Spurs reach Europe — but don’t expect Ange to smile just yet

Ange Postecoglou has survived a rollercoaster first season in the Premier League: ‘Contrary to my general demeanour, I’ve loved it’.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou on the final day of the Premier League season. Picture: Getty Images

Crisis averted and mission accomplished. Having lost four of their previous five matches, Tottenham Hotspur managed to clamber over the line and secure Europa League football by defeating the already-doomed Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

In the end, it looked comfortable, but Ange Postecoglou’s side rode their luck in the first half before finally demonstrating the class and verve that has been missing from their performances of late in the second period.

Dejan Kulusevski provided the decisive contributions with two goals either side of Pedro Porro’s rocket to leave United on 104 goals conceded for the season.

Postecoglou has consistently emphasised that he is at Tottenham to achieve something bigger than just qualifying for Europe and progressing up the table. “It’s not always just about the destination,” he said in September. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the journey.”

As for whether he has enjoyed the most recent leg of that journey, Postecoglou says yes, despite – while his team were 3-0 up in the second half – looking a mixture of bemused and irked that his team were not more ruthless.

“Contrary to my general demeanour, I’ve loved it,” the Spurs head coach said of the season. “I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s a great challenge in the Premier League. I understand it’s not going to run smoothly. [But] I’ve got some pretty lofty ambitions. Until that point I won’t be smiling too much.”

Though he did not look particularly pleased at full-time, Tottenham’s improvement on last season – they finished three places and six points better off – marks a job well done, even if their recent wobble cost them Champions League football.

Tottenham travelled to Yorkshire wary that a loss could jeopardise their hopes of making even the Europa League, with Chelsea only three points behind them and with a superior goal difference.

And it was Sheffield United who started the better. They should have scored the opener when Ben Osborn capitalised on a hopeless header by Radu Dragusin and put Ben Brereton Diaz through on goal with only Guglielmo Vicario to beat, but the Chile international blasted the ball over the crossbar.

Spurs had barely managed a touch inside the opponents’ half when Brereton Diaz struck a post with a second close-range effort.

United looked hungrier and more determined than their opponents, but their defending remained as calamitous (and comedic) as it has been all season. A Jayden Bogle error allowed Tottenham to pinch the ball on the wing and move it infield. A hopeless clearance sent the ball to Son and he supplied Kulusevski, who scored via the far post.

“First 20-25 minutes we should be two up,” Chris Wilder, the United manager, said. “One mistake leads to two, then three, then four, and Kulusevski punishes it.

“My right centre half goes for a run where I’m scratching my head wondering what he’s thinking.”

Postecoglou and Cristian Romero. Picture: Getty Images

Kulusevski had an opportunity to extend Tottenham’s lead when James Maddison slid through a good pass, but he was denied by the goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.

That some Tottenham supporters were happy revelling in Phil Foden’s second goal for Manchester City, roughly 40 miles away – in doing so killing off Arsenal’s chances of winning the title – will not have escaped Postecoglou’s attention.

But until that point, his players had produced little to excite them. A much cleaner, more controlled second half helped to focus minds.

Son’s incessant work was key for both second-half goals: his run preceded a botched clearance, from which Brennan Johnson picked up the loose ball and pulled back to Porro, who let fly.

The third followed shortly after. Again Son was the instigator: he jabbed a forward pass into Maddison, who pulled the ball across the face of goal for Kulusevski to convert. Andre Brooks was shown a red card late on after an innocuous coming together with Son, but Andy Madley reversed his decision following an intervention by the VAR, Tim Robinson.

While United ended a campaign to forget, Tottenham’s season goes on – they now make the 21,000-mile round trip to Melbourne, where they will play Newcastle United in a friendly on Wednesday.

The Times