations after Spurs lifted the Europa League trophy. Cristian Romero’s dancing, Maddison getting his revenge on Roy Keane, Yves Bissouma walking around topless with a speaker strapped to his back or Richarlison banging a drum in the crowd.

Best performance by an opposition player

Beck Ray-Enoru, a shop assistant at Zara, gave Pedro Porro a surprisingly difficult afternoon in January’s 3-0 victory over non-League side Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup but, unfortunately, the serious answer is Cole Palmer.

Chelsea’s playmaker inspired their comeback victory over Spurs in December and scored two penalties, including a Panenka that prompted goalkeeper Fraser Forster to kick the ball away in disgust. Dominik Szoboszlai was a menace every time they faced Liverpool too.

Rate the manager’s season out of 10

It is tempting to give Postecoglou a 10 for achieving something that Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino, coaches with much bigger reputations, failed to do with Spurs. However, his team did lose a lot of games, which we can’t entirely ignore, so I will give him an 8 and look forward to your complaints below…

The issue that will dominate the summer

The Athletic reported in March that Postecoglou’s long-term future was in serious doubt and that winning a trophy might not be enough to save him. We will likely know within the next few days whether the Australian will still be in charge come August, or if Spurs need to spend the summer looking for a replacement.

If chairman Daniel Levy decides to part company with Postecoglou, then the fanbase will argue about whether it was the right decision for years to come.

This time next year we’ll be saying…

“Maybe Spurs should not have sacked their first manager to win a trophy in 17 years…”

Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images

It was almost 6.40pm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the music was turned off and the South Stand found their voice again. They belted out Ange Postecoglou’s name over and over again as he stood down in front of them, surrounded by the players and their families.

This was a strange day at Spurs, one where the real occasion was everything that happened after the final whistle. It started just before 6.15pm when Son Heung-min walked back out onto the pitch holding the Europa League trophy, roared on by a stadium that was still almost full. Postecoglou came out after his players, making sure to hug every one of the club icons — Ossie Ardiles, Steve Perryman, Ricky Villa, Pat Jennings — forming a guard of honour.

It felt like a symbolic moment, one that marked how significant Postecoglou now is to the modern history of this club.

In a sense, this was his day. His name was sung louder and more frequently than it has been all season. He was warmly applauded when he walked around the pitch at the end. As he was about to leave the field, he kept being grabbed for photographs by people who wanted to share the moment with him.

All of these images, all of these memories, will be in Daniel Levy’s mind in the coming days as he prepares to make one of the biggest decisions of his life. Simply: does Postecoglou, the man who delivered the biggest trophy, the greatest moment of the 24-year ENIC era, get a third season as manager or not? Is it worth sacrificing this unique climate to start again with someone like Thomas Frank or Marco Silva?

Less than one week ago, it felt inevitable that this would be the last week of Postecoglou’s tenure. That had been the expectation for the last few months, and nobody said anything to seriously challenge it. Even in Bilbao, the night before the final, he spoke about how he had been in this position before, “where the big game was the last game”. It sounded like he was preparing for the end. It felt like this would be yet another reset summer for Spurs: new manager, new ideas, new direction.

But then Bilbao happened and everything changed. What if this direction was always the right one after all?

This is a different football club now. It has been transformed by what happened in Spain on Wednesday night, and then back here in Tottenham on Friday afternoon. You could see it as soon as you walked down the High Road and saw the ‘Europa League Winners’ signs attached to every lamp post. Or the ‘champions of Europe’ scarves that have been hurriedly made to sell at the merchandise stands. Or the huge ‘WINNERS’ sign over the glass entrance on the west side of the stadium.

The change of the last few days is about more than signage. It is even about more than Postecoglou fulfilling his line on winning in his second season. It is about something more fundamental than that. It is about a change in mood, in energy, in status and prestige.

During the 17 years between Ledley King lifting the League Cup at Wembley and last Wednesday night, Tottenham became increasingly synonymous with not winning. In a sense, this was unfair, given that they had a good team under Harry Redknapp and then a very good one under Mauricio Pochettino. But there has always been an element of luck about which teams win which trophies. And Spurs always found themselves on the wrong side of it.

When this stadium was opened six years ago, the hope was that it would help Tottenham bridge the gap to their rivals and bring about the trophies the fans had been waiting for so long. It nearly happened sooner than anyone planned. Within weeks of opening the stadium, Spurs were in the Champions League final. If they had beaten Liverpool in Madrid, it would have been Pochettino, Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane, Dele Alli and the rest parading the trophy down the High Road.

But that did not happen and the dominant moods here for most of the time since 2019 have been variations on disappointment, frustration, apathy and anger.

Up until Wednesday night, the abiding images of this season were the anti-Levy protest marches, attracting thousands of disgruntled fans who had run out of patience with the running of the club. And yet those images have now been supplanted in the shared Spurs consciousness by everything we saw last week. Tottenham Hotspur has never in the modern era been a happier, prouder, more positive or more unified place than it is right now. And that is all down to Postecoglou masterminding the Europa League triumph, guiding Spurs all the way to Bilbao and then beating Manchester United in the final.

Just last week, any survey of match-going Spurs fans would probably have given you an ‘Ange Out’ majority. Those 21 Premier League defeats (made 22 with the 4-1 loss to Brighton) — the most in any 38-game league season in the club’s history — ground the fanbase down. Incidents between Postecoglou and Spurs fans, not least the ear-cupping moment at Stamford Bridge on 3 April, suggested that the relationship between the manager and the matchgoing fans was badly damaged. When that happens, it usually just points to one outcome.

There have been plenty of moments this season where sacking Postecoglou would have been acceptable, even popular with large sections of the crowd. Some of Spurs’ worst defeats — Liverpool at home, Everton away, Leicester at home, Liverpool away — did have an end-of-days feel about them.

But Wednesday prompted a shift among the fans in favour of Postecoglou. Many of those who previously favoured a change now feel Postecoglou has earned the right to have a third season, and a shot at the Champions League. Sacking Postecoglou is a far riskier proposition now than it was just a few weeks ago. It would risk being as unpopular as the sacking of Pochettino in November 2019.

The prospect of deciding to keep a manager after he wins a cup will make people think of Manchester United u-turning to keep Erik ten Hag this time last year. That turned out to be an expensive waste of time, which ruined United’s season. But this would not necessarily be the same as that. Tottenham winning the Europa League is simply a more significant, more transformational event than United winning yet another domestic cup.

The support that Postecoglou has within the dressing room is also far deeper than Ten Hag enjoyed at Old Trafford this time last year.

Of course, you can still construct a rational case for changing the manager. The league form really is abysmal. That can be contextualised, given Postecoglou’s prioritisation of the Europa League, but it cannot be entirely ignored. Sunday’s game against Brighton existed in a context all of its own, given the partying since Wednesday night, but the second-half collapse still echoed some of Spurs’ struggles this season.

Then there is the issue of squad management.

Spurs won the Europa League in part because of Postecoglou’s clear-sighted prioritisation of Europe, resting his best players for league games in recent months. They never looked comfortable competing on two fronts simultaneously. But Tottenham will be in the Champions League next season. They will need to go all-out every weekend and every midweek, every single time. At the very least, they will need a stronger, deeper squad to balance those demands. Postecoglou said in the post-match press conference they would need more experience in the market.

The point here is not only the assessment of what went right and wrong in the league this season. If Spurs had not won in Bilbao, then you could easily make the case that now was the time for a safe pair of hands, someone pragmatic, experienced in the Premier League, who could help calmly steer the ship through next season. It could well be the time for Silva or Frank to tighten up the defence and find a more robust, repeatable approach.

But this is not a choice between Silva or Frank (or similar equivalents) and the Postecoglou of 22 league defeats. That would be a simpler call. Nor are Spurs weighing up the possibility of bringing in a box-office manager, a Jose Mourinho or an Antonio Conte, not that either of those appointments ever came close to giving them a week like this one.

The choice is between a new manager starting from scratch and the one who has delivered their greatest moment for a generation.

When Postecoglou was appointed, the hope was that he would bring the whole club back together, and he has finally done that in what may be his penultimate match in charge. But because of the events of this season, the way he pursued glory through disaster and got there in the end, he has a special aura now. After saying that he always wins things in his second season and delivering on it, at Spurs of all places, he has the distinct energy of a far-sighted prophet.

Levy has sacked 13 managers over the course of his chairmanship of Spurs. There have been many moments this season when sacking Postecoglou might have been the obvious thing to do. But to do it right now, after Bilbao, after the parade, after today, and after Postecoglou got the fans back on side, would make it one of the boldest, hardest calls of the last 24 years.

Right at the moment, Tottenham have achieved glory and unity again, Levy would be risking it all, hoping that the grass is greener with a different man in charge. Postecoglou will go on holiday on Monday, still waiting to hear about his future, but at least he will not have to answer any more questions about it.

“I’ve done something that no one believed I could,” he said at the end of his press conference. “And I shouldn’t be sitting here talking about it.”

(Top photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur’s supporters serenaded their Europa League winners but, with the memory of that midweek win in Bilbao still fresh, their Premier League campaign petered out in all-too-familiar frustration.

Sunday’s final game of the campaign ended up as a humiliation for the home team.

Ange Postecoglou’s side threw away an early lead against Brighton & Hove Albion, who began the afternoon aspiring to qualify for Europe next season themselves, and were ultimately overwhelmed as the visitors ran riot. The 4-1 defeat condemned Spurs to finishing 17th, above only the three relegated sides, their lowest finish in a top-flight season since they last went down from the top flight in 1977.

Mats Wieffer’s foul on the lively Mathys Tel on the quarter-hour mark had seen Spurs awarded a penalty, which was converted confidently by Dominic Solanke. Tel, fed by Pedro Porro, might have added a second only to be denied by an excellent save from Bart Verbruggen.

Yet, while Brighton had only threatened sporadically before the break, they were revived by their half-time changes.

Two set-piece goals completely transformed the game, with Tottenham unable to cope with Adam Webster’s aerial prowess at corners. First, the centre-half nodded down Brajan Gruda’s delivery for Jack Hinshelwood to convert smartly from close range. Then, moments after Carlos Baleba had struck the post, Hinshelwood summoned a cheeky back heel in the confusion of the six-yard box to convert beyond Guglielmo Vicario.

Matt O’Riley’s late penalty sealed the win and there was still time for Diego Gomez to rip a stunning fourth into the top corner from distance.

Jay Harris and Elias Burke dissect the key talking points from a harrowing last game of Tottenham’s season.

So what now for Postecoglou?

Despite Brennan Johnson’s winning goal and Micky van de Ven’s acrobatic goal-line clearance as Manchester United were beaten in Bilbao, Ange Postecoglou had been the star attraction at Friday’s trophy parade through this part of north London.

His address, in front of at least 150,000 fans packed into the streets surrounding the stadium, ended with a hint that he had been given assurances about his future. While his “third season” comment provoked the biggest roar of the evening, Postecoglou clarified in his pre-match press conference the following day that he hadn’t actually held any talks with Tottenham’s hierarchy regarding his status for 2025-26.

Suggesting whether he stays or goes is a straightforward decision would be a disservice to chairman Daniel Levy, who has endured Tottenham’s worst season in Premier League history in the hope Postecoglou’s second-year trophy declaration would bear fruit — and it did. Success in the Europa League, and the ticket to the Champions League that comes with it, ensures that 2024-25 will be written into their history books for reasons of triumph rather than failure.

Still, a club of Tottenham’s size and level of playing talent cannot lose 22 league games out of a campaign’s 38, irrespective of the injuries and Europe taking priority in recent months. This defeat, their 10th in 19 home top-flight matches this season, ended up a thrashing.

Yet if Levy takes stock of the options available to replace Postecoglou, the Australian’s case to take the club forward is strengthened. Thomas Frank and Marco Silva have enjoyed excellent seasons at Brentford and Fulham respectively and either might raise Spurs’ floor next season, but perhaps the ceiling is higher with Postecoglou.

Immediately parting ways with the coach who brought silverware to Spurs after a 17-year wait has to be a decision you’re sure about.

It’s clear the players are behind him. Judging by the atmosphere at that parade on Friday, the supporters are too. Though the picture of thousands heading for the exits after O’Riley put Brighton 3-1 up on 88 minutes here suggests they’re not unanimous in their backing.

Elias Burke

How did Solanke do in his first season at Spurs?

Tottenham broke their transfer record to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth last summer for £65million ($87.9m at the current exchange rate). He was supposed to be the elite centre-forward who could fill the void left by Harry Kane when he moved to Bayern Munich a year earlier.

An ankle injury sustained on debut disrupted his early season, then a knee injury in January ruled him out for nearly two months, but Solanke still managed nine goals in 27 league games, including his penalty today. It is fair to say that he is not a prolific striker like his predecessor, but he offers the team so much more than just goals.

The 27-year-old is integral to the way Postecoglou wants his team to press. Solanke leads from the front and tirelessly chases after long balls from his team-mates. He is selfless, which means that other people tend to benefit from his hard work. Johnson is the perfect example of this: Solanke’s runs towards the near post will often drag opposition centre-backs out of position and leave the Welsh winger free to receive a cutback.

Solanke might not have scored many this season but he delivered under pressure. He got the winner in the Europa League quarter-final tie against Eintracht Frankfurt and scored in both legs of the semi-final victory over Bodo/Glimt. He had a great chance to score in the final too, but was clearly exhausted when he received Destiny Udogie’s pass in the second half.

The three-time England international has looked isolated by Spurs’ system at times and will need more help next season, but he should be this club’s first-choice striker for the next few years. His has been a promising — if not necessarily spectacular — start.

Jay Harris

Should Tottenham make Tel’s move permanent?

The situation Tel entered on arrival in the winter transfer window would have been a challenge for a seasoned international, never mind a teenager being asked to adapt to a new league and country.

Tottenham were sliding down the table then and Tel, who had earned most of his minutes on the left wing at parent club Bayern Munich, was called upon to deputise for a sidelined Solanke at centre-forward. He found the adjustment difficult.

Since Solanke’s return from injury, Tel has largely moved back to the left, and his performances there have been more encouraging.

He scored in back-to-back league games against Southampton and Wolves in April, and followed those up with arguably his best performance in a Spurs shirt in the 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Against Brighton on Sunday, he offered a bright spark in attack and had a good opportunity denied by an excellent save. He perhaps should have had an assist in the second half, cutting a cross back to Johnson, who fired wide when in a position he has scored from several times this season.

Spurs can exercise a €55million (£46.2m; $62.5m) option to make Tel’s stay permanent this summer, but, despite his recent upturn in form, whether he’s done enough to justify that price tag is up for debate.

But there’s no denying his talent. If Levy can negotiate that price down, it’s a deal that makes sense for a side needing reinforcements across the squad with a Champions League campaign ahead.

Elias Burke

Can Europe mask the Premier League form?

In Sunday’s first half, it felt as if Spurs would beat Brighton because they were fired up by the incredible atmosphere inside the stadium. Wiefer was struggling to contain Tel, Rodrigo Bentancur kept making interceptions and Van de Ven found it easy to deal with the threat of Simon Adingra.

Everything changed when Fabian Hurzeler brought Kaoru Mitoma and Gomez off the bench at half-time. Mitoma instantly started driving directly at Pedro Porro and won a corner. Gruda’s out-swinging delivery bounced off Solanke and Hinshelwood rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

Spurs never recovered their momentum from that moment.

Baleba smacked the post with a shot from another corner. Gomez pinched the ball off Kevin Danso in Tottenham’s half and launched a dangerous counter. Yankuba Minteh moved to the right wing and darted in so many different directions that Udogie would have been left with a headache.

As it was, Hinshelwood scored Brighton’s crucial second from another corner which Spurs defended poorly.

Yves Bissouma conceding a penalty for a late tackle on Gomez summed up the entire second-half performance. Djed Spence and Udogie lost the ball on the halfway line and slowly trudged back without much effort.

Gomez’s fourth in added time just rubbed salt into the wounds.

For all the happiness that lifting the Europa League trophy brought to the fanbase, this was a reminder that a lot of work needs to be done before this team becomes competitive again towards the top of the domestic table. Again, this was their 22nd defeat of the Premier League season, their 10th at home, and they finished above only the three relegated clubs.

Hurzeler’s tactical substitutions changed the game and counterpart Postecoglou was too slow to react. If the Australian stays and leads the team next season, he needs to learn from his mistakes over the past nine months to ensure his side heads in the right direction.

Jay Harris

What did Postecoglou say?

Asked about the game by BBC Radio Five Live, Postecoglou said: “A pretty disappointing result. We obviously got pretty fatigued in the second half and couldn’t really sort of go on with the job. First half was okay. I thought we controlled them pretty well, scored a goal, probably should have had a second. But (we) fatigued in the second half. Unfortunately the game got away from us.”

On the campaign: “How do I assess the season? Outstanding. We won a trophy, which we hadn’t done for 17 years, and we’re in the Champions League. Ask anyone at this football club at the start of the year whether they’d take that, I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be a person in the house who wouldn’t.

“It’s been an unbelievable season. I said during the week that I couldn’t be prouder of the group that we’ve achieved what we have. It’s a real good platform to kick on now.”

(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou has said he has not had any discussions on his future with Tottenham Hotspur following their Europa League success.

Postecoglou led Tottenham to their first major trophy since 2008 and their first European triumph since the UEFA Cup in 1984 with a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday.

The Australian’s position has been put under peril due to a disastrous Premier League season, with Tottenham 17th in the table ahead of Sunday’s final fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion/

But after winning the Europa League, thereby securing Champions League football for next season, Postecoglou was greeted with a wave of support from fans at the trophy parade outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday evening.

In front of a crowd estimated to exceed 150,000, Postecoglou said: “(In) all the best television series, season three is better than season two.”

However, in Saturday’s pre-match press conference, he confirmed he has not received any communication regarding his role for next season.

“Similar to before the game, I haven’t had any discussions with the club,” he said. “Like I said before the game, maybe they were just waiting for clear air to give me some guidance. But I haven’t heard anything from the club.”

Asked whether there is still a chance he could depart, Postecoglou said he has not thought about it.

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought. I refuse to be distracted by anything in terms of the opportunity that was before us, and since the game I just wanted to take the opportunity also to enjoy that as well.

“I assume at some point somebody will tell me something. If not, I’m just gonna roll up next year and be a bit like (George) Costanza from Seinfeld. I’ll just sit at the desk and get on with my job.”

When asked what fans could expect from “season three”, Postecoglou responded: “I should have thought about it a bit more because as somebody rightly pointed out, sometimes they kill off the main character. I could be in strife there!

“I said even before the game, I really believe we’re just building something and a significant win accelerates that. I really believe that is the case and I am not going to put a limit on what we can achieve.

“I certainly believe it’s exciting the possibilities of next year knowing I’ve got a group of players now and staff and a club that knows how to win and wants more of it.”

Heung-min Son will miss Sunday’s game with the foot injury that sidelined him for seven matches before returning ahead of the final, and Cristian Romero will be absent from the squad with a toe injury. After picking up a knock in the final, Yves Bissouma is “50-50”.

Postecoglou confirmed Mathys Tel, an unused substitute in the final, will play on Sunday. Asked whether there have been any more discussions regarding Tottenham’s option to buy him permanently from Bayern Munich for €55million, Postecoglou said he had not been involved in any discussions.

“I guess they’re the kind of discussions we still need to have,” he said. “But again, without myself gatecrashing meetings, I need to be invited to them.”

If Spurs beat Brighton at home on Sunday, they could climb to 14th, depending on results elsewhere.

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou, the man all 150,000 people in attendance around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and down the Tottenham High Road were waiting to hear from, was ushered up to the front of the podium to address his flock.

As he did two nights before at the immediate post-match celebrations at Hotel Carlton in Bilbao, Postecoglou took a moment to let the crowd settle before raising his hand. A lone fan shouted, “Go on, gaffer”, while others chanted his name to the tune of Seven Nation Army.

Every sentence was greeted with a cheer by the supporters. In crediting the players, including “the legend Son Heung-min” and Guglielmo Vicario — delivered in an exuberant Italian accent — he reiterated that everything they had achieved at San Mames Stadium was in service of the fans and the club because they “deserve it”.

If the first part of his short speech was off the cuff and impassioned, the way Postecoglou ended it suggests he had given more thought to how he’d close.

“I’ll leave you with this,” he said. “(In) all the best television series, season three is better than season two.”

“There’s your mic drop moment,” a fan nearby said, referencing Brennan Johnson’s comment on the pitch after the final whistle as Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday. His clear indication that he is still committed to the project received the most deafening roar of the day.

While it may have been the loudest, it was far from the first.

Four hours before the 17:30 scheduled start time for the parade, the festivities were already under way outside the stadium, which may have been the last time fans could get a signal on their mobile phones.

Fans travelling via the Victoria Line on London’s Underground network were advised not to do the typical matchday switch to the Overground to travel up to White Hart Lane station, such was the size of the crowd even hours before the parade was due to start. Tottenham High Road was heaving with supporters dressed in Tottenham colours. At The Bite Box, a small takeaway en route from Seven Sisters station to the stadium, staff stood outside with menus showing special combo deals to mark the event.

Across the road, a Tottenham-branded flag flew from a lamppost outside the High Cross Pub. A group of fans, who may or may not have spent most of their day inside, sang a slurred rendition of “Johnson Again, Ole Ole”. A mother and daughter, who were visiting the stadium for the first time, remarked on how you could see the stadium from more than a mile away. Like nearly everyone in view, they were dressed in club colours, helping to turn the area into a sea of white as more fans filtered in.

Over the 30-minute walk to the stadium, it became clear it was not just a celebration of the now but of everyone who has contributed along the way since Tottenham last lifted a major trophy in 2008. Harry Kane, who is among Tottenham’s greatest-ever players but fell short of his ambition to bring silverware to his corner of north London, was recognised as one of their own. Mauricio Pochettino, who guided Spurs to second place in the Premier League and the 2019 Champions League final, also got his moment.

Perhaps the most touching tribute of all was for Dele Alli, a player who tried as hard as anyone to bring glory back to White Hart Lane during his seven-year spell at the club. It was a day for everyone who Spurs hold in their hearts.

As the clock ticked closer towards 17:30, the picture on the mega-sized television screens that lined the streets locked in on the two open-top buses. Hoots went up for the usual suspects as they appeared on screen, but Spurs fans celebrated everyone.

Academy graduate Alfie Whiteman posted an Instagram story of him celebrating at Wembley as a child when Spurs won the League Cup in 2008, followed by an image of him holding the trophy and wearing the gold medal on the pitch in Bilbao. He is potentially the club’s fifth-choice goalkeeper and is out of contract at the end of the season, but the loud cheer as his face appeared on the screen reflected the importance of having relatable people — he is a DJ in his spare time and avidly logs arthouse films on Letterboxd — mixed in with the swarm of international stars.

Fans scaled poles and climbed on buildings and bus stops all around the stadium’s vicinity to put themselves in position to have the best view when the players came past. Next to the No 8 pub, situated just across the street from the stadium, fans stood atop a brick building outhouse. Across the street, lines of men, women and children climbed on top of the Murugan cash and carry and Brown Eagle restaurant, with some even managing to scale up to the roof of the homes just behind.

Fans with flare-stained T-shirts tried every route to get closer to the stadium, but the streets were gridlocked. They tracked the bus on the screens, but there was some agitation as it became more crowded and uncomfortable. If there were any fears the parade would be over too soon, the driver’s commitment to not pass walking pace ensured the party would exceed its proposed 60-90 minute duration.

However, when the bus did pass, the wait was more than worth it.

There they were. Micky van de Ven, whose goal-line overhead kick clearance had already made it onto the phone wallpaper of at least two fans at the parade. Dominic Solanke, whose tireless running at the point of the attack set the tone from the front. Postecoglou and assistant coaches Ryan Mason and Matt Wells, the latter of whom emulated his grandfather Cliff Jones, who won the league and FA Cup double with Spurs in 1961 and paraded through north London’s streets.

While the bus went back through the route and around to the stage, fans broke through the street barriers in a rush to get closer. Above the stage, Spurs players from the past stood on the balcony and interacted with the supporters. Brazilian midfielder Sandro, who made 81 league appearances for Tottenham between 2010 and 2014 and had earlier led a rendition of Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur on the stage with his acoustic guitar, danced along to Sweet Caroline. Even the usually stoic Ledley King bopped along to the Neil Diamond hit as he sported a wide grin and recorded the events on his phone.

As the players made their way onto the stage, one fan shook his head in disbelief. James Maddison followed Postecoglou, but the supporters’ songs drowned out his attempts to answer the interviewer’s questions. He soon got on board, leading a ‘Campeones Ole, Ole, Ole’ chant. Johnson, who turned 24 on Friday, was next in line to feel the supporters’ adulation.

His story is remarkable, from deactivating his social media accounts last September due to online abuse to scoring the winning goal in Bilbao. Postecoglou spoke to the players about making moments to adorn the walls at the stadium and training ground, and Johnson’s near-post flick in front of the Spurs supporters will now be immortalised forever. Like Tottenham’s previous European final goalscorers — Jimmy Greaves, Martin Chivers and Graham Roberts among them — Johnson, who captioned a picture of the parade with “I love Tottenham Hotspur” on Instagram, is written in club history.

As fans filtered away, swaying side to side to Angels by Robbie Williams, the camera zoomed in on Postecoglou. He was still on the stage, with staff members queuing up to take a picture with him.

Despite the Premier League season and his uncertain job status, Postecoglou was undoubtedly the star of the show. Perhaps the insecurity added to it, with fans relishing what could be their final opportunity to see him again as Spurs head coach.

Whether he is given that third season or not, the Tottenham family showed him, and players past and present, that those who bring joy to N17 are not easily forgotten.

(Top photo: Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph was a magical night for everyone connected with the club, but perhaps for captain Son Heung-min more than anyone else.

A Premier League runner-up in 2017, a Champions League finalist in 2019, and narrowly beaten 1-0 by Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final, the South Korean had nothing tangible to show for his incredible decade of service to Spurs.

But on Wednesday night in Bilbao, that long wait finally ended. With a winners’ medal around his neck and the Europa League trophy held high, Son undoubtedly put all those demons of the past behind him.

On the latest episode of The View From The Lane, Danny Kelly and Jay Harris reflected on how the victory further cemented Son’s legendary status at Tottenham.

This partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available via the The View from the Lane feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Danny: We have to have a word about Son Heung-min. Because afterwards, there were some sweet interviews where he was talking about Harry Kane winning the Bundesliga, and he said, “They’re different trophies.” I think he was pointing out that one is not just the Bundesliga, it’s actually a European trophy. But he’s too nice to say that.

However, after all that he’s been through and, more importantly, after all that he’s done for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, it was great to see Son get his hands on the heaviest trophy in world football, wasn’t it Jay? To get the thing and lift it up was amazing, and that’s when the tears really started with me.

Jay: It was great to see. And being honest, it probably would have stung that he didn’t start the game. He’s the club captain, and as you said he’s contributed so much over the last 10 years. Yet there he was watching on from the sidelines, although he still played his part when he came onto the pitch.

It must be said that not just for Spurs, but for the Premier League as well, Son has been an absolute joy to watch over the past 10 years. And it would have been a real shame if he went down as a player who never tasted success, or who never won a trophy. So to have that moment undoubtedly secures his legacy in Tottenham’s history. Not that it wasn’t already secured, but it’s just gone up to another level now. He’s done something that Harry Kane didn’t do, Luka Modric didn’t do, and Gareth Bale didn’t do. I know Spurs haven’t won the Premier League, but I also think it secures him as a Premier League great if that makes sense.

Danny: It makes total sense, just look at his goals and assists. It’s an astonishing record.

Jay: It really is. And it was great to see him joking in those interviews after the game when it was said, ‘You must be a legend now’. And he just sort of said, ‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’ He’s always been a very smiley character, but his smiles in all of those post-match scenes, the interviews, the videos, and everything — he just looked absolutely buzzing. It can’t help but warm your heart when you see something like that.

Danny: Also that embrace he had with James Maddison where he was crying into Maddison’s hair and shirt really touched me, it was just incredible.

Jay: Exactly. He and Ben Davies have been through some tough times together, and they’re the only ones who are still there. They lost in 2019, and they’ve seen all their teammates leave for new challenges and go on to win things. But now they’ve done it too, it’s just an incredible moment for him. He’s had a difficult individual season, but that doesn’t matter now. No one will care about that anymore, all that matters is that he helped Spurs win a trophy for the first time in 17 years.

Danny: Well said, Jay. And as I’ve said many times, the age of five substitutes means it’s a 16-person game, even though he will be disappointed not to have started. I was on American radio previewing the game, and they seemed bewildered that he wasn’t starting because they like celebrities. And I said, “You haven’t seen him play all this season. And he’s not entirely fit either, but he’ll play his part.” Which he did, and it was just lovely to see him getting his hands on that trophy.

Football’s not about what you deserve, it’s about what you get. People don’t deserve anything because it’s a competition, it’s not an exhibition. But to see him get what I thought was his just deserts after a decade at the club was brilliant. And on top of everything else, he just works so hard. Apart from his brilliance over the years he works like a demon, so it was just great to see him get his hands on that trophy.

Remember, you can listen to full episodes of The View from the Lane for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

(Top Photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou stepped onto a small stage in a function room at Hotel Carlton in Bilbao, where Tottenham Hotspur hosted their post-Europa League final celebrations.

He waited momentarily for the crowd of players, staff, family and friends to settle before putting his hand up and saying, “I’m used to people listening when I talk,” jolting the group into silence.

“I made family a big theme for us as a group this year,” he said. “How important family is. These boys, I’m so proud of them. And the staff. They’ve been the best family I could ever be associated with, but more importantly, it’s how everyone in this room has helped these boys become champions.

“They truly deserve it. They’re outstanding people, not just outstanding players. I couldn’t be prouder to be their manager. I want everyone to enjoy tonight and what it means because you all, every single one of you, deserve it from the bottom of my heart. I’ve never been prouder to be a manager of a football club, manager of these players, and the people with them.”

Postecoglou’s ability to build a family unit in the face of constant turmoil this season was central to their success on the night. Dominic Solanke, even on his last legs, exemplified the collective buy-in, charging around the pitch in the dying minutes to protect their lead.

The Australian’s speech was not just an opportunity to reflect on the 1-0 win over Manchester United or ending the 17-year trophy drought, but to celebrate their persistence and dedication in a season that the injury crises or Premier League failures could have easily derailed.

En route to winning the Asian Cup in 2015 with Australia — the nation’s first major trophy — Postecoglou asked the players to gather around the jersey and reflect in front of their team-mates on what playing for their national team meant to them. A stirring speech before Australia’s narrow 3-2 defeat to Germany in the 2017 Confederations Cup often goes viral on social media, drawing comparisons to Al Pacino’s famous Inch by Inch scene in Any Given Sunday.

This time, he arranged a meeting with the squad and played a video of their loved ones wishing them good luck before the final. In typical fashion, it had a rousing effect on his players.

“The message (in the dressing room) was just to do our things, to play for us, for our fans and especially for our fans who were here to support us in the stands,” goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario told journalists in the post-match mixed zone. “It was very emotional and I think in the back of our minds, they played a big part of the game tonight.

“It was at the hotel. We had the preparation of the game as well as this brilliant video. My mum and my dad (spoke in my video). They were here celebrating with me on the pitch. They said just to fight for this badge, to fight for Tottenham Hotspur, and to make them happy.”

While Tottenham have often left injured players at home to continue their rehabilitation in the Europa League knockout rounds, a full complement travelled to Bilbao. The squad arrived together at San Mames in slim, blue suits and white t-shirts provided by luxury Italian fashion house Kiton, the club’s official formalwear partner since 2023.

But as the final whistle blew, there was a brief opportunity to celebrate on the pitch for the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and even Will Lankshear, who spent the second half of the season on loan at West Bromwich Albion. They had to ditch the suits and change into more familiar attire.

To collect a medal on the pitch, UEFA requires all players to dress in that team’s kit. The group bent the rules slightly, donning standard white Nike sports socks instead of the longer football-specific variations, while a cast on Kulusevski’s leg meant he could only wear the shirt.

Maddison later told British broadcaster TNT Sports he “didn’t want to do a John Terry when he went with the full kit and the shin pads”, referring to when the former Chelsea captain went onto the pitch to lift the Champions League trophy in 2012 after missing the final through suspension.

Brennan Johnson, who scored the only goal of the evening, was the first player to be interviewed on the pitch by TNT. Draped in a Welsh flag, Johnson, who deactivated his social media accounts last September due to the online abuse, spoke from the heart.

“This season hasn’t been good at all,” Johnson said. “Not one of us players right now cares about that. This is what it’s all about. This club hadn’t won a trophy for 17 years. It means so much. All of the fans get battered. We get battered for not winning a trophy, not winning anything.

“Ever since I came here, it has been, ‘Tottenham are a good team, but can never get it done’. We got it done.”

When asked whether he thinks Postecoglou should be Tottenham’s head coach into next season, he said, “If there’s ever a time for a mic drop, I think it’s now. I’ll be looking forward to his interview.” Postecoglou later conceded their league form was “terrible” and “unacceptable” but reiterated his desire to stay in north London.

As the Spurs players celebrated together in front of their supporters and family, with Micky van de Ven going into the stands and Richarlison banging a drum in the crowd, Archie Gray took a moment to console his opponents. After giving the United players a guard of honour on their way to pick up their runners-up medals, Postecoglou led Spurs onto the podium, passing UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin as well as Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and United minority co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The interaction between Levy and most players was short and respectful, but Maddison pulled Tottenham’s chairman in for a hug as he passed through. Postecoglou was the first person to step onto the podium and initially hung back before Pedro Porro and Vicario pushed him into the middle of the group. As captain, Son Heung-min went up last and lifted the trophy, a moment he believes cements his legend status at the club.

In the aftermath, Son pulled back his fringe to reveal bruising to his head, sustained while lifting the trophy. “I lift, somebody push me and my head hit the trophy,” Son told club media.

Several players, including Son, did not receive a medal on the pitch as UEFA underestimated the amount needed due to “an unexpected discrepancy in the player count, as more team members — including injured players — participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated”. That small group later received their medals in the dressing room, where the celebrations reached another level.

Yves Bissouma, who has reignited his career in recent weeks playing in a double pivot alongside Rodrigo Bentancur, went live on Instagram, showing the players eating pizza, dancing and shooting gold confetti cannons. Bissouma filmed Wilson Odobert, wrapped in a France flag, holding the trophy and dancing to Afro Trap Pt. 3 by Guinean-French rapper MHD, a song in which every line of the chorus ends with “Champions League”, the tournament Tottenham qualified for next season by winning Europe’s secondary competition. He was less enthusiastic when Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten was played by the dressing-room DJ.

While Oscar-winning film director and Spurs fan Bong Joon Ho celebrated the win by lifting a bottle of whisky on a live stream, beer, champagne — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic — and other drinks were passed around the dressing room. Djed Spence re-created his picture from Nottingham Forest’s play-off final triumph in 2022, lying beside the trophy and biting a cigar.

The group stayed in the stadium for hours after kick-off, with players walking between the dressing room and the pitch and taking group and individual pictures with the trophy. Tottenham posted a video of several players lined up on their social channels while the Champions League anthem played in the background. Mikey Moore lifted his hands to the sky, Maddison did the sign of the cross, while Gray licked his lips, mimicking the video of Brazilian icon Ronaldinho doing the same thing while playing for Milan.

On their way back to the hotel, a topless Bissouma wheeled a speaker onto the coach, with Pape Matar Sarr following close behind. On the journey, the Mali international danced with Spence, Richarlison, Sarr and Odobert to Premier Gaou, a song by Francis Mercier and Magic System. Son sat at the front of the coach as it drove through the city, interacting with Spurs fans who cheered the team through.

Postecoglou arrived before the players and grinned from ear to ear as he interacted with family and friends. The players entered the conference room shortly after 2am, with the DJ welcoming them with Queen’s We Are The Champions.

Perhaps inspired by Freddie Mercury, Levy later stepped onto the stage and shouted, “We’re champions”, before addressing the crowd with a short speech: “Listen, this has been a very long time coming, 1984 was the last time we won a European cup.

“Tonight, we made history, and I want to thank Ange and all the coaching staff, all the players, you guys have gone down in history. Thank you very much. This is a magnificent achievement for the club that hopefully is going to get us on the road where we absolutely deserve to be, which is at the very top.”

The celebrations carried on late into the night, with Maddison getting onto the stage on several occasions to sing with various people, including comedian Michael McIntyre. Videos have since circulated on the club’s social media of a group, led by Maddison, singing Wonderwall.

Cristian Romero, who mumbled his way through the Oasis hit, made no mistake with his rendition of Campeones, Ole, Ole, Ole, a song he has sung several times in an Argentina shirt but never before at club level. Son jumped up and down to Nice one, Sonny, a reworked version of the song dedicated to former Spurs full-back Cyril Knowles, who was part of the UEFA Cup-winning side in 1972.

The party had the distinct Postecoglou “family” flavour, with rotational players like Moore and Sergio Reguilon still front and centre in the celebrations. The Spaniard even held a banner alongside Maddison with a picture of the manager holding the Europa League trophy with the now iconic, “I always win things in my second year” quote over it.

With a gold medal finally wrapped around his neck, Son and Spurs returned to England on Thursday afternoon with the trophy.

Friday’s parade, starting in Edmonton Green at 5.30pm BST (12.30pm ET) and finishing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, will ensure the party lasts at least another day.

But memories of May 21, and the night that followed it, will live with that group forever.

(Top photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

It was just one match. A very bad match, admittedly, settled by a very poor goal, but it was still just one game decided by one moment.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Brennan Johnson’s attempt at scoring went backwards, hit Luke Shaw and rolled apologetically over a white line. And with that, the immediate fates of Ange Postecoglou and/or Ruben Amorim are immediately brighter or darker. One might keep his job after all, while the other has half-volunteered to leave his.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be that way. Perhaps we should forensically study their respective bodies or work and their ‘processes’, trusted or otherwise, before making a full and fair assessment.

But football doesn’t work like that. Trophies matter, finals matter. They create heroes and villains, winners and losers and can define careers. And the reputations of Postecoglou and Amorim have altered after Wednesday night.

It happens. Gareth Southgate could have walked into most jobs in English football as a two-time European champion, for example. Instead, England lost two finals and opinion on him and his England legacy remains inconclusive, fairly or unfairly.

Conversely, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag helped to earn himself five more months at Old Trafford by winning the FA Cup last year. Beating Manchester City in a one-off match was a factor in Ten Hag being given a contract extension and United spending £200million ($268m) on players the Dutchman wanted.

Had United been comfortably beaten by City at Wembley — say by a 3-0 scoreline — would Ten Hag have stayed and been given a war chest? It feels unlikely.

Up until fairly recently, it hadn’t felt like Amorim’s position was in any danger; yes, United’s league form was awful, but the Europa League was ticking along nicely and the consensus, of course, was that he needed at least one big transfer window to shape the squad in his image (or, more pertinently in this case, his formation) after taking over from… Ten Hag.

And then, well, the losing didn’t stop. And United started being historically bad. And things like this happened.

Most of all, though, Amorim has started talking himself down. This is unusual in manager PR parlance, but Amorim has twice offered to leave if it is felt he’s no longer the man for the job.

“Let’s see (about my future),” he said on Wednesday night. “I am always open. If the board and fans feel I am not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation, but I will not quit.”

Reverse psychology? Pure transparency? The human equivalent of a turkey voting for Christmas?

Not in Amorim’s favour, if he even wants the job anymore, is his failure to enlist any kind of consistently coherent, stylish attacking football, let alone winning football. United’s best moments in the league have come away at Manchester City and Liverpool and at Arsenal in the FA Cup when they Spursed their way to victory, but the limp manner they rather embarrassingly took to Wednesday night’s task does not reflect well.

Given all the ball and most of the play, United’s sideways, backwards approach comprised a succession of hopeful crosses and long balls and culminated with Harry Maguire up front. Again. It was painful to watch.

He needs time to implement change but what he wants to do — i.e. reinvent United’s style and transform the culture of a dressing room that looks devoid of leadership and strong-willed personalities — will take money. Lots of it. And this is a club that has splashed a net spend of almost £600m in the past five years and recently sacked hundreds of employees.

There is a pattern at United, one of decay, decline and repeated underperformance that feels less and less like it is particularly the fault of its head coaches.

Sacking Amorim, or accepting his resignation, feels more like the start of the next merry-go-round than the solution to United’s many, many deeply embedded issues surrounding culture and recruitment.

With the Premier League mid-table teams getting stronger — and with United having budgeted for Europa League football at least in the coming years — this summer feels pivotal for many reasons.

Conversely, Postecoglou’s reputation has somehow emerged from a soul-crushing few months significantly enhanced.

With increasingly fraught press conferences and interviews, immense pressure from the stands, and cross words with fans, the Australian has looked utterly broken.

And yet, his delivery of a trophy at the club that couldn’t win trophies is significant. Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino, even Andre Villas-Boas and Nuno Espirito Santo, were all trophy winners elsewhere in their careers — but not at Spurs.

To finish fifth in year one, overcoming the considerable loss of Harry Kane, was a great start. To end a 17-year trophy drought in year two is even more impressive.

Can you sack someone who has just given the fans and the club what they craved?

“Whatever happens, happens,” Postecoglou told TNT Sports. “We’re still building this team. My thought process is trying to build a team that can be successful for four, five, six years. But I’m the manager of the football club, that decision is not in my hands.

“I do (want to stay). I don’t feel like I’ve completed the job yet, we’re still building. But the moment I accepted the role, I had one thing in my head and that was to win something. We’ve done that now and now we can build on it.”

Chairman Daniel Levy doesn’t strike a tone as a sentimental type of guy. But, given his levels of unpopularity with the Spurs fanbase, would he dare to go against what seems to be the goodwill of most of their supporters, or many of the players, to sack Postecoglou?

It’s hard to argue, with those achievements of fifth and a trophy in two years, with him having earned another season.

He has arguably been left short with Spurs’ recruitment. It was clear that Spurs, with all their injury issues last season, would need a deeper squad, not least in defence, with them playing in Europe this season. That wasn’t forthcoming.

Postecoglou has repeatedly stated the need for culture change at the club and now is his chance to enact it, with the trophy-based weight finally off their shoulders.

And yet, the manner in which Spurs finally won something does raise question marks.

It wouldn’t if Postecoglou hadn’t repeatedly asserted throughout his reign that he was hired to play a certain brand of football and would never, ever sacrifice his principles.

Spurs had 27 per cent possession and three shots at goal. They wasted time and sh**housed their way to victory. This was the opposite of ‘Ange-ball’.

Does that matter when deciding his future? Well, it’s difficult to know whether to chastise him for abandoning his beliefs, or praise him for ditching the stubborn streak and showing adaptability.

There was something to admire, though, about his unyielding approach, attacking Manchester City at the Etihad, or refusing to substitute players when slipping to defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion (from being 2-0 up) because they needed to suffer and learn. Here was a man with steadfast beliefs about how the game should be played. Bravo.

And yet here they were, going all Chelsea 2012 to win a trophy at any cost. It was what he was hired to do, and yet it also wasn’t.

Postecoglou also admitted after the final that he focused fully on the Europa League from January, confirming what we had already seen for ourselves.

That doesn’t bode well for next season, combining at least eight Champions League matches with three domestic competitions, coupled with the inevitable injuries that ‘Ange-ball’, if it’s revived, would bring.

So there are no easy answers to these two posers. Postecoglou has probably earned his shot, Alan Partridge-style, at another series season, but were he to be sacked, you could see the logic.

Amorim should probably stay, but when a manager starts talking himself out of a job amid the worst season in the club’s living memory, he can’t be safe either.

What can be said without doubt is that the culture at both clubs and the decision-making above Amorim and Postecoglou has been questionable. Without the decision makers also changing, it’s hard not to envisage more of the same next season, whoever is in the dugout.

(Top photo: Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images)

There will be many memories of Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph, the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

One of them will be the change in tactical approach during the knockout stages, which saw Spurs become a more ruthless and efficient team.

“I have always felt that knockout football is different from your league football,” head coach Ange Postecoglou told UK broadcaster TNT Sports after his side beat Manchester United 1-0 in Wednesday’s final. “When you are in that situation, it comes down to really good organisation, having a clear game plan and then moments, and if you can minimise the moments the opposition have by having a really strong foundation.”

The biggest “moment” of last night’s match fell Tottenham’s way, when Brennan Johnson put them in the lead towards the end of the first half, but it was the “good organisation” and “clear game plan” provided by Postecoglou and his staff that guided them to victory.

Spurs started the match in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Rodrigo Bentancur partnering Yves Bissouma in midfield behind Pape Matar Sarr, and Richarlison getting the nod over Son Heung-min to start on the left flank.

Apart from Johnson’s goal, Tottenham didn’t create much, but their organisation without the ball and physicality in midfield limited their opponents too during the first half.

Out of possession, Spurs smartly pressed United towards the wide areas, where they could minimise the spaces.

When Dominic Solanke forced Harry Maguire to try to build the attack towards the left side, Sarr was marking Casemiro in the middle of the pitch as Johnson moved up towards Luke Shaw and Tottenham’s right-back, Pedro Porro, pressed Patrick Dorgu.

The dynamic of Spurs’ pressing on the right side meant that Mason Mount, United’s left-sided attacking midfielder, could be free, but Bentancur dropped to mark him.

It was a similar situation when they defended by the halfway line. When Solanke’s press forced Maguire to go to the left, Johnson and Porro immediately pressed Shaw and Dorgu, while Sarr and Bentancur were marking Casemiro and Mount.

Richarlison’s narrow position provided an additional safety net in case United’s left side wanted to find Bruno Fernandes between the lines, because Bissouma’s role in this situation…

… was to provide additional zonal cover to Cristian Romero and Bentancur.

In this example, Tottenham’s defensive organisation forces Shaw to play the ball into the space behind Porro…

… but Bentancur and Romero are in position to defend that area, and Bissouma is also dropping to support.

In another example, Solanke’s angle of pressure forces United to build down their left side and Spurs adjust their positions to limit that.

Solanke and Sarr mark Maguire and Casemiro centrally, Johnson and Porro immediately press Shaw and Dorgu as Bentancur covers Mount, Richarlison is in a narrow position to keep an eye on Fernandes and Bissouma is ready to support the right side.

Without any forward passing option, Shaw is forced to go back to goalkeeper Andre Onana. United then tried building up down the other side.

Tottenham’s pressing approach was different down their left (the United right) because Sarr continued marking Casemiro, leaving Bissouma to move up towards Fernandes. Meanwhile, Richarlison and Destiny Udogie mirrored Johnson and Porro’s roles in pressing United’s wide centre-back Leny Yoro and right wing-back Noussair Mazraoui.

However, as Bissouma was the one pressing Fernandes, it was Micky van de Ven’s job to defend Amad (out of shot in the first image below).

When Spurs defended deeper on that side of the pitch, the only change of role was for Sarr — the Senegal midfielder dropped deeper to support Bissouma against Fernandes.

Here, infield pressure from Sarr, Johnson and Solanke forces United to attack down the Tottenham left…

… and Bissouma moves towards Fernandes while Van de Ven and Udogie are tracking Amad and Mazraoui.

When Yoro plays the ball to Mazraoui, Bissouma drops deeper to defend Spurs’ left side in a zonal capacity, while Sarr picks up Fernandes and Udogie presses Mazraoui.

The Morocco international’s lack of options then forces United to reset the attack.

They circulated the ball towards their left side, triggering the other part of Postecoglou’s defensive organisation, which locked them in a build-up loop, before Spurs won a throw-in from Shaw’s long ball.

When Tottenham were in a winning game state, they protected that lead in a deeper block.

Despite the difference in the approach between the left and right sides, one of Bissouma and Bentancur defended the half-space to neutralise United’s wide combinations, while the other maintained a more central position.

The introductions of Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee from the bench altered United’s attack. Zirkzee could drop from centre-forward and link the play, while Garnacho offered a better one-versus-one threat down their left wing and an option to switch positions with wing-back Dorgu.

Ruben Amorim’s double substitution improved United but Postecoglou adjusted seven minutes later, replacing Johnson with centre-back Kevin Danso and moving to a 5-4-1 with Sarr and Son, on for Richarlison, as the wide players in midfield.

Sarr and Son had important roles to play towards the end of the match because their defensive work supporting the wing-backs — especially with Shaw pushing forward as United chased an equaliser — allowed Bissouma and Bentancur to concentrate on dealing with the central space.

Tottenham still needed an incredible goal-line clearance from Van de Ven and a good late save by Guglielmo Vicario to maintain their clean sheet, but the side’s overall defensive organisation minimised those moments as much as possible.

“I felt having Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Porro, (and) Vicario in goal — we haven’t had that luxury a lot (this season because of injuries) — and with Bissouma and Bentancur, we were going to be really hard to break down,” Postecoglou told TNT Sports after the match.

“I always felt comfortable that if we got ahead, we could negate most of what Man United were going to throw at us.”

Tottenham’s plan to keep United out didn’t need to be pretty, because what eventually mattered was its effectiveness, and it delivered their fourth European trophy.

Tottenham Hotspur won the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday night, defeating Manchester United 1-0. It’s a result that not only rescues Spurs’ season but also grants them entry into next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham and United are 17th and 16th respectively in the Premier League, and for most of the first half they played like it, both sides displaying a painful lack of quality. Even the first goal, when it came, was befitting of a scrappy game — Brennan Johnson was credited with it, even though it span into the net via Luke Shaw’s arm.

There was not a significant increase in quality after the break, although United ratcheted up the intensity as they chased the game. But Spurs, helped by an incredible goalline clearance from Micky van de Ven and a late, late save from Guglielmo Vicario, held firm to end their 17-year wait for a major honour.

Mark Critchley, Jay Harris, Mark Carey, Carl Anka and Chris Weatherspoon analyse the game.

What does this result mean for Spurs and Postecoglou?

Tottenham’s trophy drought is finally over.

Go ahead and mock them for their form in the league this season or the lack of quality in the final, but none of the supporters will care. Ange Postecoglou, in what is probably his penultimate game in charge, has held true to his promise that he “always” wins a trophy in his second season. On his 100th game as head coach, he secured his place in their history books. If he does depart in the coming weeks, the Australian will take comfort from the fact he will always hold a place in the hearts of the fanbase.

This squad will go down as legends. They have accomplished what Gareth Bale, Harry Kane and Luka Modric could not. Son, who has spent a decade with the club, might now eclipse Kane as the best player in Spurs’ modern history. Kane left to win a trophy, Son stayed to prove the doubters wrong. Micky van de Ven, who was a fan favourite from the first moment he joined Spurs from Wolfsburg in July 2023, can look forward to having a statue outside the stadium one day. It will be a challenge for the sculptor to capture the glory of his ridiculous goal-line clearance but nothing else will do.

Spurs will play in the Champions League next season, even though they are 17th in the top flight with one game remaining. This young group, which has already endured so many challenges, will tell themselves that this is only the beginning. Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, the future of their midfield, are both 19 while academy graduate Mikey Moore is two years younger.

This could be a transformative moment for the club and this squad. No longer burdened by their lack of success. This is their first trophy in 17 years and their first European title since 1984. The trophy parade on Friday will be wild. It has been an emotional season.

Yes, there have been some awful moments in 2024-25, but Tottenham achieved something special right at the end.

Jay Harris

What does this result mean for United and Amorim?

Everyone knew the stakes. To the victor, the spoils. To the loser, the most desperate, dismal season in their modern history.

And so what now for United, after what has to go down as their worst campaign in more than a century, since relegation from the old First Division in 1974?

Amorim did not want to take this job midway through the season and almost every other game under his charge has shown he has good instincts. This squad is plainly not suited to his system. But equally, his system is yet to demonstrate it can get results.

Amorim has not had to shoulder the majority of the blame for United’s performances, understandably so. There are still enough caveats in his favour, still a sense that he cannot be fairly judged in this job until he has his players, until he’s working on his terms. United insisted before this final that Amorim would stay as their head coach whatever the result.

But the silver lining of more time on the training ground to teach his philosophy is scant silver lining compared to a first season in more than a decade without European football.

And even Amorim himself has admitted of late that defeat in this final would mean United “have to be perfect” next season, starting from the very first kick. From now on, there is no more room for error.

Mark Critchley

A scrappy but priceless goal

The first half was very low on quality so nobody was surprised when Spurs took the lead in the 42nd minute with one of the scrappiest goals you will ever witness in a major final.

Richarlison was on the left wing and he played a clever reverse pass into space for Rodrigo Bentancur who then found Pape Matar Sarr. The Senegal international bent a cross into the box which Brennan Johnson attacked. The ball bounced off Luke Shaw, Johnson took a wild swipe at it in mid-air and somehow it snuck in between Andre Onana’s right arm and the post and then over the line.

Whether Johnson actually scored or not is irrelevant. He is exceptional at attacking the six-yard box and his trademark finish is sweeping the ball into the net with a first-time finish from around 10 yards. He had already been a menace to Shaw on a couple of occasions in the first half, closing him down to win the ball high up the pitch, and he was too quick for him again.

Johnson slid on his knees and then fell over right in front of the Spurs supporters before he was mobbed by his team-mates. It was a fantastic moment for the Wales international, who temporarily deactivated his social media accounts in September after receiving abuse.

Johnson, who turns 24 on Friday, scored a couple of days later in a cup tie against Coventry City and barely celebrated, so it was beautiful to see him enjoy his impact and for the fans and his team-mates to shower him with love.

Jay Harris

Did Amorim get his team selection wrong?

The 71st minute saw Amorim roll his dice. Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho replacing Hojlund and Mount. The changes added zip to a stop-start attack. A minute after the swap, Zirkzee dropped deep to play provider, rolling a ball to Mazraoui, who provided a cross that Fernandes would steer wide.

Two minutes after that, Garnacho eked out some space in his favoured area on the left before burning past Pedro Porro. He went for his favoured attacking effort, cutting inside and shooting low toward the far post. Vicario got a hand to the shot and palmed it wide.

This was United going for it. Garnacho running at Spurs at full pelt, hoping to push them back. Zirkzee was to serve as an attacking hook for teammates to hang off.

This team huffed, and puffed, but could not blow Spurs’ house down. Postecoglou made second-half changes of his own, replacing Richarlison with Son, and Johnson for Danso. It bolstered his team in both penalty boxes. A change to a 5-4-1 made the brick wall more impenetrable than ever.

Another swap from Amorim, bringing on Diogo Dalot for Mazraoui, failed to change the game’s complexion. Harry Maguire was deployed as an emergency striker one more time, and Kobbie Mainoo was introduced for Patrick Dorgu.

The head coach – dressed in a suit jacket rather than his usual touchline attire – could be seen beckoning his players forwards in the final five minutes. His players were willing, but not quite able. His substitutions could not solve the underlying problem: a United squad that will go down as one of the worst in the club’s modern history.

Carl Anka

A trophy-winning clearance?

Cup finals are rarely filled with a glut of action.

Given the high stakes of a trophy on the line, you will often see a cagey affair with both sides in must-not-lose mode as their default setting. The crucial moments in both boxes is invariably what swings things, and Wednesday’s balmy evening at San Mames was no different.

A teasing first-half cross from Pape Matar Sarr was one of the few attacking moments of quality from Tottenham Hotspur, with Brennan Johnson and Luke Shaw’s tangle ending with the ball trickling into the net for a scrappy goal that was reflective of the standard of the game.

At the other end of the pitch, a second-half mistake from Guglielmo Vicario saw the Italian goalkeeper fumble the ball towards the head of Rasmus Hojlund, who looped a headed shot towards goal, only for his effort to be swatted away by Van de Ven, who made an incredible, acrobatic goalline clearance with his right foot with the ball at chest height.

In a game of low quality, such isolated moments are crucial, and it was a defensive action that proved to be pivotal. In truth, Spurs were well organised and disciplined defensively — and while their attack was still rather blunt at one end, they won the battle in both boxes to come out victorious.

Mark Carey

A final to forget for Bruno Fernandes

First, there was a searching ball over the top for Amad that was nodded away by Van de Ven, then a poorly judged square pass to Casemiro that was easily intercepted by Pape Mate Sarr.

There was still plenty of time for United to organise themselves against Tottenham’s break for the decisive — Bruno Fernandes was far from solely at fault — but his part in it summed up a night when everything United’s captain tried failed to come off.

That’s the player Fernandes is. He will take risks, like that first attempted ball over the top to Amad. He will look to play the percentages for the benefit of his team-mates. It is, on the whole, hugely beneficial.

But on a single, isolated occasion like a season-defining European final, those percentages can turn against you. Especially when the opposition shut him down as effectively as Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur did in the middle of the park.

The Portuguese averages around 50 completed passes a game. He managed just 11 during the first half. Fernandes at least had more efforts than any other United player, but only his diving header midway through the second half particularly troubled Tottenham’s defence.

Fernandes has carried this United side throughout this Europa League campaign, throughout the season, but he could not even he could carry them over the finish line.

Mark Critchley

What was this worth to Spurs? And what have United missed out on?

The real financial prize will come next season though. As an example, United earned £53.8million via European matches during their last Champions League year, a season when they finished bottom of their group with one win in the six games – and one which came before UEFA introduced an even more lucrative new format.

In terms of estimating next year’s earnings from a Champions League spot, The Athletic estimate Spurs’ minimum earnings to be £60m, even if they were to lose every game. United, on the other hand, have missed out on a minimum of £77m across UEFA prize money, takings from at least four extra home games and in addition now face a £10m haircut to their kit supplier deal with Adidas for failing to reach Europe’s elite competition.

Chris Weatherspoon

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What did Ruben Amorim say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for Spurs?

Sunday, May 25: Brighton (H), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET

What next for United?

Sunday, May 25: Aston Villa (H), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET

(Header photo: Getty Images)