End-of-season game (Leeds United), Levy and G'day to our New manager Ange Postecoglou…

 

End-of-season game (Leeds United), Levy and G'day to our New manager Ange Postecoglou…

Let us eradicate some rumours going around before getting to the crux of the matter. No, we won't be replacing our famous Tottenham songs with Waltzing Matilda, Morning Town, Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport etc. Paul Coys won't be replaced by Rolf Harris (he's dead, Rolf, not Paul). And finally, Skipps won't be shown favouritism. Oh, we mustn't forget the testicle squeezing of kangaroos to see how mad we can get them. We will leave that to the manager's relationship with the players.

But before all that… let us deal with our game against Leeds United.

With how we have been playing of late, we wouldn't have been surprised if Leeds came out 5-0 winners. They didn't, instead, Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League as they lost their final game of the season to us, delighting our travelling away fans. In the process, the Leeds fans turned on both their team and the club's owners as their three-year top-flight stay came to a meek and pitiful end at Elland Road.

After the game, we witnessed fights galore between the Leeds fan, Stewards and Police. All this happened while we celebrated like we had just won a Cup Final… whereas the Leeds players walked around like dead Zombies. The next step for them are the joys of Championship football.

Needing to win to stand any chance of preserving their Premier League status, Leeds trailed inside the opening two minutes through Harry Kane's excellent finish. Pedro Porro then doubled our lead when he fired in from a tight angle early in the second half.

Leeds bounced back as Jack Harrison made it 2-1 to give the home team a brief hope of pulling off an unlikely escape, but Kane's 30th league goal of the season restored our two-goal advantage.

The fairy tale of fairy tales, Lucas Moura, marked his farewell appearance by scoring a fine solo goal in injury time. However, it was our first top-flight win outside London since October. Still, it wasn't enough to prevent us from missing out on European qualification for the first time since we finished eighth in 2008-09.

So this was Mason's second victory… first was against the middle-of-the-table Palace, then a 1-4 win against a team that was letting goals in by the bucket loads… and, to boot got relegated. No doubt the diminutive Mason was jumping with joy (lovely lady) because he had won another, doubling his total. Now he has been replaced by an inexperienced Premier League novice. Only in Daniel Levy's Disney World mind can such things happen…

Thoughts…

Yet another staggering season for Kane. Sadly, he won't be given the credit he deserves because of Erling Haaland's exploits for Manchester City. But has ended the campaign in phenomenal form. At least something to cheer about…

Since our Champions League exit to AC Milan in March, Kane has played 14 times for club and country and scored 14 goals.

It took him to 30 for the season, equalling his best return. On only seven occasions, including this season, the eventual Golden Boot winner scored more.

At the age of 29, he is about to enter the final season of the six-year contract. So far, Daniel Levy has refused to consider letting him get out of, no matter what fee is offered. The big question now is whether Levy or, indeed, Kane - realising he can leave for nothing next summer - decides now is the time to sever ties.

Other matters…

Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton were relegated. Arsenic and both the United's (Manchester & Newcastle) finished second, third and fourth, respectively. As for City, they won the League, FA Cup and European Cup, only the second club, after their neighbours United, to win the treble.

That meant European football for City, both the United's, Arsenic, Brighton, Liverpool and Aston Villa. Because we finished 8th in the league no European football for us. Thanks, Daniel.

Now to the paper speculation on who will be our next manager… To cut a long story short, as we know now… the honours go to, G'day Bruce.

From the Monty Python sketch…

 

Second Bruce: G'day, Bruce!

First Bruce: Oh, Hello Bruce!

Third Bruce: How are you Bruce?

First Bruce: A bit crook, Bruce.

Second Bruce: Where's Bruce?

First Bruce: He's not 'ere, Bruce.

Third Bruce: Blimey, it's hot in here, Bruce.

First Bruce: Hot enough to boil a monkey's bum!

 

… and it goes on… (please try to catch it on YouTube; it is funny… granted, not as amusing as the merry-go-round that Daniel Levy created, but funny, nevertheless…)

 

After the game, Janette and I (yes, Janette went as well) walked back to our car and made our way home… hoping that next season will bring something better for the club and fans… and Daniel Levy finally wakes up and smells the coffee. Otherwise, sparks will fly again… but more seriously, with blood on the floor (metaphorically speaking).

But that wasn't the end of our adventures… oh, no. After travelling for about 8 hours there and back to Leeds on that final day of the Premier League season, the next day was no less easy… we had to get up early to go to London's Canary Wharf. The reason, we had an appointment at the O2. Yes, it was concert time… And we saw John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) sing his famous numbers. He who sang and wrote songs like Rocking all over the World (also a hit for Status Quo), Proud Mary (recorded by Tina Turner), Bad Moon Rising, Fortunate Son, Green River, Down on the Corner, Who'll Stop the Rain and many more.

We arrived at the hotel at 3 pm, parked and registered… made our way to Canary Wharf, found a good Italian restaurant and enjoyed a very good meal. We then made our way to the doors of the O2 (getting there early and going for a coffee)… finally, the doors opened. I got the obligatory John Fogerty tour T-Shirt. And we then enjoyed an evening of superb music from the 60s and 70s.

After the concert we returned to our hotel at about 11.30 at night… everything was closed… including the hotel bar. So a crossword together and bed.

The next day we travelled back home.

Hospital…

Wednesday, 31 May, we had to get up at 5.30 am as Janette had to take me to the Reading Royal Berks Hospital for an operation on my right knee (a knee replacement). Last year it was the foot. People think I am a jammy bastard as the operation was at the end of the season—more a Pact with the Devil. That kept me in the hospital until Saturday. Now just trying to mend. It has been an exhausting week.

Now to our new manager…

G'day Bruce… after 72 days of searching, our Daniel Levy finally comes up with the madness that he created himself… another… yes, another managerial appointment. Failure or success? This time around, we – that is, the fans – will probably spend an uneasy few months seeing if he stays or goes… with fingernails being bitten in the process… while Daniel takes our hard-earned money, whatever happens.

Yes, Ange' G'day Bruce' Postecoglou, with a Greek name, has been nominated as our new manager. He had to beat off hundreds of world-class genius-managers who desperately wanted the Tottenham job and work with easy-going Daniel Levy… but no, his talents shone through, and Levy picked him.

Daniel Levy said fans can expect a "fast, attacking style of play" from new manager Ange Postecoglou. He then probably went on and said – in his mind – that, unlike the crap I've previously purchased for you… I am still making money, so not everything is bad. Then it ended with a two-finger salute !!!!! But not at all… our Daniel wouldn't do that; he has our interests in his money-calculating heart.

The 57-year-old arrives at Spurs on a four-year deal and is the first Australian to manage in the Premier League. Levy said: "Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play. He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy - everything that is important to our club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead." Unlike him, who has no understanding or idea of how a football side of a club is run.

A bit about our new manager…

Angelos "Ange" Postecoglou was born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. He will join us as the head coach on 1 July 2023.

He spent most of his club career as a defender for South Melbourne Hellas and played four games for the Australian national team in the late 1980s. He began managing at South Melbourne Hellas in 1996, winning the National Soccer League twice and the OFC Champions League in 1999. He then led the national under-17 and under-20 teams.

Postecoglou managed Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory in the A-League, winning the Premiership in 2011 and the Championship in 2011 and 2012 for the former. He was the senior national team manager from 2013 to 2017, winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2015 and also going to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He won the J1 League with Yokohama F. Marinos in 2019. Then he won five trophies (including two league titles) in two seasons with Celtic.

So, there you have it… plenty of experience running a top-notch club, such as Tottenham. Daniel bets his career on it… but then again, why not? Win or lose… he owns the club… what can happen??????

"Every country is like a particular type of person. America is like a belligerent, adolescent boy; Canada is like an intelligent, 35-year-old woman. Australia is like Jack Nicholson. It comes right up to you and laughs very hard in your face in a highly threatening and engaging manner."

By Douglas Adams, writer of The Hitchers guide to the Galaxy.

Let us get behind Ange 'G'day Bruce' Postecoglou and wish him well!!!!!! To the future and Glory!!!!

COYS

Glenn