A DISASTROUS situation at Tottenham, which seemed to be getting worse by the minute, was summed up seconds after Marcus Rashford hammered in United’s second goal.
The TV cameras immediately focused on a stone-faced Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy who could have been advised to have worn earplugs due to the amount of stick he was receiving from the stands.
Yet sat behind Levy as United celebrated a second, Spurs club executive director Donna Cullen appeared to mouth the word “s***”.
No one could really argue with that. Tottenham, having been humiliated 6-1 by Newcastle, seemed to be cruising for another bruising after Rashford added to Jadon Sancho’s seventh-minute opener.
But under their latest interim manager, 31-year-old Ryan Mason, Tottenham surprised everyone.
The complete lack of passion and organisation under Cristian Stellini was replaced by some fight and a bit of quality.
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Pedro Porro pulled one back and Son Heung-min, after wasting one chance, grabbed an equaliser that Spurs certainly deserved.
And what threatened to be a properly unpleasant evening ended with Tottenham’s fans at least getting behind their team and forgetting about Levy, albeit for another day.
Weirdly, Mason is now the third English interim manager in London but this result was somewhere between Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard. Although not brilliant, not terrible.
And for much of this curious evening, it was a contest to decide which set of fans hated their board the most although in the cold light of day, United will always win this one.
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And when United’s fans got tired of spending their energy on the Americans, they turned to a subject which could be a knife through the heart of everyone who loves Tottenham. The United fans sang: “Harry Kane, we’ll see you in June.”
Kane’s former team-mate Christian Eriksen, who was given a warm reception on his return to White Hart Lane, now has an FA Cup final to look forward to.
And while Erik ten Hag’s side strengthened their Champions League spot, Tottenham are now holding on for seventh and a place in the Europa Conference.
And to think at the start of the season, they had a genuine belief that under Antonio Conte, this, maybe, could have been their season.
Mason had wanted more energy and quality in the team’s play. Considering the catastrophe which unfolded at St James’ Park four days earlier, it was vital Spurs were solid early without making silly mistakes or rash tackles.
Unfortunately, Oliver Skipp did not see the memo. He delivered a mistimed tackle that allowed Rashford to surge forward and feed Sancho.
He still had work to do but cut inside Porro and then shot around Cristian Romero into the corner.
More weak tackling and poor defensive organisation allowed Sancho another couple of chances but his first shot was blocked by Romero who then got a touch onto the rebound which was headed off the line by Perisic.
After being crushed by Sevilla, United were largely unconvincing against Brighton in the FA Cup semi-finals but this was much better until they faded in the second half.
Bruno Fernandes’ wife decided to announce some potential team news on Monday by posting a picture of the midfield sitting on a sofa with his right leg elevated on a stack of three cushions.
His ankle was strapped up while there was a protective boot and a pair of crutches on the floor nearby.
Yet Ten Hag was optimistic about Fernandes’ chances of making the game and indeed, he wore the captain’s armband tonight and was at the centre of everything in those opening 45 minutes.
Yet Spurs had a few bright moments but were just sloppy. Richarlison should have been greedy and shot on goal rather than attempt to square for Porro while De Gea did make a couple of decent stops from Perisic.
And it was moments after the second save from De Gea, when Perisic elected to keep the ball in play rather than take a corner, that United changed up the other end and got the second.
Fernandes played a diagonal pass to Rashford and he was given a ridiculous amount of time and space to carry the ball into the area before thumping it past Fraser Forster.
At least Spurs came out firing in the second half and Porro gave them hope courtesy of a fine finish with the outside of his boot after Kane’s shot had been blocked by Shaw.
United somehow failed to score immediately after Fernandes ran through the defence and belted a shot against the bar.
Son delivered a terrible finish after some brilliant work from Kane and Dier missed a sitter.
And with 11 minutes left, Kane again delivered a deadly ball across the face of the goal and this time, the South Korean could not miss.
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So at least Spurs players left the pitch in good spirits although their level of improvement under Mason will properly be tested on Sunday, away to Liverpool.
A win there and maybe Mason could get the job for keeps.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
