European football has provided Tottenham with a sanctuary during this most confusing of seasons. Their Premier League campaign has been a disaster but they have turned into a different team against continental opposition. They have veered away from the wilder excesses of Angeball during their run to the Europa League semi-finals – their quarter-final win over Eintracht Frankfurt was achieved with a crafty, gritty performance in the second leg – and silverware will be within reach for the first time since 2008 if they can hold their nerve at the Aspmyra Stadium.
Freeze in the Arctic Circle, though, and the ice that Ange Postecoglou has been skating on since January will finally crack. This is the moment to move away from the modern Tottenham’s history to sort of dare, not quite do and fall short when the pressure rises. Postecoglou has railed against the club’s reputation as loveable losers but defeat against Bodø/Glimt could see him out of a job by Friday morning. He must ensure his players are equipped for the unorthodox test posed by Kjetil Knutsen’s team. Injuries have been the theme of Spurs’ season but they have to overcome the blow of two more befalling their two most in-form midfielders, Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison, just when they were needed most.
