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Tottenham truth over Postecoglou duo clearer than ever as Levy receives message
Rob Guest
7 – 9 minutes
Tottenham made it back-to-back wins in the Premier League with a crucial 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday. Fresh from having a free midweek and a number of players returning to the training pitch from injury, Ange Postecoglou was able to freshen up his Spurs starting XI.
Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison came into the team after their respective injuries, with Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert taking their place on the bench. Tottenham started the game on top but it was United who threatened first with Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho having shots saved by Vicario, before Diogo Dalot then had an effort cleared off the line by Ben Davies.
Vicario’s heroics proved to be a key moment in the contest as Spurs went straight up the other end and opened the scoring through Maddison after Andre Onana could only palm Lucas Bergvall’s low effort into his path. Tottenham were not too far off doubling their lead just after the midway point of the first half but Onana was on hand to stop Mathys Tel from marking his home debut with a goal.
The visitors did up the ante after the break and Vicario was required to save twice from Garnacho just prior to the hour mark, with his second save low down to his right a superb reaction to deny the Argentine. Despite some late pressure from the away side, Spurs did manage to hold on to leapfrog their opponents in the Premier League table.
Here are five things we spotted in the game in north London:
Squad boost
Postecoglou revealed some positive news on Friday regarding six of his players ahead of the Manchester United match. Confirming that Vicario, Maddison and Udogie were in a position to be involved in the matchday squad, he also mentioned that Odobert, Johnson and Timo Werner were back in first-team training at Hotspur Way.
While there was to be no place in the squad for Werner on Sunday, Vicario and Maddison started as Udogie, Odobert and Johnson took their place on the bench, with Archie Gray doing the same after a 17-game starting streak. Dane Scarlett was also included again as he was cup-tied for Tottenham’s previous two games against Liverpool and Aston Villa.
The incoming players meant that Postecoglou’s 20-man matchday party finally resembled a first-team squad after having to name so many academy players of late just to ensure they had sufficient numbers on a matchday. Sergio Reguilon, who has been a regular on the bench of late, was also another one to miss out due to those coming back into the fold.
The numbers should hopefully increase even further in the next two to three weeks as that’s when Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke are due to return. Things do finally appear to be looking up for Tottenham.
Fan protest
All eyes were on Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the game with Change for Tottenham organising a peaceful protest against Daniel Levy and owners ENIC. Plenty of fans have become disillusioned with the football club in recent years and want change to take place in order to see Spurs compete at the top and for honours every season.
Following a couple of different protests in the past that maybe lacked the numbers, this one was extremely well attended with at least a couple of thousand people in attendance for it. Walking down the High Road towards the stadium and making their feelings clear, the fans arrived in front of the west stand not long after 3pm and football.london were there to capture the moment, which can be seen below.
Leaders stepping up
The return of Vicario and Maddison was not only important in terms of Postecoglou getting two of his first-team regulars back. Their return was also vital in terms of adding a couple of leaders to the starting XI.
Spurs have lacked leadership on the pitch in recent weeks, most notably in the Liverpool and Aston Villa cup defeats as they barely laid a glove on their opponents. Whereas Maddison is one of Tottenham’s two vice-captains, Vicario is part of the leadership group and also a key figure on the pitch as he is a winner and also extremely vocal.
It perhaps came as no surprise to see the duo have a huge say on the game in the opening exchanges. Vicario was on hand to save well from Hojlund and Garnacho, with Spurs also lucky that Davies was in the right place to clear off the line after Dalot had sent a shot goalwards.
United’s failure to score was duly punished as Tottenham went upfield moments later and opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Maddison. The England international’s form may have fluctuated this season when he has been in the team but it was his tenth goal of the campaign in all competitions, with nine of those coming in the Premier League.
Both continued to have a big say on the contest as it wore on, with Vicario producing some top saves early in the second half to frustrate Garnacho. Both Vicario and Maddison stepped up when Tottenham needed them most.
A message for Keane
It wasn’t just the customary darts celebration that Maddison pulled out after opening the scoring for Tottenham against Manchester United. This time he also held a finger to his lips as he looked directly at the camera.
It was perhaps a message for United great Roy Keane following his comments when speaking on The Overlap ahead of the game in north London.
Keane said: “We saw James Maddison at Tamworth, he was taken off! Tamworth are non-league… People say; ‘Maddison’s the man’, but when is he going to step up to the plate? “He got relegated with Leicester [City] and [looks like] with Spurs.
“Maddison isn’t bad, but if you think he’s going to come back and get Spurs top six, you’re in cuckoo land. He’s a talented player, but if you’re a player in the Spurs dressing room and he’s coming back in the squad, you wouldn’t be looking and going; ‘James is back today – we’re going to be fine’.”
It was the perfect response from Maddison as he dealt Keane’s former club a big blow after only 13 minutes. He responded in the perfect way by letting his football do the talking.
The benefit of a free week
One thing that was noticeable during Tottenham’s game against Manchester United was that Postecoglou’s side looked so much fresher for having a week off. The team’s 2024/25 schedule has been rather hectic to say the least with very few free midweek slots available to the team due to their cup commitments.
Last having no midweek game prior to the Newcastle defeat at the start of January, a free midweek slot heading into Sunday’s game against the Red Devils really did come at the perfect time. As Postecoglou only had the same small group of players to work with at a time when many were in the treatment room, it was needed and it allowed those regulars to have a few days away from the club to relax.
You could certainly tell the difference from one week ago at Aston Villa as Spurs were considerably fresher and so much better for having some time off. It will be more of the same over the next few days as Tottenham again have time on their side to prepare for Saturday’s game at Ipswich Town.
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