And breathe...
Ange Postecoglou took a moment to himself in the centre circle after the final whistle on Saturday, just looking around the stadium and taking it all in as the fans revelled in the football and the victory his team had served up.
He then walked around and applauded them all after a memorable first Premier League match for him in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before the Australian suddenly spotted his family in the crowd and just for a moment he let his guard down completely. He waved at them and punched his fist with the biggest grin on his face.
For on a personal level, while it was only just the beginning for him and Spurs, Postecoglou winning his first Premier League match and against Manchester United no less - having faced them with his South Melbourne side 23 years ago - this was a symbolic moment in a long coaching career during which he has had to battle more than most to earn his journey across the world to arrive in its biggest league.
It also extended Postecoglou's remarkable unbeaten record in home league games to 49 across his time Yokohama F. Marinos, Celtic and now Spurs, having won 41 of those matches and drawn eight. His last home league defeat was back in November 2020 with Yokohama against Kashima Antlers in the J1 League.
For the Tottenham fans, Postecoglou had just done something unthinkable in recent seasons - his team had entertained them.
His brand of football isn't even half-ingrained in his Spurs players yet but this performance, particularly in the second half, was exhilarating, exhausting and left everyone with a delirious smile on their face when it was finally done with them.
READ MORE: Tottenham player ratings vs Manchester United: Super Sarr as Bissouma and Maddison run the show
The first half had some nervy moments and Tottenham rode their luck with one penalty appeal going their way, but a very young team - half of the outfield players aged 23 or under - grew in confidence and dominated Manchester United in the second half.
Their 427 passes - 85% successful - were just under 100 more than the visitors who had only 44% of the possession. United had more shots - 22 to Spurs' 17 - but with both sides getting six on target, the hosts were more clinical and had Guglielmo Vicario dispelling daft premature judgements of him with a dominant display.
Ahead of the game, around 300 Spurs fans had gathered outside the stadium for a demonstration organised by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust against the increase in matchday ticket prices, with families and individuals finding themselves increasingly priced out of attending the games of the club they love.
The Trust had always made it clear that they would protest outside the stadium but support the team fully inside it and that was certainly the case as the 61,910-strong crowd delivered the best atmosphere within the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the North London Derby victory a couple of seasons before. The place was rocking from start to finish.
Enjoyment has been an emotion in short supply when it comes to Tottenham Hotspur in recent years but Postecoglou has given the club a figurehead the fans can believe in again amid the chaos and drama that has preceded him.
Just over a week since the club sold their greatest ever goalscorer in Harry Kane, who would have imagined such a scene of togetherness and happiness around another man? For Kane has always been the person the fans and club looked to carry them on his shoulders, now they have Postecoglou and he is more than willing to bear the load.
On that moment in the centre-circle as he looked out around his new home, the Spurs boss said: "You want to feel that moment because I have always said, to me I love what football does to people, particularly in those moment.
"So take a moment to think about the 60,000 here or the ones who were watching at home because they will be smiling for the rest of the week. I love that it does that the game. For me that moment is just about appreciating that I am pretty blessed to be doing what I am doing, being in the middle of a stadium leading a fantastic football club and then you start to think about next week, mate."
The fans are already dreaming of next week and the weeks after that under Ange Postecoglou. To dare is definitely to didgeridoo.
Sarr, the midfield and a Maddison scare
Tottenham's midfield bossed their Manchester United counterparts, particularly in the second half, with a display that belied their age and values.
The Red Devils brought in Casemiro, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes for a combined £172m. Spurs put together Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison for almost £100m less, helped by the latter two being in the final year of their contracts.
It was the cheapest and youngest of them all though in Pape Matar Sarr who looks like being the bargain of the lot.
The 20-year-old was signed for around £15m in the summer of 2021 before being loaned back to Metz for a tough season spent battling against and eventually suffering relegation from Ligue 1. As a teenager the young Senegal international started the majority of the French team's games and, while ultimately disappointing, it would have been an important season of development for Sarr with lessons learned in the need to fight, work and deal with the pressure of carrying a fanbase's hopes and dreams in your hands.
After finally arriving at Spurs, Antonio Conte was impressed by Sarr's energy and technique particularly after he returned early from the World Cup midway through the season desperate to catch the Italian's eye.
That led to a big 90-minute performance at AC Milan alongside Oliver Skipp in a young makeshift midfield, only for the youngster to then pretty much disappear from Conte's thinking other than the odd late minute here and there in Premier League matches.
Conte is a man who likes to play it safe while Postecoglou wants anything but and that is why he has quickly identified Sarr as one to excel within his system.
He wanted to see what Sarr could do in a big match and the young midfielder did not disappoint. He was everywhere, having five shots at goal, two on target, making one key pass from his 36 passes with an 86.1% accuracy and he made two crunching tackles and won one aerial duel with one low cross deflecting on to United's right-hand post.
Most importantly he popped up with his first goal for Tottenham Hotspur and it epitomised his energy and ability as he raced into the box undetected before lashing home the ball on the half-volley.
The fans went wild and his team-mates were delighted. The youngster is a popular member of the squad, with many of the older players taking him under their wing such as Bissouma and Son and he effortlessly flits between the different friendship groups with his gradually improving English. The youngster could be seen laughing and squabbling with Richarlison on the bench after both had come off.
Spurs have waited a while to see a young exciting midfielder emerge as a potential star in the centre of their pitch.
It was entirely fitting that the last man to do so was in attendance to watch. Dele Alli was there, sat next to his friend Eric Dier, and he would have approved of that late Sarr run into the box to score. It was right out of his own playbook.
Spurs fans still carry a lot of love for Dele and all of them are hoping to see him back on a football pitch sooner rather than later and getting back to what he does best.
For Sarr, his journey feels like it is just beginning and he has a manager who is brave enough to start him over his older team-mates.
"Yeah, [Pape was] brilliant. He's been great from the moment I arrived," Postecoglou told football.london. "He's got a great energy about him, but he's got quality there too.
"He's one of those midfielders who causes the opposition real problems because whether it's him running with the ball or without the ball, he runs forward, he runs aggressively and he disrupts the opposition. He's just got a great temperament for a young guy. So I'm really pleased for him."
Some Spurs fans joked that if Sarr played for Brighton he would already be a £100m midfielder. Hands off Chelsea.
Alongside the young Senegal international, Bissouma was once again a force of nature and it was close between him and Sarr as to who would be named the man of the match, the older man eventually getting the official award.
The 26-year-old is going to be the fulcrum of this Postecoglou team with his drive, confidence and growing leadership within the team.
Once again Bissouma gave the Tottenham fans Mousa Dembele vibes with his strength on the ball and the inability of the opposition to take it off him. He is also a dangerous presence on the edge of the opposition box with his footwork in a way that the Belgian wasn't.
Bissouma's fitness is not quite yet at where he will need it to be to last 90 minutes at full pelt. There are times when he takes a little longer to track back from an advanced position but that did not detract from the defensive side to his display which brought five tackles, one interception, three clearances and one block of a goal bound United shot.
The midfielder's enthusiasm is infectious. He danced off the pitch after the players' lap of appreciation to the fans.
football.london reported last month that Postecoglou has asked Bissouma to take on a more inspiring role for the young players and he could be seen grabbing Sarr after the full time whistle and giving him a pep talk and words of encouragement and calm after his performance.
Bissouma has been unleashed by Postecoglou and he's loving the way he's being treated by the Australian.
"He's more open. He's very calm and talks a lot with his players," Bissouma said ahead of the game. "He's like a friend, a dad, an uncle, he's everything. He plays all of these roles. He's very chill, he's relaxed - never putting pressure on his players. He just tries to tell us what he wants. For me, he's an amazing person and an amazing coach as well."
If Bissouma is the new Dembele then James Maddison might just be the new Eriksen, which was somewhat fitting with the Dane coming off the bench for the opponents and getting a great ovation by the Spurs fans as he warmed up during the first half.
Maddison's creativity is just what Tottenham need to knit together the Postecoglou system and his dribbling ability is something to behold. If his passing and crossing is Eriksen-like then his dribbling bears a passing resemblance to that of Paul Gascoigne.
One run in particular through the heart of United's midfield from his own area was eye-catching and the visitors struggled to contain him around their box as well.
It was his ball out to Ivan Perisic to switch the play that led to Tottenham's game-killing second goal.
Maddison looks like he's loving life at Spurs and that he was made to play for the club.
"He's been brilliant, he's been outstanding," Postecoglou told Sky after the game. "I think we got him at a brilliant time because he's always been a brilliant footballer but where he is in his life, he's really come in with this desire and ambition to be successful.
"You need those kind of characters because we've got a young group and he doesn't have any baggage in this club at all. He's come in with fresh eyes and just said 'well it's a massive club with a great stadium, great training facilities, we've got nothing to have our heads down for, let's go'. I thought he and Sonny were really good today, just leading the young boys."
After the match, journalists in the mixed zone - where the players are interviewed - spotted Maddison walking through on crutches and with a protective boot on his right foot. When asked as he moved quickly through if he was ok, the 26-year-old said it was nothing serious and was just a precautionary measure.
The midfielder had played all 99 minutes and walked off the pitch fine after the final whistle. The knock no doubt became sore after the game when the adrenalin wore off but Postecoglou will be hoping Maddison will be able to play in a week's time at Bournemouth.
If not then Giovani Lo Celso will likely get his chance to show that he can be as effective on the left of that midfield three as he is for Argentina. Postecoglou could also do with more creativity arriving in the final days of the window if he can get others out the door.
Vicario, Porro and the defence
For some in the Tottenham defence this was a match to prove a point to those who had doubted them.
At the very back of them all, Guglielmo Vicario will already have found out just how quickly football fans can judge a player if he didn't know already from his career in Italy.
Fuelled somewhat by David Raya's move down the road to Arsenal, some Tottenham supporters had already decided that Vicario was not good enough for them. It was based on a very small sample size, just one 90 minute showing at Brentford in his first taste of the Premier League during which he was playing behind a brand new defence.
Against United and the 26-year-old was in complete control of his penalty area, making a low onrushing early save from Marcus Rashford before making eye-catching flying reflex saves to deny Casemiro and Varane headers, the latter ruled offside afterwards.
The goalkeeper, known as Vic by Postecoglou, needed the display and the clean sheet just to remind everyone why he was one of the most highly-regarded goalkeepers in Serie A last season.
Even the parts of his game that he is really trying to improve, such as his short passing out from the back under pressure - which was not the most required goalkeeper skill at Empoli - have already progressed steadily under Postecoglou.
"The lads were great, dominated most of the second half, we had to do some defending, Vic made a couple of excellent saves, ideally you don’t want to see, but it’s brilliant for him, because it gives him confidence as well," said the Spurs boss afterwards.
Then there was Pedro Porro. The Spaniard's name was the standout addition to the team sheet because his inclusion alone gave Postecoglou's line-up a very attacking and open feel to it.
Naturally questions were raised about how the 23-year-old would handle the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and later Jadon Sancho as he adjusted to becoming a right-back after years as a wing-back and a pre-season that had brought a number of goals conceded from his area of the pitch.
Those questions were answered with Porro's best defensive display in a Spurs shirt as he mopped up pretty much everything that came down his side, with one tackle, one interception, three clearances and one blocked shot.
He also managed to race up and down the pitch, hitting the woodwork with one well-executed sliced effort, while also making one key pass in the build-up to Sarr's goal and one successful dribble.
"My position [under Postecoglou] is a defender but the system is different and I’m happy with whatever comes," Postecoglou told football.london during the summer tour before asked whether it was a big difference between being a wing-back and a right-back. "Yes and no. It’s different - being right wing-back is like a winger but I try to adapt to that position but it’s still different when you are attacking, because as a right-back you have to surprise the opposition.
"You just have to get into the habit of defending. I’ve gone forward since I've been a professional so [in coming back] it's always a bit more challenging but I keep on trying."
On the inverted full-back system, he added: "It’s a different way and new ideas. I like that type of game because you can get on the ball a lot and pass it around. Still I feel comfortable working on defence which is very important and will be important going forward. Both things are important."
Both Porro and Destiny Udogie look comfortable operating centrally as inverted full-backs and Postecoglou had made it clear towards the end of that pre-season tour that he was looking to use both in the same back four, although few expected it so quickly.
"If you're asking me if those two can play at full-back, yeah absolutely. I would love them to play full-back, and the good thing is that's the profile of all our full-backs," he said then. "I love that they are all very good technically, very good going forward, that's the way we want to play. I'm excited by both of their potential."
To dare is to do is reflected in Postecoglou's willingness to take risks with his line-ups and show no fear in selecting younger players together in a group. If Spurs were looking for the polar opposite of Antonio Conte then they have found him.
Udogie was again a shining light at left-back with another performance that made a mockery of his age and the adaptation period normally required for foreign signings in the Premier League, not least one who has spent the past couple of seasons playing as a wing-back.
Udogie recorded three clearances, one tackle, one shot on target, one key pass and two successful dribbles in all-action display and his partnership with Son Heung-min is growing by the minute as is his decision-making over the right moments to raid forward and when to tuck inside.
In between the full-backs, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven finally got to experience life together on a football pitch for more than 11 minutes and they look like complementing each other well with the balance they provide for each other.
Romero was dominant throughout, with four clearances, three blocks, four recoveries, one tackle and one interception as well plenty of progressive play with the ball at his feet, including the ball that started the move for Tottenham's second goal.
He had far more touches of the ball (91) than any other player on the pitch with only Bissouma (75) and Fernandes (77) coming anywhere near and he had had the most accurate passes (66) of any Spurs player on the pitch.
Handing the vice-captaincy to Romero might just end up being a masterstroke by Postecoglou as it has brought responsibility and a need to inspire and lead to a player who would previously recklessly lose his head.
The Argentine is a World Cup winner and the Spurs boss has called him his most influential defender and now he expects him to act like it.
At 25-year-old, Romero was the old man of the defence and alongside Van de Ven he was constantly talking to the young Dutchman as well as Porro and Udogie as he marshalled the back line.
Van de Ven started nervously amid the huge noise inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but soon grew into the game and settled, helped by a couple of effortless dribbles around agile United attackers which made a mockery of claims that the skilful speedster is "wooden" because of his height and frame.
For the young centre-back, he is relishing playing for the Australian he calls his trainer.
"I love [this style of football] to be honest. I love to play with the ball because the trainer gives us the trust to play with the ball," Van de Ven said in his club interview after the game.
"It's not that when we have the ball the trainer is screaming from the side to play it long, every time we have the ball you can hear him saying 'keep calm, keep calm, just keep playing, keep playing, keep playing.'
"With the high line with Cuti, with me, with Pedro and Destiny, we know the time to go back because we trained for this the whole week. Of course we take some risks but what is football without risks?"
That is exactly what Postecoglou wants to hear and even the more experienced heads are adjusting to his ways.
Spurs' second goal saw 34-year-old Ivan Perisic trap Maddison's pass perfectly before playing a ball through to 30-year-old fellow substitute Ben Davies, who had run through into a central position and while the Welshman's touch was scuffed and heading off target, Lisandro Martinez ensured it crept inside the right-hand post with his own intervention.
For Davies, who recently became a father for the first time, his little boy Ralph in attendance, it was all about his movement and more proof to Postecoglou that he can be a good squad member. Like all of his previous head coaches, Davies' latest appears to agree wholeheartedly.
The Postecoglou squad is starting to take shape but there is still plenty more to be done in the final 12 days of the transfer window.
Tweaks needed in a busy transfer window finale
Tottenham's attack was the one area of their game that had more of a mixed day against Manchester United.
Son Heung-min put in a performance befitting a captain, full of experience and guidance to the younger players around him but without producing the devastating end product that he is capable of.
That will come for the 31-year-old South Korean star who is clearly relishing playing for and captaining Postecoglou's side.
"I think you can see the last two games, it's very early, but we want to have the ball, create chances, play attacking football, if we lose the ball we're going to be counter pressing, it's really, really fun even to play in but I think watching this game is more enjoyable for the Spurs fans," he told Sky.
"100% it's enjoyable for the players, for the attacking players, I don't know about the defenders, but for me, it's playing high, pressing high, it's an easier job than running 70 metres behind!"
He added: "Every manager is different and every manager I will always respect and if you give me any role I will do it. I'm very very happy obviously. As an attacking player when you play in their half of the pitch, pressing, when you win the ball the distance is shorter to the goal than when you're in your box. I'm really liking it."
Dejan Kulusevski grew into the game on Saturday, as he did against Brentford the previous week, and it was the Swede's deflected cross that found its way to Sarr to fire home the opening goal.
The 23-year-old is still not quite at his best yet, as evidenced by the number of safe low shots he is taking after cutting inside rather than the curling efforts towards the top corner that marked his first season at the club.
When both Son and Kulusevski get up to speed - the former did start pre-season later than many others - then Spurs will create and score goals galore.
Both have reliable back-ups in Perisic and Manor Solomon, who each showed how they can contribute in different ways on Saturday, the experienced Croatian with his delivery and the Israel international with his fast feet and direct play.
The issue for Postecoglou currently lies in the centre of the attack.
Once again there was no faulting Richarlison's work rate, willingness to run or try to hold the ball up but to end a home game in which Spurs had 17 shots without having a single one of them himself shows his lack of confidence and ability to create chances for himself.
Postcoglou may well say that, as with the first game the previous weekend, Richarlison's movement was just not being spotted by his team-mates who should be trying to help him get on the scoresheet.
Richarlison touched the ball just 28 times, less than any other starting Spurs player. Only Mount (27) and Garnacho (25) touched it less among United's starting line-up.
Some fans will naturally wonder what Harry Kane would be like at the top of this system and Kane's mere presence would have got him the ball more from the team, but Spurs must look beyond the England captain's era at the club if they are to succeed now.
Richarlison has to prove that he can become a prolific striker in this system in the mould of Japanese star Kyogo Furuhashi, who was a goalscorer for Postecoglou and before his arrival at Celtic. Richarlison reached double figures in three seasons in the Premier League for Everton but the majority as a wide man rather than as the central striker.
It could well be that he just needs something to click for him and the confidence to lift the weight of just one Premier League goal for a £60m signing that will lie on his shoulders, as will the need to replace the irreplaceable in Kane.
He needs competition to spur him on, which he will have internally in Son, who Postecoglou said will play centrally at times as he did after Richarlison unhappily went off on Saturday.
Tottenham could also do with another attacking option coming in. Postecoglou said that Alejo Veliz, who received his work permit 24 hours after joining this month, will not get minutes in the first half of the season as the 19-year-old adapts to crossing the world to a very different life and game.
The Spurs boss praised Dane Scarlett to football.london on Friday and said he will decide next week whether the homegrown teenager will stick around or head off on another loan this season. Troy Parrott has been left without a squad number and will be loaned out, with clubs in the Bundesliga and Eredivisie interested in the Republic of Ireland international.
In terms of incoming competition, Gift Orban, Gent's prolific 21-year-old striker, is high on Tottenham's data-led list of potential striker transfers.
The young Nigerian centre-forward is one of the standout talents on the continent and while some in Belgium claim he would need time to step up to the Premier League, his speed and finishing ability would make him a threat even in early bench roles.
Orban's strength and physique in his hold-up play would need to be worked on for the English game, as would his awareness of his team-mates. Despite scoring 20 goals in 22 games last season for Gent, including five in the Europa Conference League, he registered just two assists. This season so far Orban has five goals in five matches but no assists.
He is a raw talent but one that Spurs could steal a march on their rivals for, as they did with Sarr, Udogie and this summer Van de Ven before they all become top tier stars. It would mean them paying up to £26m for a youngster currently playing outside the continent's major leagues.
Postecoglou has played down his need to sign a number nine, but Orban does not necessarily fit that profile at the moment. He can be turned into one though with the right coaching and development. The same applies to Brennan Johnson at Nottingham Forest, who has plenty of admirers at Tottenham.
Postecoglou is desperate to get players out of the door to chop down a squad that has far too many names to register for the Premier League.
The Spurs boss made it clear ahead of the weekend's match that the squad size was problematic for training purposes and would eventually also hit the overall morale with players naturally either growing tired of not playing or simply wanting to move clubs.
The Australian has 20 foreign players - three over the 17 limit for the league - and 31 in total aged over 21 when only 25 can be registered in a Premier League squad. Anyone under that age does not need to be named on the main list.
That still means six players at least must leave or be left out, and more if Postecoglou wants to bring in more signings. He has already said that he wants to upgrade the squad in defence, midfield and attack if possible before the window closes and told football.london that he wants another centre-back, with Torino's Perr Schuurs among those linked.
Young midfielder Harvey White has not been given a squad number and Hugo Lloris is set to leave when he can settle on a new club where he will be number one.
Spurs will listen to any offers for Djed Spence, who has failed to impress Postecoglou. The only interest so far in the wing-back has mostly come from the Championship and he would have to accept a step back down to the division at this point to leave. Tottenham will have to accept a loan as they are unlikely to get anywhere near the fee they paid for the player at this point.
Tanguy Ndombele has also failed to catch the eye of the Tottenham boss, Postecoglou understood to be unimpressed with his attitude, application and poor time-keeping. The north London club will be hoping to get the French midfielder out of the door after he once again threw away a chance to impress another manager and perhaps the one he would have fit the best.
Eric Dier wants to stay and fight for his place but cannot even get in Postecoglou's squad at the moment and his contract situation with just one year left on his deal will not fill Spurs with the utmost desire to let him stay for his final 11 months.
Davinson Sanchez is in the same situation but has impressed Postecoglou with his recent performances and his pace makes him a more natural fit for the high line. However, his contract heading towards its close will make any transfer appealing, with Spurs having previously accepted a £12m bid from Spartak Moscow, a move that did not convince the Colombian.
Sergio Reguilon will continue to have interest in Spain, which should help his departure, perhaps initially on loan, while Japhet Tanganga has potential suitors at home in Luton Town and in Italy.
There is also Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has found himself out of the starting line-up and Postecoglou's leadership group and a move surely beckons, with Atletico Madrid among those interested.
If Spurs were somehow able to get all nine of those players out of the club that would clear the space for Postecoglou to bring in three more new faces into his Premier League squad or more if Orban was one of them, as the 21-year-old could be named on the U21 list.
Managing to move out all three of Sanchez, Dier and Tanganga - if possible - would likely require two more centre-backs to be signed on top of Van de Ven though, unless Postecoglou felt Davies and young Ashley Phillips, who made his Spurs debut for the U21s in their 4-1 win against Newcastle on Saturday, can cover the positions until January with one more incoming central defender.
Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of thinking anyone other than Postecoglou is in full control of who will make the final cut in his squad by the time the transfer window closes and he sent that very clear message on Saturday to anyone that might have still thought otherwise, including no doubt those above him.
"Yes mate, yeah, yeah I wouldn't let anyone else decide," he said with a menacing grin when asked on Sky after Saturday's win whether it was his decision. "I think it's really important, wherever I've been, that's the bits that I will never ever let anyone else control. They've got to be my decisions.
"I see the game through my eyes. Others may not. What I see in a player maybe others don't. That's not a judgement on anyone else. Certain players will fit a certain kind of football.
"With Biss and Pape [for example], I see the energy and the quality they have to break lines, to be really progressive with their passing and their running and those kind of thing so I know they're a good fit.
"Again they've got to be coachable and you don't know that until you work with them and so far they've been great."
The Postecoglou era holds plenty of promise this season. Having mostly clear weeks without European football is going to allow the Australian to really drill his ideas into his players ahead of each weekend match and that will make Tottenham one to watch when few pundits have noticed them.
That will suit Postecoglou perfectly as he loves to to be underestimated as they never see him or his sides coming.
Within the club, this important early victory while he is still getting his philosophy across was a big dollop of proof for the players and the hierarchy that the Postecoglou style works against even the biggest clubs and anyone with any remaining doubts will have had them blown away.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has landed upon a gem in Ange Postecoglou.
The head coach's claims were pushed by the powerful agency CAA Base who have such a strong growing presence now within the north London club with the Australian and big players such as Son, Maddison, Richarlison and Porro on their books and they signed up Sarr last month, while they also represent some of Tottenham's brightest academy talents in Scarlett, Alfie Devine, Jamie Donley, George Abbott and Yago Santiago among others.
Levy places plenty of trust in Base and that relationship has borne fruit in Postecoglou. The Australian and the chairman have also formed an effective triangle of a relationship with chief scout Leonardo Gabbanini.
For now the chairman has a figurehead and leader who has already stepped over the Spurs mess before him when he arrived and has pulled together the fanbase with first his words and now his football.
Postecoglou has breathed fresh life into a football club that was deflated and fatigued, the fans having long grown weary of paying the high costs to watch games that were often depressing, dull and predictable. Only their loyalty to the badge kept them coming through the turnstiles week after week and paying their hard-earned cash.
Now they can finally see a way forward and the early seeds of something being sown by Postecoglou with a football that belongs within the traditions of their grand old club.
As they watched their new head coach standing alone in the centre circle on Saturday evening, looking around and realising just how comfortable he felt in his new home, most Spurs fans would have identified with him but also felt a twinge of deja vu.
The last manager those supporters truly loved said that an amazing home needs furniture and with the departure of Spurs' most beloved player so the painful rebuild once predicted may well have finally properly begun.
In Ange Postecoglou Tottenham Hotspur have the man to lead them through it with a style and a swagger that resonates with the fans.
As that bond forges quickly so they will only be watching closely to see what furniture shopping is going on for the Australian by those above him, particularly as those same fans are being asked to cough up even more from their own pockets. It has to be for the sake of something special.
