but it’s still right to sack him.
Ange’s Spurs scraped by Man U in a shockingly awful Europa League final, 1-0, to lift their first piece of silverware for 17 years and their first European trophy for 41 years, as Ange showed he does have another plan.
Two plan Ange. Kept boasting about being a winner and winning trophies in his second season at a club, well, he finally got his hands on a real trophy, not a two-bit backwater tin cup. It only took the worst season for years.
And so the #AngeOut mob have fully reversed ferret and now want him to stay. Because they don’t look at what they beat in that final. It’s Ten Hag syndrome. A manager who wasn’t working, was seeing the team get worse but was kept because he won a trophy, hell he won two. So out of “loyalty” they kept him, it got worse and they ended this season losing their fourth game in a season to Spurs. Seven games without a victory. While battling with Spurs not to finish 17th in the table, with the last game of the season to go.
As said, this was a god awful game, with Ange’s new plan being particularly horrible but effective. Speaking of reverse ferret, his new plan is a complete about-turn. From all out attack, with everyone bar the keeper and Micky van de Ven in the opposition half, to nobody outside the Spurs’ half.
How about combining plan A and plan B Ange, so you can both defend and attack?
The Spurs’ heatmap for this game barely registers any glowing areas in the United half. But while United had all the ball in the ball, they just managed a couple of more attempts than Spurs 3, with shots on target being much the same.
The one shot on target resulted in the winning goal. Just before the break, 42 minutes in and it was the best move Spurs made all game. It started with Sarr winning the ball, in the middle of the park, after he ran around a bit not knowing what to do, he played out to Richarlison wide left. The Brazilian was one thing Ange got right, he worked his socks off, in attack and defence and fully justified his place over club captain Sonny. Making a bit of space he played a lovely ball through to Bentancur who had made the perfect run into the box, Lolo played it back out wide to Sarr, who getting the ball on his right and a bit of space, he put in a brilliant cross and there was Johnson, the ball came off him, spun about, came off Shaw and then the Welsh winger got the slightest of touch to put it past the dithering keeper.
Amazing to think that Sarr didn’t complete a successful pass in the first half an hour of the game.
That was Spurs last attempt in the game. That post Ange half-time team-talk lull lasted the whole of the second half, where Spurs had only 20% of the ball and could barely string one pass together. Their pass percentage in that second 45 showed that every pass was a 50/50 chance.
Things not helped by a central striker who couldn’t hold onto any ball that was played up to him. A less than useless display by Solanke. He butchered one great chance late on and once got past his defender but he should have been off by then, Ange getting the sub wrong that left him on while Johnson came off for Danso as he went back five. At least with Johnson you had the pace whereas Solanke could barely move a few feet, for all the little he’d done he was out on his feet.
Ange wasn’t the only one that got the subs wrong, the United boss waiting an age to bring on Garnacho who made an instant improvement to them, after he replaced Mason Mount. Can’t believe Spurs’ and Ange’s luck facing Mount. Even with his goals in the semi, he’s a nothing player.
Richarlison had to come off 20 minutes into the half due to injury, it meant Sonny had his time in the final but sorry Sonny as great it is to see you lift that trophy, he didn’t help things, the way Richarlison had done.
It took two moments though. Midway into the half Vicario flapped at a ball, something he’d done all night, with a jittery performance. Nodded towards empty goal but luckily van de Ven was there for a miraculous goal-line clearance. Micky’s not there and that final is won by United. They score and Spurs are spent, with no ability to get out of their own half there would only be one winner.
Vicario made up for it later with one his excellent shot stopping save to deny Shaw. He’d made other saves to negate those flaps.
Nearly 8 minutes into the seven added minutes and with one last chance from a corner, United missed another chance and that first trophy since Juande Ramos’ League Cup was finally won.
But every silver lining has a cloud and now they’re non-stop #AngeIn and the fraudulent clown is full of himself after finally getting his hands on a real trophy.
We have to remember, McLeish won a real trophy, after winning Jock tin cups and got Birmingham relegated. Rodgers won a real trophy, after winning Jock tin cups and got Leicester relegated. Juande Ramos’ next season wasn’t going that well, when he was binned off.
But there’s a trophy. There’s all that “banter” gone. There’s winning a trophy in their worst season. There’s Champions League next season, but then Ange blamed the league defeats on being in the Europa, so what with his excuses be when playing in the next level up?