Daily Mail

Ange Postecoglou will take Tottenham to Tamworth confident no freakish surprises will lurk at The Lamb to eclipse the time he had to clear toads from a pitch in Fiji.

Postecoglou was South Melbourne boss, competing for a place at the Club World Championship in Brazil in 2000.

Manchester United had been granted permission to withdraw from the FA Cup to play in the same tournament, although their route to Rio de Janiero did not contain amphibious hazards.

'We were warming up and there were toads we had to remove which kept jumping on the pitch,' recalled the Spurs boss. 'At the time you're kind of going "Really?" But, when you realise there was a fair bit of money at stake and the opportunity to play at the Maracana against some of the best teams in the world, was quite extraordinary.

'Our president George Vasilopoulos had these worry beads and they got a working out that day, let me tell you. He kept thinking about our bank balance and seeing frogs and toads on the field. It's an experience.'

South Melbourne won through and Postecoglou is well versed in the underdog mentality which will fuel fifth-tier Tamworth when they entertain Tottenham in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

'We ended up playing at the Maracana against the great Manchester United, who had won a treble, so there was a fair different between us,' said the Spurs boss. 'We lost 2-0 but gave a decent account of ourselves given the difference.

'On the day, some of my players, who were semi-pro but good footballers and probably played the best game of their lives that day. What we're going to face, is probably players hoping to play the best game of their lives on that day.

'That's what I love about the game. It allows people at all levels to dream and it's why the FA Cup is such a great competition. It allows every club, irrespective of level, to dream that the fairytale story could be theirs. I'm on the other side of the fence this time. I want to make sure that we show our capabilities as well.'

Postecoglou will rest players but intends to start with new £12.5million signing Antonin Kinsky in goal after his impressive debut in the Carabao Cup against Liverpool.

'The Czech league shut down in the middle of December,' he said. 'He hadn't played a competitive game in three weeks and he felt a bit rusty. It makes sense to give him another game and get him back in the group playing football.'

Rodrigo Bentancur, carried off with a head injury against Liverpool, will miss the next two weeks in line with concussion guidelines.

'He's had every check and everything was fine,' said Postecoglou. 'He will go through the protocols and we will make sure he is absolutely fine before he starts again.'

The reason for Rodrigo Bentancur's sudden on-field collapse on Wednesday evening has been confirmed.

The Uruguayan midfielder was substituted in the first half of Tottenham's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash with Liverpool after a lengthy delay in which the player received treatment on the pitch.

Bentancur fell to the floor with no-one around him in the first-half causing huge concern for his health.

The Uruguayan was subsequently taken to hospital for thorough medical examinations before returning home on Wednesday night.

However an update has been issued from Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, in which the Australian manager revealed that Bentancur had suffered 'a concussion'.

WARNING: Distressing images below

'Good news, thankfully. He was in the hospital and they did all the tests, just checking everything's okay, and all good, he's back home and he's fine, he's feeling good.'

'We'll follow protocols now and it's a couple of weeks where you just have to make sure everything's okay, but thankfully it looks like a concussion but nothing more.

'It's always distressing. You saw especially for Pedro (Porro) who was the first one there and kind of knew that it was a distressing situation but I thought the lads handled it well and the medical team handled it well, and thankfully all good.'

The 27-year-old had needed treatment on the pitch for nine minutes after his collapse, before he was stretchered off to applause from both sets of supporters.

However the player himself was quick to assuage any concerns over his health on social media shortly after the game.

He took to social media to share an update on his condition with his fiancee, posting: 'All good, guys! Thank you for the messages!!! Congratulations for the victory boys!!!'

He could now face another spell on the sidelines, having already missed eight matches through suspension this season.

Bentancur was hit with a seven-game ban for making an alleged racial slur against Tottenham captain Son Heung-min during a TV interview in Uruguay.

He then sat out Spurs' 2-1 defeat by Newcastle on Saturday after picking up his fifth booking of the season the previous week.

With their team-mate undergoing medical checks, Spurs went on to win the first leg in north London 1-0, Lucas Bergvall striking in the 96th minute to stun the Reds, handing them just a second defeat of the season in all competitions.

Tottenham return to action on Sunday when they face National League outfit Tamworth in the FA Cup.

They then travel across north London to take on Arsenal in a mouthwatering Premier League clash next Wednesday.

The Reds were forced to land in Birmingham before driving the rest of the way

Arne Slot's side suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat by Tottenham in the Carabao Cup

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Liverpool endured a travel nightmare as they attempted to return to base after their disappointing 1-0 defeat by Tottenham on Wednesday night.

Arne Slot's side suffered a rare loss in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash as a controversial Lucas Bergvall goal ensured victory for the hosts.

The Reds boss will have lots to ponder after the match and it appears he'll have plenty of time to do so after their journey back to Merseyside was disrupted by weather.

According to The Athletic, after the match the squad's flight back from London Stansted couldn't land at John Lennon Airport due to icy fog and was instead forced to divert to Birmingham.

From there, they took a team bus back to Liverpool - but it didn't arrive until the early hours and training was subsequently cancelled.

The Reds will be looking to bounce back from the defeat when they return to action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup .

Arne Slot's side hadn't suffered defeat since September prior to the Spurs loss and will be hoping to get back to winning ways in their upcoming tie.

Slot was left raging when Bergvall escaped a second yellow card to score Tottenham’s winner in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Reds boss Slot was incensed on the touchline when Bergvall, already on a booking, scythed down Kostas Tsimikas in the build-up to the goal but escaped further punishment.

‘I don’t think there’s any debate about it,’ said Slot. ‘I think I saw Ange sitting here on Saturday and Spurs weren’t happy with a few decisions.

'One went against them, tonight maybe one went in favour of them.

‘The decisions is made, you can’t change it. When he didn’t give the second yellow card, no one thought it would have such a big impact 30 seconds later.

'I am 99.9 per cent certain I was not the only one who didn’t feel the best when it went in. It was, for him [the referee] also far from ideal.’

Before Bergvall's contentious intervention, the two sides had played out a tight encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it looked set to end goalless after Dominic Solanke saw a goal ruled out for offside midway through the second half.

Yet, in the 86th minute, Bergvall finished superbly following good work from the tireless Solanke to net his first goal for Spurs.

Reds captain Virgil van Dijk also took his ire out on the officials post-match and claimed they must do better.

'I think it was quite obvious it was going to be a second yellow (for Lucas Bergvall),' he added.

'I think it was pretty clear. It was a coincidence and a minute later he scores the winner.

'It is what it is. He (the referee) made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that. He thinks he didn't but it was quite obvious I think and everyone on the sidelines knew it was supposed to be a yellow.

'There's a linesman there, a fourth official there, there's VAR, a referee and he doesn't get a second yellow. I'm not saying this is the reason why we lost tonight but it was a big moment in the game.'

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has posted an update on his condition after suffering a worrying injury in his side's 1-0 win over Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Just five minutes into the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final tie, Bentancur went for a header at the near post from a Tottenham corner but appeared to fall awkwardly and was then left motionless on the pitch.

There was instant concern for the 27-year-old as his team-mates frantically gestured for medics to get onto the pitch to provide treatment.

The medical response was swift and fans inside the stadium were left watching on anxiously as Bentancur was treated for nine minutes before being carried off on a stretcher to applause from both sets of supporters.

Tottenham later confirmed that the Uruguayan had been rushed to hospital for further scans, and Bentancur took to social media in the early hours of Thursday morning to reassure fans concerned for his wellbeing.

A smiling Bentancur posted a photo of himself with his fiancée Melany La Banca alongside the message: 'All good, guys! Thank you for the messages!!! Congratulations for the victory boys!!!'

WARNING: Distressing images below

Bentancur's positive update will come as a relief to fans after he had required lengthy treatment.

It was his first game back after he served a one-match suspension in Tottenham's weekend defeat by Newcastle for picking up five bookings this season.

Prior to that, he had been hit with a seven-game ban for the use of an alleged racial slur towards Tottenham captain Son Heung-min during a TV interview in his homeland of Uruguay.

It remains unclear as to when he will return from his latest setback, but seeing him sitting up in bed and smiling is a welcome sight for supporters.

Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah also needed attention from medics after feeling unwell in the first half of Wednesday's match, which led to there being 11 minutes of stoppage time.

The second half then came to life in the final 15 minutes as Spurs managed to gain a narrow advantage to take to Anfield for next month's second leg.

Tottenham were first denied by a tight offside call after Dominic Solanke thought he had put the hosts in front.

Spurs finally did make the breakthrough in the 86th minute as Lucas Bergvall netted following fine work from Solanke.

Liverpool were left furious after feeling Bergvall should have been sent off just moments earlier for a foul on Kostas Tsimikas when he was already on a booking.

However, Bergvall remained on the pitch and came up with the decisive moment in the game, much to Tottenham and Bentancur's delight.

Tottenham claimed a late victory at home to narrowly give them the edge against Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

The first-half was overshadowed by a number of injuries which slowed play, the first and most distressing happening just minutes after kick-off when Rodrigo Bentancur had to be carried off on a stretcher after going down in the penalty area.

A nervy, elongated half followed with neither side able to get the better of one another, but Tottenham started the strong in the second, with Pedro Porro coming achingly close to putting the hosts ahead.

Dominic Solanke thought he was the one to finally break the deadlock in the 77th minute, but after his goal was chalked off by VAR, it was up to Swedish starlet Lucas Bergvall to play the hero with his 86th-minute winner - just moments after he nearly picked up a second yellow card for a risky challenge on Kostas Tsimikas.

Here, JAMES SHARPE runs the rule over who shined and who struggled on both sides in north London on Wednesday evening.

Tottenham (4-3-3)

Antonin Kinsky - 8

A shaky moments on debut when he nearly let Gakpo’s long-range shot squirm under him put pulled off a stunning save at the death from Nunez in a fine debut.

Pedro Porro - 6

Wasted two huge chances to put Spurs ahead when Alisson got robbed of the ball. Excellent through ball for Solanke’s disallowed goal.

Radu Dragusin - 6

Saw a big early attempt saved but cleared Alexander-Arnold’s flashing drive off the line in the second half.

Archie Gray - 7

The 18-year-old continues to look so calm and unflustered out of position in a depleted Spurs backline. Kept Jota quiet.

Djed Spence - 7

Always looked to burst forward down the Tottenham flank and will take Salah out of his pocket at some point on Thursday.

Lucas Bergvall - 8.5

Supreme performance and deservedly scored the winner…but should he have been on the pitch to score it?

Yves Bissouma - 6.5

Physical presence but often too physical and was booked for a needless foul on Jota in the first half.

Rodrigo Bentancur - 6

Carried off on a stretcher early in the first half after an awkward fall attempting a diving header but gave an encouraging thumbs up to Ange Postecoglou as he left the field.

Dejan Kulusevski - 6

Frequently picked up the ball in dangerous positions but had a rare night where his final ball was not up to scratch.

Dominic Solanke - 8

Never stops putting in a shift for his team, thought he’d scored but was offside and then set up the winner.

Heung-min Son - 6

Celebrating his new contract by running around a lot, trying to whip balls into the box but to no avail.

Substitutions

Brennan Johnson (for Bentancur, 15) 6.5

Timo Werner (for Son, 76) 6

Manager

Ange Postecoglou - 6.5

Dropped to his knees when Porro missed the two big chances, will be gutted to lose another player to injury.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1)

Alisson - 6

Brilliant low save early on to deny Dragusin from close range but robbed of the ball twice by Bergvall who later buried the winner past him.

Conor Bradley - 7

In for Alexander-Arnold and seized his chance, never shirked a tackle and played the most passes of any Liverpool player before he went off. Madrid calling?

Jarell Quansah - 5.5

Felt the wrath of Van Dijk early on for being sloppy on the ball before going off injured just before the half hour.

Virgil Van Dijk - 7

Spent most of the evening reading the riot act to the lackadaisical defenders around him but purred like usual himself.

Kostas Tsimikas - 6

Summed up Liverpool’s sloppiness at the end of the first half when he passed a simple ball straight out for a throw in.

Ryan Gravenberch - 6

He’s been Liverpool’s midfield all season but for once had little control, looked like he needed a rest.

Alexis Mac Allister - 6.5

Probably Liverpool’s best midfield player but that wasn’t asking much and made way on the hour.

Mo Salah - 5.5

Fired one shot wide from edge of area and put another one over the bar. Maybe he is human after all.

Curtis Jones - 6

Looks neat and composed on the ball but was bypassed time and again as Tottenham and Bergvall cut through the Reds.

Cody Gakpo - 6

In the form of his life for Slot’s side and was once again a constant threat down the left, though could not find the final ball when it mattered.

Jota - 6

Usually so good at dropping in and linking up play but was so careless on the ball and was subbed on the hour.

Substitutions

Endo (for Quansah, 30) 6.5

Nunez (for Jota, 60) 6

Alexander-Arnold (for Bradley, 60) 6.5

Diaz (for Gakpo, 60) 6

Konate (for Mac Allister, 80) N/A

Manager

Arne Slot - 5.5

Usually so calm and collected but cut an animated figure in the dugout as his side kept squandering possession, subs did nothing.

Referee

Stuart Atwell - 6

Nearly booed out of north London when he had to announce Solanke’s disallowed goal over the speakers, Liverpool furious that Bergvall wasn’t shown a yellow card in the build-up to the winner.

Lucas Bergvall scored the winner for Tottenham as they defeated Liverpool 1-0

But the Swede was perhaps fortunate to avoid a second yellow during the game

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A furious Arne Slot was left raging when Lucas Bergvall escaped a second yellow card to score Tottenham’s winner in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool.

Reds boss Slot was incensed on the touchline when Bergvall, already on a booking, scythed down Kostas Tsimikas in the build-up to the goal but escaped further punishment.

‘I don’t think there’s any debate about it,’ said Slot. ‘I think I saw Ange sitting here on Saturday and Spurs weren’t happy with a few decisions.

'One went against them, tonight maybe one went in favour of them.

‘The decisions is made, you can’t change it. When he didn’t give the second yellow card, no one thought it would have such a big impact 30 seconds later.

'I am 99.9 per cent certain I was not the only one who didn’t feel the best when it went in. It was, for him [the referee] also far from ideal.’

Before Bergvall's contentious intervention, the two sides had played out a tight encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it looked set to end goalless after Dominic Solanke saw a goal ruled out for offside midway through the second half.

Yet, in the 86th minute Bergvall finished superbly following good work from the tireless Solanke to net his first goal for Spurs.

After being booked in the first half for a sliding challenge on Luis Diaz - although replays suggested the Colombian went down with minimal contact - Bergvall had taken Tsimikas out with another sliding tackle in the second period.

However, Stuart Attwell didn't show Bergvall a second yellow card, with the 18-year-old's goal coming moments after the tackle.

To add insult to injury, Tsimikas was off the pitch waiting to come back on due to the challenge when the Swede netted, with the Reds temporarily down to 10 men.

The Liverpool bench were left fuming, with one member of the coaching staff receiving a yellow card from Attwell for his protests, while Arne Slot was seen remonstrating with the fourth official.

Reds captain Virgil van Dijk also took his ire out on the officials post-match and claimed they must do better.

'I think it was quite obvious it was going to be a second yellow (for Lucas Bergvall),' he added.

'I think it was pretty clear. It was a coincidence and a minute later he scores the winner.

'It is what it is. He (the referee) made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that. He thinks he didn't but it was quite obvious I think and everyone on the sidelines knew it was supposed to be a yellow.

'There's a linesman there, a fourth official there, there's VAR, a referee and he doesn't get a second yellow. I'm not saying this is the reason why we lost tonight but it was a big moment in the game.'

Speaking in the Sky Sports studio, Michael Dawson and Jamie Redknapp agreed with the Liverpool pair and were adamant that Spurs had got away with one.

'Stuart Attwell puts himself in a position as I don't think the first one is a yellow card with the one on Luis Diaz,' Dawson said.

'The one thing I would say with Bergvall is that he gives Stuart Attwell an opportunity and a decision to make. Stuart Attwell got that first one wrong, I don't think it was a yellow card.

'The second one, I have no defence for Bergvall, he lunges and catches Tsimikas. If he gets one right and one wrong, you can't even it up.

'Liverpool are punished off the back of that as a few moments later the ball is in the back of the net.

'I can understand Liverpool's frustration. Once the first yellow card is given, you are wanting a second yellow card without a shadow of a doubt.'

Redknapp added: 'You would be fuming (if you were Liverpool). It has a monumental effect on the rest of the game.

'Tsimikas has to come off for treatment leaving Liverpool with 10 men. He comes off for 30 seconds, so not only is Bergvall on the pitch but they have to play with 10 men and you can see it changes the shape of the team

'A brilliant bit of play from their (Spurs') perspective but if you are a Liverpool coach, player and fan, you are wondering why he is on the pitch and our left back isn't.'

However, despite the general consensus that Spurs were lucky, Postecoglou was adamant that the correct decision had been made, pointing to a little-known rule.

He said: 'He wasn’t (lucky). People misinterpreted my comments from the other day. The rule is and we have been told for quite a while now that if advantage gets played, as long as it is not for a cynical tackle then the yellow card [doesn’t get given].

'We have been screaming for it for the last two months. It has happened to us consistently, have a look at our games.

'We have asked the officials and they have said, if you play advantage and it is not a cynical tackle then the yellow card does not get played. To me, that was pretty clear.'

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE

Spurs had earlier been denied by VAR when Solanke’s goal was ruled out for offside and referee Attwell made history by announcing the decision over the stadium speakers.

‘If it is offside, you don’t need to explain anything,’ said Slot. ‘Everyone saw it on the screen. It would be more interesting for everyone why he didn’t explain the second yellow card than why he cancelled the goal.’

Meanwhile, Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was sent to hospital after he suffered a worrying injury early in the game.

Bentancur appeared to be knocked unconscious after hitting his head on the ground six minutes in before medics and team-mates rushed to help before he was stretchered from the field after eight minutes of treatment.

Bentancur gave a thumbs-up from the stretcher to Postecoglou as he left the field.

‘I’m not going to speculate but it was a head injury and there was concern from players out there. He was conscious when coming off the field and been taken to hospital,’ said Postecoglou.

The Spurs boss then went on a rant about VAR but admitted the luck had gone in his side’s favour this time.

‘I am surprised at how people in this country are so easily letting the game change so much so quickly,’ he said.

‘I thought more people would be protecting the sanctity of the game. You guys think you are custodians of the game. You sing It’s Coming Home, yet it takes an Aussie from the other side of the world to speak up. Today it advantaged us. Just leave the game alone for a bit.’

The victory was a crucial one for Postecoglou, with the result Spurs' first win in five matches amid a monumental injury crisis.

They will hope to take confidence from the performance over the next few weeks, before the second leg of the tie takes place at Anfield on Thursday, February 6.

Stuart Attwell became the first referee to announce a VAR decision live inside a stadium in England during Tottenham's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool.

Dominic Solanke thought he had put the hosts ahead in the 76th minute when he capitalised on Pedro Porro's through ball before he slotted past Alisson.

However, after a lengthy VAR review, it was ruled that Solanke was ahead of Liverpool's deepest defender Trent Alexander-Arnold - and therefore the goal was ruled out.

And, as part of a new in-stadium trial of VAR announcements for both semi-finals in the Carabao Cup, Attwell subsequently revealed the reason for the goal being disallowed to the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The official blew his whistle, before he added: 'After a review Dominic Solanke was in an offside position,' as his words sounded over the tannoy inside the ground.

There was a predictable level of frustration from the home supporters as boos rang out after the explanation.

It was announced last month that the trial was set run over both legs of the semi-finals - with Arsenal taking on Newcastle during the first leg of the other final four clash on Tuesday night.

The Magpies won the match 2-0 to shock the Gunners at the Emirates, yet no decisions were referred to VAR, meaning referee John Brooks did not have to announce any of his decisions inside the stadium.

Attwell will go down as having achieved a first in English football, with the EFL revealing ahead of the ties that referees would be required to announce the final VAR decision after taking a trip to the pitchside monitor or upon the conclusion of factual matters as part of the trial.

A full statement from the EFL explaining what would happen read: 'VAR will be in place for this season’s Carabao Cup Semi-Finals, along with the first use of in-stadium VAR announcements in English football.

'As part of the trial, referees will announce (over the stadium public address system) the final decision following a visit to the VAR pitchside monitor, or upon the conclusion of factual matters such as accidental handball by a goalscorer or offside judgements. Only the final decision will be announced in the stadium.

'In-stadium VAR announcements have already been successfully introduced in several FIFA events, including the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and aim to provide greater clarity and understanding around key decisions to supporters in the stadiums and those watching from home.

'The new pilot forms part of PGMOL’s broader commitment to transparency and embracing technological advancements for the benefit of Match Officials and fans. This latest pilot has the support of the EFL and follows earlier collaboration with PGMOL in 2018 to trial VAR in EFL competitions ahead of its introduction in the Premier League.

'The trial will run over both legs of the Arsenal v Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool Semi-Final ties, with the first legs taking place at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday 7 January and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday 8 January.'

Spurs went onto win the clash 1-0 thanks to Lucas Bergvall's late goal, which came after more good work from Solanke.

The second leg of the tie will take place at Anfield on Thursday, February 6.

Tottenham have delivered an update on Rodrigo Bentancur after the Spurs star was taken off on a stretcher in the opening stages of Tottenham's Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool on Wednesday.

The Uruguayan, who has just returned from a ban, started in midfield for the game, though his night lasted just a few minutes before he hit the deck during a worrying moment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham started brightly in the game, and were setting up for an attacking corner with Bentancur in the box alongside a number of his other team-mates.

He dived to head Pedro Porro's corner, but appeared to land awkwardly, laying unmoved on the pitch as play continued, with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson forced into action.

It was then clear, though, that Bentancur would require immediate medical attention, and medics soon rushed over as players urged them to hurry and tried to attend to Bentancur.

The 27-year-old received treatment on the field for nine minutes in total as he left the field on a stretcher to the applause of both sets of fans.

WARNING: Distressing images

Spurs posted an update to social media at half time, revealing that Bentancur was being taken to hospital for further medical assessment.

'We can confirm Rodrigo is conscious, talking and will go to hospital for further checks,' the north London club posted on X.

Liverpool responded by showing support to Tottenham and the Uruguayan, posting: 'We're all thinking of you, Rodrigo. Speedy recovery.'

Bentancur had missed seven games of domestic action before returning against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. He continued to play in the Europa League.

He was handed the ban for a racist remark about Spurs team-mate and captain Son Heung-min, which he apologised for.

Tottenham appealed the decision, with the player also fined £100,000, but that was rejected and they had to make do without him for seven matches. He also recently served a Premier League suspension for yellow card accumulation.

He now, however, appears set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines again following the incident on Wednesday. It has not been made clear what the issue was.

'We're all with you, Lolo,' Spurs' official X account posted moments after he was substituted.

He left the field with 15 minutes on the clock, having initially gone down after six minutes. The substitution was not a concussion substitute - and he put his thumb up as he was taken off.

The midfielder also had a blanket placed over him and was wearing an oxygen mask, though was pictured with his eyes open.

He also put his thumb up as he was taken off, with Ange Postecoglou checking on him.

If he misses more matches, it adds to Tottenham's current injury crisis, which has seen a number of first team players miss game time.

First-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has been out of action since the end of November after undergoing ankle surgery, while Spurs have also been torn apart defensively.

They are currently without first-choice centre backs Sergio Romero and Micky van De Ven, while back-up option Ben Davies is also missing.

Left back Destiny Udogie, meanwhile, is expected to be out until February with a hamstring issue.

Relive Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Tottenham host Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Tottenham’s trophy drought, for anyone who has not been paying attention, is ticking on towards 17 years.

More than 6,000 days have passed since Jonathan Woodgate’s header beat Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in the days when people still thought Carabao was a kind of reindeer.

But the great trophy-laden era for Spurs, 20-odd years of hauling serious silverware from the league and FA Cup Double of 1961 and a song about the glory of the cups at White Hart Lane, ended with the UEFA Cup win in 1984.

Four complete decades since have delivered one FA Cup and two League Cups. Fewer major trophies than Everton and Leicester City.

'It’s in black and white,' as Mauricio Pochettino would say when quizzed about winning something to show for five strong years, finishing as runners-up in the Premier League and the Champions League.

The idea that Tottenham and trophies should go together is something of a misnomer.

Yes, a big club with a huge fanbase, a fabulous stadium and a swish training ground, but while they were winning those three pots in 40 years, Manchester United won 31, Chelsea 21, Liverpool 19, Manchester City 18 and Arsenal 17. That’s without messing about with Community Shields, Super Cups, etc.

Spurs are lucky anyone still considers English football to have a Big Six not a Big Five.

Desperation to compete with the elite drove them through Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte and a handbrake turn to Ange Postecoglou, fearing they lost something held dear along the way.

It cuts to the heart of the great Tottenham enigma. What matters most? Trophies or entertainment? They no longer feature Danny Blanchflower’s classic quote in the preamble to kick-off, but supporters of a certain vintage know it well.

'The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning,' said Blanchflower, captain of the Double winners in ‘61. 'It’s nothing of the kind. The game is about glory. It is about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.'

While failing to win trophies in pragmatic style under Mourinho and Conte, everyone agreed there must be more enjoyable ways not to win anything.

Under Postecoglou they have reclaimed a sense of adventure and restored identity. At their best they exhilarate, although from their midwinter doldrums, sunk closer to the bottom three than the top four of the Premier League and in the grip of an injury crisis and a rotten sequence of results, reasons for cheer have been hard to find.

Protest songs aimed at Daniel Levy are back in fashion and if the chairman is under fire, then the manager is a little less secure, hostage to the promise that he always wins something in his second season.

So, they could do with tangible success in one of the knockout competitions to relieve pressure and restore some faith in the plan as they go into this semi-final against Liverpool, the Premier League leaders, Carabao Cup holders and a team that scored six when they dropped into N17 last month. As my colleague Sami Mokbel reported last month, this semi-final is seen as crucial for Postecoglou's future.

His ranks were depleted when Liverpool last visited and not much better off now.

There is £12.5million goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who is 21 from Slavia Prague and could go straight in after his work permit clearance came in on Tuesday. Rodrigo Bentancur returns from a ban. Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray, who played through illness against Newcastle on Saturday, feel stronger and 17-year-old flying winger Mikey Moore is back in contention after a virus.

With James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr both suspended, however, there could be as many as 10 still missing.

These have been testing times for Postecoglou. His tense and irritable post-match manner does him no favours, but those who think he has not tried different things because his key message is he will not change his attacking policy are not looking closely.

His full backs have been reined in to accommodate the emergency in central defence and with Dragusin and Gray suffering from sickness against Newcastle on Saturday, he tweaked his usual 4-3-3 shape to provide more protection with two deep midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

It cost Maddison his place in the team and ultimately did not work as they lost again. That’s seven defeats in 14 games. Another bold call against Newcastle was to drop Son Heung-min, and it was probably with this tie against Liverpool in mind.

Son has not been at his best this season, playing more minutes than Postecoglou would have liked because of the absences of Richarlison, Wilson Odobert and Moore, and Timo Werner’s poor form.

Son looked flat in the 2-2 draw against Wolves in the final game of last year, missing a penalty before he was taken off after little more than an hour.

Postecoglou has given him a breather, a rare clear week with no fixture followed by half an hour from the bench against Newcastle in the hope he might be sparkle against Liverpool, because he knows he will need him.

Arne Slot, who Tottenham came so close to appointing instead of Postecoglou, has built the best side in the country and anyone searching for ways to trouble them will start by looking at the space behind their full backs, particularly behind Trent Alexander-Arnold if he plays.

Slot hinted at selecting a strong team at Spurs, defended Alexander-Arnold from criticism after Sunday’s draw against Manchester United and deflected it towards Ruben Amorim’s tactics.

'We always try to find arguments,' said Slot. 'Nine out of 10 times the best argument is the quality of the team you face or their gameplan.

'United had a very good gameplan: no build-up, just bring the ball long and not give us chance to press them high and go to a low block, which makes it difficult for any team to create chances, which we did quite a lot actually.'

Spurs need Son firing, and he will go into the semi-final feeling fresher and perhaps more settled after the clause was triggered to extend his contract until next year. 'It’s great to extend his stay,' said Postecoglou. 'And the aim is to make sure he finishes his Tottenham career with silverware.'

Back to that. Trophies. A tall order, but Tottenham have beaten Manchester City and Manchester United to get this far so why not Liverpool? Why not dream of Wembley?

It would relieve the pressure building on the Postecoglou project.

Juande Ramos and George Graham, the last managers to trouble the Spurs trophy cabinet, might say it does not guarantee much more. Mourinho was fired less than a week before the Carabao Cup final, four years ago.

Ryan Mason was left to lead them through that defeat to Manchester City so the competition is not and can never be the ultimate target. Levy failed to mention winning it in 2008 when asked at a fans’ forum recently about his fondest memories from two decades in the chair.

He spent a billion on the stadium to host Champions League football but for Postecoglou stopping the clock on the trophyless years is an essential development.