Daniel Levy’s contrived plan to sack José Mourinho six days before the Carabao Cup final will turn out to be a masterstroke, as Tottenham look to upend Manchester City on Sunday.
By sacking Mourinho, Levy has put the onus on the players, entrusting them to rise to the occasion against the runaway Premier League leaders. It’s a high-stakes plan that has every chance of working.
The Ryan Mason effect
Ryan Mason, with Mourinho escorted to the closest exit at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, has been provided the opportunity of a lifetime.
Out with the old, in with the new.
Let’s not get caught up on the interim part of his title. He is, in every meaningful way, Tottenham’s gaffer.
A likeable and affable character, Mason, as a former teammate of a number of Spurs’ current crew, has earned the lads’ unswerving trust and respect. At just 29 years old, he reminds one of a player-manager, somebody who understands acutely what motivates the current generation of professional footballers. He knows what makes his pupils tick and how to relate to them.
Those commonalities, along with the player’s desire to provide a dream start for Mason’s Premier League managerial career, will prove decisive.
Oftentimes you see an incredible response when a new manager takes over at a club. Players usually have something to prove, yearning to make an unforgettable positive impression on the new gaffer.
While this isn’t a prototypical changing of the guard, the players will want to perform for their new manager, more so out of respect and admiration for what Mason, just by being named Spurs manager, has accomplished.
Tottenham have the perfect opportunity to play unencumbered and free
Closely linked to Ryan Mason‘s hopefully galvanizing impact, Tottenham are presented the opportunity, for the first time this season, to play loose, enterprising football, something that, perhaps counterintuitively, is needed against a rampant city side.
Spurs have the individual talent, particularly upfront, to unease the City backline. Hopefully Kane is fit enough to start, but even without their talisman, Spurs have more than enough potency up front to trouble their northern adversaries.
Sitting back and soaking up City’s relentless pressure – a tactic Jose would have certainly employed – is a recipe for certain defeat. Don’t get me wrong, City will invariably possess the ball more than Spurs. They are one of the world’s best teams on the ball and that won’t magically change with a new manager at the helm. However, Spurs can push the tempo, play with forward intent, not worried about being shackled by a manager’s old school tactics.
Additionally, Spurs defence isn’t good enough to play on the back foot and absorb unrelenting pressure for 90 minutes.
The best way to lessen the burden for Spurs’ vulnerable rearguard is to play on the front foot, attacking with fluidity, quickness and inventiveness. Most of the pressure, if Kane cannot go, falls at the feet of Gareth Bale and Sonny.
Every supporter needs to see Spurs give it a go, even if that means eventual defeat.
Spurs need it more than Man city
Let’s be real, City is not nearly as desperate for the Carabao Cup as Spurs.
Tottenham are desperate to win this final. Not only to end their current 13-year barren patch, but also because of the way this season has hastily unravelled.
One concern is that a team of City’s calibre needs no extra motivation when a trophy is on the line. They are still vying for Champions League glory and are on the cusp of winning their second Premier League crown in three years. Going for the treble is motivation enough for Pep Guardiola’s side.
So it’s even more incumbent on Spurs to show their level of desperation. They need to put it all on the line, knowing this could be the last cup final with the team fully intact.
Nobody knows what the future holds for Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Harry Winks, Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld, Gareth Bale, Sergio Reguilon, Serge Aurier among others. They must stand in solidarity, making the most of what could be their last chance to achieve team glory as a collective.
All of these reasons combine for a perfect storm, which is why Tottenham, from the manager down, will come up with the game of their lives and upend an in-form City side, thus lifting their first trophy since 2008.