Like a song whose time signature changes wildly, like a friend who goes blank over something he doesn't understand, like a match report that not only tells you what happened, but forgets for years.Tottenham Hotspur. remain medically incapable of doing things in a simple way. This is becoming a kind of manic state, a disorder, a cry for help. What is this? Who are you really? And can it not be done?
Despite all this, Ange Postecoglou's side are Carabao Cup semi-finalists, the latest twist in a season where no one can agree on whether things are going well or badly. Great soccer. But there is also bad football. However, there are only two games left to win the trophy. However, they are still 10th in the Premier League. But the great Dominic Solanke also scored two goals. But two goals were also given away basically by Fraser Forster.
At least Tottenham's fourth goal of the second half came straight from a corner kick, dispelling any illusions Ruben Amorim might have had about the extent of the carnage that awaited him. Despite their new energy, Manchester United still look very uncomfortable defensively and are badly shaken by teams that change direction and run. Spurs tore them apart for an hour, with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison running wild and Yves Bissouma the pillar of composure in midfield.
And this was the version of the Spurs that Postecoglou must have wished he could roll up in his duffel bag and take with him everywhere, full of hard running, clever angles and flick after flick. When it all makes sense, this is the Spurs. If a large part of the player is replaceable, since parts are intended to be replaced anyway. Jed Spence, left-back. Archie Gray, centre-half midfielder. Kulusevski is on the right, but occasionally moonlight can be seen on the left. A piece of humming chaos in which you lose possession, regain it, lose it again, and regain it again, so much so that it's hard to tell whether you're attacking or defending.
The combination of Maddison taking a short free-kick himself after being fouled, Pedro Polo eventually firing from distance, and Altai Bindil parrying the ball, only to let the rebound flow into the path of Solanke. produced the first goal. First post. As has often been the case this season, the stadium was buzzing but not roaring. The sheer coincidence of the goal confused them a bit and perhaps they too had a hunch that the lead would be taken away too easily for them to be complacent.
United's plan, by contrast, was not easily readable. The spell of early possession soon subsided into something more reactive, a defensive shell characteristic of a team not yet comfortable in its own skin, thinking about its individual future rather than its collective enterprise. No one wanted to make a mistake. No one wanted to be the guy who lost his position. A banner in the North Stand, where United fans had gathered, read “Tara Marcus.'' This reminded me of my early days, when I remembered how quickly the ground beneath me could disorient me.
The writing was still illegible when the Spurs doubled their lead 47 seconds into the second half, but it was another triumph of familiarity over newness. Despite seeing Son Heung-min break through the middle, Maddison overlapping on the left and Kulusevski running towards goal, United were still clutching at the illusion, swarming and narrowing, chasing each other instead of the other. , ensuring numerical security. It really wasn't safe at all. Kulusevski smashed the ball in from close range after a missed clearance by Lisandro Martinez.
And for the vague Jesus vibe that followed Amorim in his first few weeks at the club, perhaps this is the same one they were thrashing around ineffectively under Erik ten Hag. It was a precious memory that reminded me of being a player. Enough, Potentially Enough, and Not Enough. Solanke made it 3-0 after a melee involving Jonny Evans, who was brought in for the injured Victor Lindelof. Yes, those people are still wandering around the place.
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At least, that was it unless the Spurs did something unspeakably stupid. It's like handing the ball to Bruno Fernandes five yards from goal. Or having Amad Diallo tackle the ball from Tottenham's goal kick and push it into the net. Well, you won't believe what happened next!
First Forster and Radu Dragusin shared an awkward moment before Fernandes broke in for a steal and substitute Joshua Zirkzee tapped into an empty net from two yards. For Zirksee, and indeed for the oldest relatives, it would be completely fatal from such a range. Then Forster wobbled clear, Diallo slid in speculatively and Forster, who was older than most of his country, obligingly slammed the ball straight down.
There were several close calls in the final seconds, with Son scoring from a corner and Evans heading home from a United corner, causing unwarranted danger in the final seconds. However, Spurs kept their dream of winning their first trophy since 2008 alive. It would be very strange if that happened. But the Spurs are turning into a very strange team.
