- Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 to win the Europa League final in Bilbao
- Ange Postecoglou changed his attacking principles when it mattered the most
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It’s just who we are, mate.’ Ever since Ange Postecoglou pushed his nine remaining Tottenham players up to the halfway line against Chelsea two years ago, he’s seemed bound to his all-out attacking principles.
Only it wasn’t who they were when it mattered most in Bilbao as Postecoglou’s side dropped deep and went direct to beat Manchester United and end their 17-year wait for a trophy.
Spurs mustered three shots against United, had only 28 per cent possession and completed just 115 passes, all the lowest figures statisticians Opta have on record for a team in a major European final since 2009-10.
How different to usual ‘Ange-ball’.
Spurs average 55 per possession in the league this season and they usually complete 414 passes, behind only the other Big Six sides. The 115 Spurs managed in Bilbao is less than half as many as even Nottingham Forest. Even Forest average 40 per cent possession.
Without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, Postecoglou went direct. In the infamous 6-3 home defeat to Liverpool in December, a game after which he insisted again he would not change his approach, Spurs went long with just seven per cent of their passes. About one in every 14 passes. Against United, it was 22 per cent – just under one in five.
Ange Postecoglou has seemed bound to his all-out attacking principles for the past two years
Spurs dropped deep and went direct to beat Man United and end their 17-year wait for a trophy
Brennan Johnsons scored the only goal of the game to give Tottenham the victory in Bilbao
The average position maps from both games show how, even in a thrilling defeat, Spurs pushed high up the pitch. Against United, their front line barely got out of their own half
Against Liverpool, Spurs completed 85 per cent of their passes. In Bilbao, they completed less than two thirds.
Tottenham bypassed the midfield against United. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr touched the ball the same number of times as United keeper Andre Onana. Full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie combined for more than a quarter of the team’s total touches.
The average position maps from both games show how, even in a thrilling defeat, Spurs pushed high up the pitch. Against United, their front line barely got out of their own half.
And once they were in front, they held on for dear life. Tottenham had just one touch in the United box during the second half.
It was Tottenham, but not as we know it. But, in the end, it worked.
