Here’s Jonathan Liew’s report from the Tottenham Stadium.
Ange and Amorim hug as if they had just escaped an elevator together after a night of panic. Bayindir is angry, and confronts the referee,
Full-time: Tottenham 4-3 Manchester United
Two teams in full malfunction mode, two keepers to be clear. In the end, it’s Bayindir’s folly that takes Tottenham to the semis. Fraser Forster will have nightmares, having almost undone the good work of Spurs’ attackers. Ange is on course for that trophy. Ruben Amorim needs to find his Mark Robins and Lee Martins. United are way off it.
90+6 min: United free-kick. Bayindir launches but it’s cleared….
90+5 min: Spurs fans get behind their team, Bruno’s cross ends up in the not-so safe hands of Forster. Bergvall goes down. Ange is shaking his head in disbelief.
Goal! Tottenham 4-3 Manchester United (Evans, 90+4)
Oh wow! They couldn’t, could they? It came from a corner.
90+1 min: Reguillon comes on, from his dental issues, for Djed Spence, a new cult hero. Johnson on, Solanke on.
Six minutes added on.
90 min: A tale of two very poor goalkeeping performances.
89 min: Bayindir was weak there, and says Bergvall was pushing him. Nah, not good enough. Reminder: NO VAR in this competition. Does he know? That goal is a goal.
Goal! Tottenham 4-2 Manchester United (Son, 88)
Straight from a corner!
Updated
86 min: United have lost a bit of momentum here. Fraser Forster is taking his time with his goal-kicks. Yoro tackles Son, who looked to have created an attack for Spurs, for the first time in a long while. Son takes his time over the corner.
84 min: Bissouma is almost thrown into trouble by Forster, and Bruno fouls. Forster looks an utterly nervous wreck. Bissouma will take his time.
83 min: Diallo is everywhere, and Forster and Gray have all types of trouble in stopping his bull-like run.
82 min: Diallo drills one and Forster kicks clear. Shades of late-stage Pat Jennings or Pat Bonner. Amad soon gets another chance to shoot.
81 min: Spurs gain some territory at last. But Bayindir has it, before some poor passing on both sides.
79 min: All United, all the time. Mainoo fouled by a desperate Maddison, who is soon enough subbed off. Maddison is replaced by Bergvall, and will now miss the first leg of the semi.
77 min: Diallo is destroying them, and forces a corner. This one comes back out but United now magnetic for the ball.
76 min: Nigel gets in touch: “Having filled a Ute with something other than diesel i can say the feeling of despair and the realisation you will soon be out of pocket by a $1000 + can not be replicated by a mere entertainment.”
Bloody oath!
75 min: United have an overload. If Zirkzee fancied it, he could have been in goal. Mazraoui fires wide. Tottenham seem incapable of keeping the ball.
74 min: Back to Forster again….and launched. No Spurs players showing for it now.
73 min: Will Forster play a goal-kick short? No, he gets it launched.
72 min: Maybe Ange was right about his job being harder than the prime minister. Does Sir Keir Starmer have to ask Fraser Forster to play out of defence?
71 min: If you want to see a more Spurs goal than that, then you will struggle. Garnacho is on for Ugarte. Spurs are still winning but…well.
Goal! Tottenham 3-2 Manchester United (Diallo, 70)
Ball passed back to Forster and Amad slides in and deflects the ball in.
Updated
69 min: Tottenham fans sound very nervous indeed. Maddison is down, and taking the steam out of things. Amorim is sending on Garnacho, one of the derby dropped.
67 min: Bissouma almost knocks into his own net….oh, Spurs. Corner sees Amad drill a shot and that’s another corner. Kulusevski is the man who deals out his defence.
66 min: Giles B: “As a spurs fan, I’m thinking of 2020 when we were 3-0 up at home to Wham after 82 mins, only to concede 3 late goals”
Someone – was it Ange? – shouts: “You cannot be serious?” John McEnroe vibes.
64 min: Ange looks like someone’s filled his ute with diesel rather than four star. Amorim suddenly looks full of beans.
Goal! Tottenham 3-1 Manchester United (Zirkzee, 63)
Comedy stuff. Forster tries to play the ball out and in steps Bruno, and a pass inside and Zirkzee scores.
Updated
63 min: Fraser Forster is worked by a header that skids almost away from the giant keeper. It ends up a fine save.
61 min: Lisandro has been, as they say in Manchester, been torn a new one by Kulusevski. Bissouma cranks into Diallo. No foul, no injury.
60 min: Matthew Lysaght gets in touch: “At what stage do we label Lisandro Martinez an injury prone liability? He’s one of many, granted, but he seems to have avoided a lot of criticism over the last couple of seasons.”
Yes, a few fans fell for his initial performances, and his dirty play but he’s joining the ‘bust’ pile soon enough.
59 min: Either Spurs spurs this or Manchester United go to the brink of their latest tailspin.
57 min: Kulusevski, all muscle and power and ability – just what United lack – forces a corner. Bayindir collects it.
55 min: Those United changes: Antony, Eriksen and Hojlund off. Were they the worst United players? Not especially? United have been awful in defence rather than attack.
Goal! Tottenham 3-0 Manchester United (Solanke, 54)
An aching gap in the United defence, Martinez and Evans misread each other’s version of an offside trap and Solanke cuts in, and scores. Great finish, terrible defending.
Updated
53 min: It’s time for Diallo, Mainoo and Zirkzee to come on…but what would be the point?
52 min: “Spurs are on their way to Wembley, Tottenham’s gonna do it again.” For the first time since 2008?
50 min: Camera shot of the United brains trust of Berrada, Brailsford and Wilcox. Big Sir Jim’s men have not sorted nearly enough.
48 min: Tottenham fans jubilant, and sing their song that celebrates Spurs….but definitely not Daniel Levy.
47 min: Ruben Amorim is on his haunches, shades – in these parts of the AVB days. That was an awful clearance by Martinez. Casual, nothing smart about it.
Goal! Tottenham 2-0 Manchester United (Kulusevski, 46)
Son out left – again – awful clearance by Martinez and Kulusevski gives Bayindir the eyebrows to score.
Updated
Back underway....
And well, Tottenham start like a train…
Tim Bird gives me the bird: “I thought Spurs looked OK in that half and not so far off being Spurs as you said. Unless you meant Spursy. Defence worked well, some nice attacking play. Are you a gooner?”
No, Tim.
The great Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “Good point about sporting directors. The last few years of Mehchester United has me reconsidering the importance of managers. Yes, at a well run club, a good manager can be the difference between heartbreak and glory, but what can anyone expect from a manager who has to work with a squad when the 3rd choice centre half is a couple of weeks shy of his 37th birthday? A good squad has always been the most important factor for success.”
Brian Robson gets in touch: “So stats say that Marcus Rashford is ahead of Anthony Gordon….would this be in tackles, shutting down opponents, harrying other forwards and supporting his left back (I know, I’m 69 years old) or the biggest one, of just giving an arse about his employers and wage payers? I don’t think so.”
Half-time: Tottenham 1-0 Manchester United
It’s been low quality, aside from the sharpness of Dom Solanke in seizing on Bayindir’s mistake to score. United are way off being Manchester United. Tottenham are some way off being Spurs. Much to play for.
45+1 min: Two minutes added on in which Dalot sets up Eriksen to have a shot blocked by Archie Gray.
45 min: Lindelof is hurt, and on comes Jonny Evans. Lindelof is very upset as he makes down the tunnel. Jonny Evans meanwhile can tell his teammates about the days he played with Charlie Mitten and Allenby Chilton. He’s surely signed up for a spot on the Overlap.
Updated
44 min: Poor use of the second ball from United from that corner. It was bouncing and there to be hit. Reguillon spotted on the bench – United legend – Ange said yesterday he he had been bed-ridden with a dental problem. Sounds nasty.
43 min: Archie Gray shows a cool head in nodding behind. Eriksen will whip in his corner, and Spence knocks it behind for another from the other side.
41 min: Bruno’s cross to the back post but no takers.
Justin Kavanagh: “Thanks Charles Antaki for bringing back fond schoolboy memories of the great López Ufarte. We once had a competition in the back row in French class to slip his name into an essay on, I think, unemployment. I recall referring to him as the “aromatic French football legend, López Ufarte,” which wasn’t an easy translation in those pre-Google search days. As for Ange, yes, cut him some slack, as he was probably using Boris Johnson’s party-at-my-place days as the measuring stick in his job comparison.”
40 min: Son and Kulusevski link, but the ball stabbed by the skipper finds the Swede offside.
38 min: United, the generics, have picked up a bit here. Fernandes had a shot saved, and Hojlund’s runs are asking questions of Porro.
36 min: OK, here’s the deal. I have been following United since the 1984-5 season, every game and it might be my age but every time I watch them in 2024 I see a face I don’t recognise. There’s someone there with a generic, almost unknowable face. Is this AI United? Is this age?
Updated
35 min: Spurs want a penner when Solanke goes down. Nah, he just fell over.
34 min: Ugarte makes a fine interception from a cross by Kulusevski. That’s a corner.
32 min: Dalot, on the left, has to sweep up some Spurs danger.
Rob gets in touch: “And to think Manchester United went from De Gea/Henderson to Onana/Bayindir. More great transfer work by Ten Hag.”
Bit harsh on both keepers. Maybe blame the sporting director, too.
Updated
30 min: Dalot to Antony but blocked then Bruno makes a mess with his attempt to play the ball back into space.
28 min: Spence and Gray get in a mess as United press. That’s an unfamiliar back four.
27 min: This is opening up, neither team in control. United yet to challenge that callow Spurs defence. Son is targeted at Mazraoui and Yoro, according to the stats, 77% of the ball coming that way.
26 min: Mazraoui booked for a foul on Spence. He misread that, badly. Kulusevski turns beyond Bruno and that’s so well saved by Bayindir. Better.
25 min: Eriksen whips it, but on to the top of the net. A waste.
24 min: Sarr fouls Bruno in the inside-left position. That’s a suspension for the semi-final first leg.
23 min: Shock stat: United have had more of the ball. Bruno’s ball across and Eriksen’s shot is saved. Amorim is handing out advice from the sidelines.
Updated
22 min: Gillian Kirby: “On the train home and considering if my job is harder than Ange’s. I also get people constantly asking me impossible questions about things I’m not sure I can deliver, but on the other hand, none of them involve losing to Ipswich, so I think on balance he gets the worst deal. Although I’m sure Son would remember to do all the tea rounds.”
20 min: Charles Antaki has read my puerile mind: “It’s the holiday season and we’re letting our hair down, so I hope that you’ll forgive the significant lowering of the usual austere tome of the MBM - anyway, Manuel Ugarte. Every time I see his name I’m taken back many decades to when, as sniggering youth, I was delighted to see a Spanish game featuring one López Ufarte. For many years I could hardly identify any other Spanish footballer, and his name still now raises a puerile giggle. It turns out he wasn’t an especially good player, but that hardly matters.”
19 min: Stephen Rea: “Just want to says an enormous thanks to Ange for stepping outside the spursy box and dropping a proper Christmas cracker of a quote that will give social media disgrace legs for the rest of the season.”
Yes, he got me on the paper back page. Legend.
18 min: Eriksen attempts to release Hojlund. That looks like United’s main weapon of choice. They’re blunt otherwise. Penny for Marcus Rashford’s thoughts, somewhere in Cheshire/Cheetham Hill.
16 min: United were sleepy there. Nobody seized on the ball bouncing out, and Solanke was quickest. Bayindir was guilty but unprotected. It was this time last year fans were calling for him to replace Onana.
Goal! Tottenham 1-0 Manchester United (Solanke, 15)
Free-kick, and Porro gets it short. Bayindir can’t keep the shot from danger and Solanke slots in. Lovely poacher’s finish.
Updated
15 min: Spurs build up a head of steam. Maddison is fouled, dropping off the forward line.
13 min: Spike gets in touch: “Ange’s job comment was friendly banter with some journalists not a heavy hitting insight. In context it actually came from his defence of younger managers losing their jobs abruptly (most recently at the end of the Southampton match) without even getting as far as being “sacked in the morning”. He even said the terrace chant might need to be re-written in his comments. Lighten up.”
Yes, I was in the room when he said it, and that was the vibe. Think the politicos overreacted, bar Starmer’s man.
12 min: Oof, Eriksen almost plays in Hojlund and Spurs panic, only for the striker to lose his bearings.
10 min: Yoro to Porro, via Eriksen, and a United corner. It loops up, Bissouma’s header and Martinez gives it the garryowen/Peter Kay. Goal kick.
9 min: Yoro is closed down by Solanke, and Spurs look to be closing down the press on Yoro.
7 min: Sarr and Kulusevski almost link, but the ball cleared before Son can get to it. Christian Eriksen is being booed, when he was a great servant for Spurs.
5 min: Spurs play a weird offside thing that you may recall from their Chelsea defeat last season. United yet to string any passes together. They’re running around a bit, which is something.
4 min: Djed Spence, forgotten man, takes on Yoro but loses out to the youngster.
3 min: Then comes another Bayindir shank. Look out for those. The Spurs fans are singing songs about Daniel Levy. Spurs the more comfortable here.
2 min: Nice movement from Leny Yoro but Tottenham press hard, and they force an effort, Anthony caught out, before Eriksen robs Son. A classically speedy Spurs attack.
Away we go at the Tottenham Stadium
1 min: Bayindir, supposedly good with his feet, shanks a ball. Spurs choose to maintain control. Both fans making plenty of noise.
Ok, the teams are in the tunnel, and Ruben Amorim is ingratiating himself.
“Let’s go, boys, go.” So says Son-heung Min. The teams head out into the arena.
Oliver Dungey gets in touch: “When Luke Shaw plays 30+ games in a season, Rashford creates a goal every game and a half; when Shaw spends most of the season on the physio’s table, Rashford’s goal contribution drops to one every 3 or 4 games (or worse...). Sacking 250 employees, hiking the cost of tickets, fixating on the players’ table manners and dress sense is all well and good (if you’re into that sort of thing, which I’m not) but I wonder if they might concentrate a bit more on which players play well together on the pitch?”
Tom: “Organising the Christmas nativity proved impossible this year with 19 donkeys and no wise men.”
Open festive season on Big Sir Jim’s merry men.
United made five changes from the side which beat Man City . Mason Mount replaced by Christian Eriksen. Altay Bayindir plays in place of Andre Onana, Victor Lindelof and Leny Yoro come into central defence. Antony replaces derby hero Amad Diallo.
Tottenham, just two changes from St Mary’s. Pedro Porro back on the right with Djed Spence left, after being so good against Southampton. Yves Bissouma replaces Lucas Bergvall after completing a suspension.
Ruben Amorim spoke to Sky on omitting Rashford and putting Garnacho on the bench: “It’s selection. The players I feel are ready to cope with the demands of playing a strong game. I try to visualise that all week and then make my selection.
“It’s always the same, with every player - not just Marcus. In the end, I have to make a selection and I did that.”
On Garnacho: “He’s been good, like the others. He’s prepared to play the game, I really liked the way he trained. It’s one more option in attack. He’s really fast and good in one-v-ones. We need this kind of ability, and he’s ready to help us.”
Justin Kavanagh is in: “In the week before Christmas, United play a team with a Portuguese ham, Fernandes, and a Turkey goalkeeper, Bayindir. Meanwhile, the supposed wise men have knocked the stuffing out of the club by sacking about 250 employees. “He’s behind you!” And he’s carrying your P45. Season’s greetings from Manchester, one and all.”
Wrote this piece a year ago, hmm.
Being United manager surely more difficult than Spurs, right? No Rashford tonight.
Rick Harris weighs in: “What is being lost sight of in the case of Marcus Rashford is that his numbers are actually pretty good for a winger. Not as good as Mo Salah obviously, but streets ahead of Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, and better than Bukayo Saka.”
Even Keir Starmer’s bagman has weighed in: “It’s always difficult for Spurs, isn’t it? I think the Prime Minister’s focus every day is on getting up, delivering the plan for change, delivering on the priorities of the British people, and delivering on the mandate that he was elected to deliver.”
Some quotes via the BBC, that show a backlash to Ange’s comments on his job being harder than anyone’s.
Andy Prendergast, GMB national secretary, said: “When we have members working 12-hour shifts of back-breaking labour who struggle to put food on the table, the idea that managing a football team for millions a year is somehow more difficult just underlines how out of touch these people are. They need to understand the world in which their fans who pay their wages actually live in.”
Unison head of social care Gavin Edwards: “Managing a Premier League team is an exceptionally stressful job. But the salary is massive and managers know what they’re letting themselves in for. Health workers and care staff do equally stressful work, but without the huge wages, bonuses or pay-offs associated with Premier League football. That’s why both sectors are struggling to keep hold of their staff and vacancy rates remain stubbornly high, to the detriment of us all and the wider economy.”
The teams
Tottenham Hotspur: Forster, Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence, Sarr, Bissouma, Kulusevski, Maddison, Son, Solanke. Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Reguilon, Dorrington, Hardy, Bergvall, Olusesi, Johnson, Lankshear.
Man Utd: Bayindir, Yoro, Lindelof, Martinez, Mazraoui, Eriksen, Ugarte, Dalot, Antony, Fernandes, Hojlund. Subs: Onana, Evans, Maguire, Malacia, Casemiro, Mainoo, Diallo, Garnacho, Zirkzee.
Referee: John Brooks (Leicestershire)
Last time out for these two:
The pre-match press conferences are here.
Preamble
Both clubs need a trophy. Ange Postecoglou always wins one in his second season, Ruben Amorim is looking to make an early mark. Though as Postecoglou pointed out on Wednesday, and as Erik ten Hag discovered, a trophy is not nearly enough in isolation.
What else to consider? There’s the Marcus Rashford factor. Will he? Won’t he? Does anyone care anymore? Ange has asked for a big atmosphere, and judging by Southampton last weekend, that will involve Spurs fans taking Daniel Levy’s name in vain. As for United, there’s the win over City to rejoice in, and new hero Amad Diallo.
They’re up for the cup. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. Join me.
