Latest news with #Glimt
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tottenham: Postecoglou ditches Ange-ball for shot at immortality as Spurs reach Europa League final
"We never stop," was the motto of Ange Postecoglou's successful Celtic team, but 'we take our time" would have been far more appropriate for his Tottenham side in the northernmost reaches of Norway on Thursday night. Spurs on are their way to Bilbao to face Manchester United in the Europa League final after a performance underpinned by traits so rarely associated with Postecoglou teams in their 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt in the last-four decider. For much of his two years at Spurs, the Australian has presented himself as an idealist who would rather fail on his terms than succeed with compromises, seemingly determined to be remembered as an entertainer who never bent to circumstances. Yet in Bodo, here was a Postecoglou side who were organised, committed, gritty and, frankly, downright boring for long periods of a cagey game. I love winning and I love the way the boys clearly understood what we needed to do Ange Postecoglou From the off, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario prompted furious howls and whistles from the 7,500 home supporters packed into Aspmyra as he dawdled over goal-kicks, every one of which was launched towards Dominic Solanke and Richarlison. The goalkeeper was finally booked for time-wasting in the 66th minute. Spurs lingered, too, on throw-ins and set-plays, grasping every opportunity to run down the clock, protect their 3-1 lead from the first leg and disrupt the flow of the hosts, who looked much more like a traditional Postecoglou side as they tried to play out from the back and pass quickly through the lines. "I love winning and I love the way the boys clearly understood what we needed to do," said Postecoglou, when asked about his team's pragmatism. "The key thing for us was to not allow them to get any sort of rhythm in their game." Spurs were unflustered and composed, eventually exerting their natural superiority over Glimt with a calmness and maturity. All of the talk of the artificial pitch, Glimt's returning players and the alien conditions in the Arctic Circle came to feel like paranoid pre-match hysteria (perhaps Postecoglou has a point about Spurs being viewed through a glass-half-empty lens), as the Norwegian champions were finally made to resemble a club from a lesser league in Europe. "We saw how we played at home, we dominated them and we knew we could do the same here," said Micky van de Ven afterwards. Van de Ven and Cristian Romero were imperious at centre-back, restricting Glimt to half-openings and, to a man, Postecoglou's players did their jobs without the ball. Solanke, who broke the deadlock just after the hour when he poked home Romero's nod-down, was outstanding. So too Yves Bissouma, so unfancied just last week, while wingers Richarlison and Brennan Johnson worked tirelessly in novel defensive roles. In the absence of the injured James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Heung-min Son, right-back Pedro Porro was a creative outlet - although he acknowledged that he had been trying to cross when he found the top corner to double Spurs' lead. Just as in the quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, Spurs' approach could scarcely have been more contrasting from their breathless, front-foot football under Postecoglou last season and at the start of this one, which led to so many lively but ultimately disappointing occasions. Take it away, gaffer 🗣️ — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 8, 2025 This was not 'Ange-ball' as we know it, but it was impressive and entertaining in its own way, as well as proving grimly effective, suggesting again that this squad is made of sterner stuff than many imagined. "Everybody had doubts when we came over here because Bodo/Glimt was doing unbelievable in their home games in Europe," said Van de Ven. Postecoglou, who has often scoffed in the past at questions about tweaking his attacking approach for one-off games, has suggested that his players have naturally sensed that need to be more cautious at this stage of a cup competition. Plainly, however, Spurs' transformed approach is about more than adjustments from the squad and you wonder if Postecoglou, who is aware of his precarious position, decided at some point that, in order to build a legacy at Spurs, winning at all costs must come before his principles. The upshot is that he is one more victory away from overseeing the best season in Spurs' modern history, although he could still be remembered as the manager who led them to their worst-ever Premier League finish and a second painful defeat to a domestic rival in a European final in six years. In spite of the result, his future will remain a talking point, even if it would be hard to imagine the 59-year-old being sacked if he cements his place in the club's folklore by fulfilling his promise of winning a trophy in his second season. As Spurs dug deep to grind out another big result, it was, though, easy to wonder if Postecoglou could have been more adaptable sooner. Had Spurs adopted a similarly pragmatic approach in the Premier League from, say, December, once their rotten injury crisis set in, they may be in a far stronger position in the table, with the head coach's future barely a talking point. As Postecoglou and his squad prepare for a shot at immortality on May 21, however, those 'what ifs' no longer matter a jot and everyone associated with the club can take comfort from the head coach's record of five games unbeaten against United, including three wins over the Red Devils this season. Even more encouraging for Spurs, though, is the sense that this squad have found a way to win in Europe, even if it is not in the manner that Postecoglou may once have envisaged.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tottenham reap rewards as pragmatic Ange Postecoglou shows he can adapt
Perhaps it is the nature of Tottenham's difficult season, where catastrophe has seemed to lurk around every corner, but it was all too easy to focus on the concerns after Thursday's 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League. No doubt, this was a huge night for Spurs, who will take a two-goal lead to Norway for next week's semi-final decider and should be confident of reaching a second European showpiece in six years, where Manchester United surely lie in wait after their 3-0 win at Athletic Club in the other last-four first leg. Ange Postecoglou is closer to fulfilling his promise of winning a trophy in his second season and perhaps leaving chairman Daniel Levy with an impossible decision over the head coach's future at the end of the campaign. Postecoglou was full of praise for his "outstanding" players as Spurs demonstrated again that they can put their dismal league form to one side and raise their game when it matters in Europe. And yet Ulrik Saltnes' late strike took the gloss off the occasion for Spurs and has given Glimt a foothold in the tie ahead of a second leg when they are likely to be an entirely different proposition. The Norwegian champions will welcome back three players from suspension next week, including influential captain Patrick Berg, and will hope to have key centre-back Odin Bjortuft available again after injury. Most significantly, they will have an enormous advantage on their artificial pitch in the Arctic Circle, where the pace and bounce of the ball will be alien for Postecoglou's side. "Look, it is on artificial grass but it's still a game of football," said the head coach last night, sensing the impending narrative around the decider. A further worry were second-half injuries to goalscorers James Maddison and Dominic Solanke and the way Spurs struggled once the pair had been forced off the pitch at 3-0, when Postecoglou's side were threatening to effectively put the tie to bed. Maddison, whose cute finish doubled the lead in the first half, immediately signalled to the bench after feeling his knee and Solanke departed 10 minutes later with a quad complaint. "Both of them didn't feel it was anything too significant, but I thought it was wise just to take them off at that point," said Postecoglou, although, given the story of Spurs' season, the Australian will be facing an anxious wait to see how they recover. With Mathys Tel deputising up front for Solanke, Spurs struggled to hold up the ball and his absence felt like a big factor in Glimt's late rally, capped by Saltnes' deflected strike. The centre-forward would be a huge miss next week when Spurs are likely to need his qualities as a pressure valve, while Postecoglou can scarcely afford to lose Maddison, either - especially after Lucas Bergvall suffered an ankle injury in training. Maddison's well-taken goal from Pedro Porro's pass was among the best examples of Spurs' willingness to go direct, as Postecoglou changed his approach in Europe again. Spurs went long more often than usual and were happy to slow the game down, with Guglielmo Vicario even ticked off by the referee towards the end of the first half for dithering over a free-kick. There was also more restraint in Spurs' usually ferocious press, while Postecoglou's 4-3-3 was more of a 4-2-3-1, anchored by two holding midfielders in Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur. "Tournament football is a bit different," said Solanke. "We know if you make too many mistakes you get punished and it's hard to get back into the game. "Obviously we're a super pressing team but we know if we're not set up right, we need to make sure we don't make too many mistakes in pressing. Obviously we want to press, but it's knowing when it's the right time." This win suggests Postecoglou is prepared to compromise at this stage of the competition, with Spurs' season and surely his job on the line This was not, in short, a victory based on the front-foot, never-stop approach most associated with Postecoglou's teams and suggests the head coach is prepared to compromise at this stage of the competition, with Spurs' season and surely his job on the line. This willingness to be more pragmatic was the key to Spurs' gritty win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany in the quarter-final decider, when they finished with five defenders on the pitch, and feels likely to be crucial in Norway, too. Perhaps that is why Postecoglou, who has grown frustrated at the tendency to focus on the negatives, brushed aside any concerns ahead of the second leg, and looked ahead with belief that his side can progress to Bilbao on May 21. "I get that Bodo away is a difficult fixture, but so was Frankfurt away and we went there knowing we had to win to get through and I thought the lads handled it really well," he said. "In Europe this year we've been really good at managing whatever situation we're in... those experiences give me the belief we can go there and get the job done."
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tottenham face delicate question in bid to avoid freezing up in Arctic Circle
On the six-year anniversary of Tottenham's comeback at Ajax in their last European semi-final, the conditions for their Europa League decider against Bodo/Glimt here in the northernmost reaches of Norway on Thursday will be very different. On a balmy evening in 2019, Spurs recovered from being 3-0 down on aggregate at half-time in Amsterdam but they have travelled to the Arctic Circle with a 3-1 lead from last week's game in London and facing a side with far less pedigree than Ajax. And yet the match still feels fraught with potential danger for Ange Postecoglou's side. Spurs should be able to cope with the chill, with the temperature set to be around 5C at kick-off, but a tight stadium and Glimt's artificial pitch will pose an enormous challenge. Spurs have not trained on their artificial pitch at Hotspur Way in preparation for tonight "The ball goes really fast when you play passes and it's more difficult for defenders reaching attackers and getting contact with us," Glimt centre-back Odin Bjortuft, who remains sidelined for the decider, said last week. "Of course, it's a big difference between artificial and grass in many ways but the main key is that the ball goes so fast. It may be harder to turn and everything for players that are not used to it. "It's a smaller stadium than they are used to. It's really compact. And it's a city that stays together...I think we have a good backing from the town and they are really positive, even if it goes south. It's a good feeling for us to have them on our back." Postecoglou has played down the significance of the pitch and revealed Spurs have not trained on their artificial surface at Hotspur Way in preparation. The closest comparable experience for his players, however, was their visit to non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup third round in January, when they were held to a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes in a disjointed display. Unlike Tamworth, Glimt are not semi-professionals; they are a highly experienced European outfit, who saw off Postecoglou's Celtic at Aspmyra in 2022 and could have put more than two goals past Lazio in the first leg of their quarter-final. The return of three Glimt players from suspension, including influential captain Patrick Berg, also means Spurs will be facing a better side, who will be buoyed by their late goal in London which threatens to change the feel of the second leg. There is also the delicate question of how to approach the match with a two-goal lead. Few Spurs fans will forget their collapse in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb in March 2021, when Jose Mourinho's Spurs won the round-of-16 first leg 2-0 but froze in Croatia, eventually losing the decider 3-2 after extra time. "I think it's just approaching it in the same way we have in the rest of our campaign, really," said Postecoglou. "You've got to be really disciplined and organised whenever you're playing away in Europe and irrespective of the scoreline." Postecoglou and his squad can take confidence from their last two second-leg ties in Europe, the free-flowing win over AZ Alkmaar in the last-16 and, particularly, a gritty, backs-to-the-wall display at Eintracht Frankfurt. Spurs and their head coach demonstrated a newfound pragmatism in Germany, which was also evident in moments against Glimt last week, which suggests they are capable of putting their miserable league season to one side and raising their game in Europe again. "Just the nature of the competition, knock-out competitions demand different things from you as a team," Postecoglou said. "Particularly in knock-out scenarios, just in my experience. It naturally means that you have to be a little bit more focused, because every moment is important, every aspect of the game is important. "The boys have handled it really well so far in the knockout stages, particularly in the second legs of every game, of understanding what needs to be done." The absence of James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall, both of whom will sit out the rest of the campaign with ligament damage, as well as captain Heung-min Son, who is still nursing a foot injury, leaves Spurs without three of their most creative players. Postecoglou now needs to restructure a team which has only just appeared to settle down following the mid-winter injury crisis, with huge onus on Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma, who are likely to fill in, to step up. Again, Postecoglou can take heart from the first leg when Bissouma put in his best display in months, although Kulusevski has been off the boil since returning from injury. In 2019, it was Lucas Moura, a perennial substitute under Mauricio Pochettino, who delivered in Amsterdam and Postecoglou may need his own fringe players to be heroes if Spurs are to go all the way. Postecoglou has spent the last few weeks railing against perceived outside influences, whom he believes are determined to take a negative view of Spurs. He will be focused on the positives and a huge opportunity for the club to reach a first European final in six years, as well as a chance to end their 17-year wait for a trophy. But it is unlikely to be straightforward.
The Irish Sun
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Tottenham in Europa League chaos as cheeky Bodo/Glimt fans set off fireworks outside hotel at 2.30am
TOTTENHAM'S players had their sleep disrupted ahead of their crunch Europa League semi-final second leg by cheeky Bodo/Glimt supporters letting off fireworks. Pyrotechnics exploded outside the team's hotel down by the waterfront in the sleepy town of Bodo up in the Arctic Circle at around 2.30am. Advertisement 2 Bodo/Glimt fans set off fireworks outside Tottenham's waterfront hotel at 2:30am Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 2 Spurs face their biggest match in recent years tonight in the Arctic Circle Credit: Rex The disturbance happened as the Spurs squad were trying to get their rest in before the biggest game of their season. They face Norwegian champions Glimt on their tricky plastic pitch on Thursday evening having won the first leg 3-1 last week in North London. But they will be wary of Glimt's excellent home record which has seen the Scandinavians beat Porto, Red Star Belgrade, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiakos, FC Twente and Lazio already this season. It is not the first time Spurs have had fireworks let off by pesky home supporters the night before a European game. Advertisement READ MORE ON FOOTBALL The same thing happened ahead of their January Europa League group game in Hoffenheim, as well as in Marseille in the Champions League back in 2022. Spurs' preparations had already been hit by the loss of James Maddison to a season-ending knee injury sustained in the first leg. SunSport understands the England star has damaged his medial ligament and is facing three months on the sidelines, putting him at risk of missing the start of next season. Boss Ange Postecoglou, who has had an unrelenting amount of injuries to deal with this term, said during his Wednesday press conference: 'He'll miss the rest of this season. Advertisement Most read in Sport Live Blog 'I'm disappointed for him more than anything else because he's been a big catalyst for us. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 'He'll miss out but that's been a constant of our season, dealing with these things, so we'll overcome that. Everyone else from the first leg has travelled and they're ready to go.' Captain Son Heung-min is also absent due to a nagging foot injury, but £65million striker Dominic Solanke is back fit after missing West Ham on Sunday with a quad issue. Advertisement Top 10 highest-paid Premier League stars Spurs are bidding to save their season - and possibly Postecoglou's job - by going all the way in Europe, having plummeted to 16th in the Premier League.
Evening Standard
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham: Europa League prediction, kick-off time, team news, TV, live stream, h2h, odds today
Much has been made of Glimt's artificial pitch, and rightly so. Their record in front of their own fans cannot be ignored; just one defeat in seven in the competition this season with a +11 goal difference. Spurs' only other experience of playing on an artificial pitch this season saw them taken to extra time in the FA Cup by non-league Tamworth.
