Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: The Afterthought
There goes the dream of doing the double. All jokes aside, this looks like a season where nothing and we mean absolutely nothing is going in favour of Ange or Tottenham. Every game feels like a knockout game where Spurs just end up on the wrong Side of it. So, what did we learn from Spurs’ demoralising cup exit at the hands of Aston Villa?
Europa League, the only light
If you are reviewing Spurs’ season thus far then you can’t help but acknowledge the fact that Spurs are rightly out of the three competitions because they don’t deserve to be there. Europa League though is a completely different story.
Spurs have genuinely been one of the better sides in Europe this season and realistically they can reach at the very least Semifinal of that competition. It is not just a throwaway prediction but Spurs have been professional and efficient in Europe, so there is certainly light at the end of the tunnel.
Ange Postecoglou showed he has a backbone
Knowing an FA Cup exit might be the final nail in the coffin for his time at Spurs, it would have been easy for Ange to throw the team under the bus but that’s not what happened.
Ange was more determined than ever to defend his boys and he defended them with full authority. He knows despite the results his team or whatever players that are still standing have given their 100% every time they’ve stepped on the field, they might not have been good enough to win games but they never ditched their manager’s philosophy and Ange is returning the favour by vehemently supporting his squad.
Levy, transfers, and the conundrum
Another game, another “Levy out” cry from the fans. The squad hasn’t been competitive enough under Levy not to mention spending so much money and then ending up with a squad that is probably 7th or 8th best in the league.
Forget spending, Aston Villa were bringing on Marcus Rashford and Ascencio from the bench meanwhile Spurs had more than half of their first XI sitting in the medical room talking about their summer plans. The difference in urgency of the two boards is quite visible. Villa aren’t too far away from where Spurs stand but they have an active boardroom that is ready to back their manager at any given time. Stark contrast to Spurs.
If Spurs are ever going to make it under Daniel Levy’s ownership then they need to be more dynamic and proactive in the market rather than reactive which can clearly be seen from the January window.
Here’s hoping Spurs at least go deep in the Europa League and give their fans something to cheer about in this dismal campaign.