Tottenham secured their place in the last four of the Carabao Cup as they edged out Manchester United in a seven-goal thriller in North London.
But the 4-3 scoreline doesn’t even tell half the story.
The hosts raced into a three-goal lead courtesy of a ruthless brace from Dominic Solanke and a well-taken goal from Dejan Kulusevski.
But two calamitous errors from Fraser Forster gifted Manchester United an avenue back into the match with Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo the beneficiaries.
As if the contest couldn’t get any more bizarre, Spurs skipper Heung-min Son scored directly from a corner.
Before veteran defender Jonny Evans headed in United’s third with more questionable goalkeeping from Forster.
There was even a brief cameo from Sergio Reguilon who hadn’t played for Spurs since he was virtually exiled from first-team duties back in 2023.
Thursday night’s contest was a microcosm of the insanity that is Tottenham Hotspur. A superb display of attacking acumen clouded by inexcusable individual errors, melodramatic moments and set-piece fragility.
Despite all that, Spurs are Carabao Cup semi-finalists and will face Liverpool in a two-legged tie to determine who will play the final at Wembley.
Dissecting and analysing Tottenham’s issues can sometimes feel like an impossible task as each week new issues arise and fresh storylines emerge. Alas, here are four things we learnt.
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Red Djed Redemption
Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham were in dire need of a breath of fresh air. Postecoglou’s options, particularly in defence, have been depleted to the extent of exhaustion due to an incredibly unfortunate injury record.
Due to the overcrowding of the treatment table, cover in the full-back position has been almost non-existent which has meant Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro have had to battle on through fatigue and bad form.
But Djed Spence looks to have solved Postecoglou’s problem.
Spence is an athletic and technically gifted full-back. He has the engine and durability to withstand of what the Tottenham manager demands of his full-back.
His role includes bombarding up and down the pitch, assisting in offence while still being alert and focused defensively. All of this coupled with the expectation to invert and provide an extra body in midfield makes it arguably the toughest role to operate in.
At 6’0 tall, Spence has the frame and physicality to protect the ball and the technical ability to play risky possession-based football.
These qualities have given an injection of energy and impetus that a stale Spurs were in desperate need of.
On his first ever Premier League start on the weekend, he registered an assist within 40 seconds with a delightfully incisive pass to James Maddison.
And against Manchester United, the 23-year-old provided a composed head whilst also emulating his inventiveness from the weekend with another penetrative assist for Solanke’s second and Spurs’ third.
The most admirable aspect of his contribution was the fact Spence was instructing Solanke where and when to run. Dictating play is a sign of a leader.
Last, but definitely not least, his versatility is invaluable to this squad. As proven tonight, he is as equally adept on his more unnatural left side than he is being deployed at right-back.
But we shouldn’t be talking about Spence providing cover for either full-back. The question is, who does he replace?
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Fraser Forster hasn't got the capabilities to thrive in 'Ange Ball'
Forster isn’t cut out for the relentlessness of Postecoglou’s philosophy.
This doesn’t mean Forster isn’t a good goalkeeper. He is in fact a very skilled stopper. His imposing presence and lightning reflexes would make him a valuable asset for most Premier League teams.
And the truth of the matter is Forster has produced heroics in recent weeks to ensure Spurs haven’t been humiliated.
But Postecoglou demands everyone to be brave and take risks and Forster isn’t gifted enough with his feet to make his actions look brave instead of stupid.
His strengths and weaknesses were epitomised in a 10-minute window against United as he went from hero to zero.
With Tottenham cruising at 3-0 up, the 36-year-old made a fantastic stop to deny Joshua Zirkzee as he dove to his left and clawed the ball away.
But minutes later a lapse of concentration saw him make a careless attempted pass to Radu Dragusin inside the box that was easily intercepted by Bruno Fernandes to tee up Zirkzee.
And shortly after that he hesitated on a clearance which allowed Amad to close him down and block the clearance into the back of the net.
His body language told the full story. A once confident and assured ‘keeper devolved into a shell of a man who was more then aware he just made two costly blunders.
Spurs fans can only hope those mistakes don’t have a lasting effect on Forster’s confidence as he will be between the sticks for the hectic festive period.
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The Maddison and Kulusevski balance conundrum
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are Spurs’ two most creative outlets.
They complement each other so well, with Maddison dictating the tempo while Kulusevski uses his brute strength and tricky footwork to trouble the opposition.
However, they need to be used correctly so they don’t get under each other’s feet.
Earlier on in the season, we saw Postecoglou opt to play both of them in central midfield, with only one “defensively” minded player sitting behind them.
It initially worked, as Spurs overwhelmed opponents such as Brentford and West Ham.
But the negatives quickly reared it’s ugly head with defeats against Brighton and Crystal Palace exposing the fragility and vulnerability of the dual number 10 system.
It’s all about balance. When Kukusevski drifts in field he takes up similar positions to Maddison which means the latter fades into obscurity and talents become obsolete.
Awkward discussions need to be have over Brennan Johnson. He is Spurs’ top goalscorer but hasn’t been on the pitch when the Lilywhites have scored nine goals in the last two games.
Kulusevski’s performances make him indispensable while Maddison’s displays and output this season have gone under the radar, with seven goals and five assists in all competitions.
Right now if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. A double pivot is necessary for possession retention and control, especially with matches against Liverpool and high-flying Nottingham Forest in the horizon.
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Postecoglou is NOT part of the problem
“Are you not entertained?”
That was the opening message from Ange Postecoglou in his post-match interview for Sky Sports with the chaotic victory clearly put him in a good mood.
The charismatic interaction included the Australian doubling down on his beliefs, reminding critics of the predicament Spurs are in and even that quote from Gladiator.
Postecoglou had as many as 10 senior players unavailable against United including his first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and preferred left-back and centre half pairing.
That has resulted in an 18-year-old midfielder-by-trade Archie Gray playing in central defence.
The sheer belief the players have in Postecoglou’s system is evident as Gray took risks and continued to be bold and daring after losing possession in dangerous areas.
You just have to take one look at the goal difference column in the Premier League to realise how little Postecoglou has to do with the underwhelming position.
The Lilywhites have the second best goal difference in the league with +17, one less than first placed Liverpool and second placed Chelsea.
They have netted the second most goals and conceded the third least. So how are they in 10th?
Individual errors and collapses from the team have seen Tottenham throw away seemingly unassailable leads.
Also, all seven of their league defeats have been by a one goal margin.
Postecoglou is coaching emphatic victories but as a manager you can’t prepare for human error.
If Spurs bring in some reinforcements in January and their injury list diminishes, they could be a force to be reckoned with in the second half of the season.
