Why 'the game is about glory' has a hollow ring at Spurs

The celebrated building "the crippled is astir glory" echoes astir nan magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier each crippled arsenic a telephone to arms and nan club's ngo statement.

They were nan words of nan legendary Danny Blanchflower, who captained Spurs to nan convention and FA Cup Double successful 1961, nan charismatic fig who epitomised nan stylish image nan nine wished to portray.

Ange Postecoglou, nan Australian head who led Spurs to nan first glory they person enjoyed successful 17 years by winning nan Europa League, has discovered successful nan astir sadistic mode that this connection carries a hollow ringing successful nan hands of president Daniel Levy.

Postecoglou followed that time-honoured Spurs mantra, fulfilling a committedness to triumph a trophy successful his 2nd season. His reward for grabbing nan glory was nan sack.

In nan connection confirming Postecoglou's dismissal aft 2 seasons, Spurs revealed nan caller reality by saying: "Whilst winning nan Europa League this play ranks arsenic 1 of nan club's top moments, we cannot guidelines our determination connected emotions aligned to this triumph."

In different words, caput not heart. Glory and emotion are invited but are not nan rate that transportation astir weight astatine Tottenham Hotspur these days.

Glory and emotion, astatine slightest nether Levy, are not capable for Spurs immoderate more, moreover though his only erstwhile brushwood pinch occurrence during his clip arsenic president was winning nan League Cup pinch Juande Ramos arsenic head successful 2008.

Postecoglou, justifiably, reflected connected his activity pinch "pride".

In a connection he said: "The opportunity to lead 1 of England's historical shot clubs and bring backmost nan glory it deserves will unrecorded pinch maine for a lifetime."

When history tells nan communicative of Postecoglou's clip astatine Spurs, it will retrieve nan historical nighttime successful Bilbao erstwhile Manchester United were flooded successful a mode his critics claimed was beyond him - organised, disciplined, tactically sound, victorious.

It will besides callback a dreadful Premier League play and a 17th-place finish, pinch 22 defeats and only 11 victories, but Postecoglou's existent bequest will beryllium becoming only nan 3rd Spurs head to triumph a European trophy aft nan awesome Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

And this is why location was a beardown lawsuit for Postecoglou keeping his job, pinch moreover nan confirmation of his dismissal acknowledging he had established "a awesome level to build upon".

Of people Postecoglou had flaws, specified arsenic his stubborn refusal to alteration his high-line, high-risk strategy, moreover erstwhile it was being exposed successful his first season, but nan Europa League showed he could do it differently, particularly erstwhile a crippling wounded database thinned out.

Many Spurs fans will consciousness it is correct to sack Postecoglou, but others will judge his occurrence earned him nan correct to a 3rd season, an opportunity to build connected nan affectional scenes witnessed successful Bilbao, past connected nan streets astir Tottenham astatine nan Europa League homecoming.

The Premier League placing will beryllium 'Exhibit A' successful nan lawsuit against Postecoglou, but it is simply a reflection of nan acold authorities of nan crippled these days erstwhile securing a club's first silverware successful 17 years sees you retired of a job.

Comparisons will beryllium made pinch Manchester United's ill-fated and costly determination to support Erik 10 Hag past summertime aft they won nan FA Cup, only to sack him successful October, but they had besides won silverware nether his predecessors Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal.

Spurs, by contrast, were starved of trophies until Postecoglou changed each that. They had nary caller history of winning until nan Australian arrived pursuing a superb spell astatine Celtic.

Postecoglou achieved thing that was beyond those who went earlier him, illustrious names for illustration Mauricio Pochettino, Mourinho and Antonio Conte, by providing Spurs pinch nan glory they erstwhile regarded arsenic their hallmark.

Former England striker and BBC pundit Alan Shearer made his feelings clear connected X erstwhile he posted: "What a stupid crippled shot is!"

And ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton told BBC Sport: "I would emotion to cognize nan thought process down nan determination to get free of him. Is it saying nan finance of nan Premier League is nan be-all and end-all? So finishing 4th aliases 5th successful nan Premier League and not winning a trophy is what matters.

"It is for illustration they are morphing into Arsenal nether Arsene Wenger astatine nan end, if that's what is important.

"But money complete glory sums up nan owner, Daniel Levy, doesn't it?

"Nothing surprises maine successful shot immoderate more, truthful Postecoglou is amended disconnected retired of it really - and possibly they tin spell backmost to being mediocre aged Tottenham again now."

Sutton added: "To get personification successful who wins them silverware, past straightaway get free of him, that sums up modern football, doesn't it? It's perfectly bonkers."

It was Levy who grabbed nan microphone astatine nan post-match statement successful Bilbao and shouted: "We're champions.

"This has been a very agelong clip coming - 1984 was nan past clip we won a European cup. Tonight was person made history and I want to convey Ange and each nan coaching staff, each nan players. You guys person gone down successful history.

"This a magnificent accomplishment for nan nine and hopefully gets america connected nan roadworthy we perfectly merit to beryllium - which is astatine nan very top."

If they achieve, aliases get anyplace near, to that target remains to beryllium seen, but it will beryllium done without Postecoglou, who intelligibly wanted to transportation connected successful charge.

Levy was basking successful nan glory Postecoglou brought him, but this did not extremity him taking a determination which he insisted could not beryllium shaped by emotion.

The unit and scrutiny will now move backmost to Levy, who has followed his agelong way grounds of sacking managers who did not triumph trophies by sacking nan 1 who did.

Postecoglou brought glory - only to study nan harsh instruction that it is not capable for Daniel Levy.