Ange Postecoglou put his faith in the exuberance and talent of youth to ease the pressure on his job as Tottenham manager – and was rewarded with one of the most crucial victories of his reign.
Postecoglou has felt the pressure of poor results in recent weeks, but smiles were back on the players’ faces as Spurs secured a 1-0 advantage over Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
In addition to this victory which keeps Postecoglou on track to fulfill his promise of still winning a trophy in his second season at club, he was also able to recount three pieces of good news which justify his transfer strategy – often criticized – of acquiring promising players. young talents to build a bright future.
Step forward 18-year-old Swedish winner Lucas Bergvall, 21-year-old debutant goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky – barely through the door after signing from Slavia Prague in a £12.5million deal on Monday – and another teenager in Archie Gray .
Bergvall’s decisive contribution will be shrouded in controversy as Liverpool, rightly, feel he should not have been on the pitch after referee Stuart Attwell played the advantage following a wild challenge on Kostas Tsimikas which would have could earn him a second yellow card a few moments before his 86th minute. winner.
He will grab the headlines, but he must share that spotlight with Kinsky and Gray, who have shown remarkable maturity in such high-pressure situations against high-quality opposition.
Postecoglou was without 10 players through injury and illness, a number that quickly rose to 11 when Rodrigo Bentancur was carried off on a stretcher after 10 minutes of treatment after injuring his head in a corner.
Fortunately, he would then have been conscious and speaking to provide further good news for Postecoglou and Spurs.
Bergvall was the center of attention with a confident, stylish and spirited performance – Liverpool would suggest an overly spirited performance in midfield.
It was a standout moment for the creative and competitive young Swede as he created the most chances of any Spurs player – three from open play, and scored the winner.
Bergvall slotted clear past Alisson four minutes from time, joining illustrious company as at 18 years and 341 days he is the club’s youngest scorer in the League Cup since Gareth Bale, who was 18 years and 72 days when he scored against Middlesbrough in September 2007.
The £8.5 million paid to Djurgarden in February 2024 – before loaning him to the Swedish club for the rest of the season – already seems insignificant. On a performance like this, his fourth start for the club, it’s easy to see why Barcelona wanted to sign him too.
Equally remarkable was the story of Kinsky, who only got his work permit on Monday after arriving from Slavia Prague but was thrown straight in by Postecoglou, who is without injured Guglielmo Vicario and Fraser Forster, picking the youngster ahead Brandon Austin.
Kinsky showed remarkable confidence with the ball at his feet, completing a catch after some neat juggling early on, always ready to take the positive option – although he escaped in the first half when he slipped while going to recover Cody Gakpo’s routine shot.
And he responded superbly when put to the test as Liverpool finally applied pressure late on, rushing from their goal to block Darwin Nunez’s angled shot before making his best save of the evening, reacting diving to his right to turn the attacker’s head away. the last seconds.
It was a dream introduction, certainly a gamble from Postecoglou but one that worked, with the goalkeeper falling into the arms of an admirer at the final whistle as tears flowed.
A little more discreet but equally impressive, another 18-year-old, Archie Gray, showed commendable character and courage after being thrust into the unfamiliar role of centre-back as players were such as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. absent due to injury.
He will flourish in his renowned midfield position over time, but he is a real talent, as demonstrated by his composure at one point in the second half, ignoring the anxiety of the crowd to come out in softness of defense before putting Spurs away. on the attack.
Gray was unfazed by Liverpool’s powerful charge, a true star of the future. The £40 million paid to Leeds United could be another bargain.
Postecoglou was delighted with his youngsters, saying: “It’s amazing when you think we had a few 18-year-old players. I’ve seen so much growth. I have no doubt we will get through this period and get some players back. “What I have discovered in the meantime is that we have real players to help us be the team we want to be. “
In such extreme circumstances, with so many players out and a four-match winless streak, including a 6-3 home defeat to Liverpool, it was the kind of result and performance that should provide the perfect tonic for Postecoglou and its players.
It was also another example of Spurs’ wildly contradictory and inconsistent nature, with their last six wins including two against Manchester City, a 4-1 defeat against Aston Villa, a 5-0 win at Southampton, a 4-3 triumph against Manchester. City next, this is only Liverpool’s second defeat under head coach Arne Slot.
Spurs’ lead may be slim heading into Anfied, but the month-long gap between the two-legged semi-finals allows Postecoglou to get some of his most important players back fit for the test at Anfield, Romero and Van de Ven. in particular.
Spurs and Postecoglou have been under the critical microscope of late – it was a night when the manager and the young players he implicitly trusts could bask in the more flattering spotlight.
