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| You choose: 5th place or a trophy? |
Welcome to Tottenham Hotspur Blog News (THBN)
The thinking man’s blog and the authority on winning mentality, club vision, and the deeper truths the mainstream media always miss.
Take your time.
Digest slowly.
Contemplate over your tea (well, we are British after all).
Only then begin to formulate your opinion.
PSG finished 15th in the UEFA Champions League qualification league table!
The Context Behind Finishing 17th
Let me be clear:
Tottenham Hotspur didn’t try to win the Premier League this season.
Yes, we finished 17th.
Yes, the league form was poor.
But the real story?
It was a calculated sacrifice.
And it worked.
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| A devastating injury toll: Spurs lost 1,553 player-days to 41 separate injuries — no player was ever present across the season. |
The Stats That Shock — And Explain Everything
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Spurs lost 1,553 player-days to injury across 41 separate injuries
Liverpool? Just 754 player-days. Less than half.
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We had zero outfield players make 30+ Premier League appearances.
Liverpool? 11.
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Micky van de Ven — key centre-back — played just 12 league games.
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Lucas Bergvall played 11 games, Cristian Romero 18, Richarlison 4, we hardly played our 1st choice XI together.
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Spurs win rate when we have our first-choice back four is 75%
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The manager, Ange Postecoglou, admitted:
“I made decisions I felt would give us the best chance to achieve the goal we needed this year. That affected our league form.”
Still doubting?
James Maddison confirmed it with brutal honesty after lifting the Europa League trophy:
“It was quite clear from the New Year onwards what the manager was prioritising. You could see it from team selection.”
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| A telling quote — James Maddison acknowledged that Ange Postecoglou made his priorities crystal clear as the season unfolded. |
The Goal Wasn’t Top 4. It Was Unity, Trophies, and History.
Postecoglou told us what was coming.
He made a conscious trade-off:
💥 Prioritise European success and rebuilding unity
❌ Accept damage to league position
He said it out loud:
“We’ve given the fans a few days that will live with them forever… That was always the main driver.”
He also said:
“This could be a defining moment for the club.”
He built a winning culture.
He reunited the fanbase.
He brought silverware to N17 for the first time in 17 years.
But fans still moan about 17th in the league?
Romero and the Winning Mentality Standard
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| Cristian Romero’s future at Spurs may hinge on Ange Postecoglou’s position — the defender reportedly won’t stay if the coach leaves. |
Romero’s Message: The Culture Shift Is Real
Cristian Romero — World Cup winner, serial competitor — doesn’t just play for any manager.
He plays for a leader.
And when asked about his future?
“If Postecoglou stays, I think Cuti won’t leave. Now, if there’s a change of coach, Cuti will do everything possible to leave.”
— via @rubenuria / @eldesmarque
This is what happens when you build a winning mentality from the top down.
Romero wants trophies.
Romero wants unity.
Romero wants to be part of something that lasts — and Postecoglou gives him that.
It’s not about comfort.
It’s not about cash.
It’s about belief.
That’s what keeps elite players at your club.
That’s what wins silverware.
And that’s what fans so often forget when staring at league tables instead of legacies.
The Happy Clapper Reality Check
Let’s address the elephant in the room.
Those of us who backed Levy, backed ENIC, and backed the project…
We were called “Happy Clappers.”
Mocked online.
Shouted down by weak people with mob mentality hatred.
Lumped in with blind loyalty and corporate apologists.
But here’s the truth:
We were never clapping blindly.
We were clapping because we could see the plan.
Because we believed in process over panic.
Because we saw talent — Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Sarr, Bergvall — and knew they’d grow.
And now?
🏆 Europa League champions.
🎟️ Champions League football.
🧠 A manager with real vision.
💪 A core of players still improving.
This isn’t the end of a project.
It’s just the first proof point.
So maybe the “Happy Clappers” were just the ones who actually understood what building success looks like.
A round of applause to the “Happy Clappers” we were right.
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| The so-called “Happy Clappers” backed the vision. Now with a European trophy, their faith has been justified — loud and clear. |
Fans Say They Want Trophies. But Then They Complain.
Postecoglou:
“There is no more of this… ‘you’re a great club but you’ve never won anything’ — that’s done.”
Maddison:
“We lifted a European trophy. No one can ever take that away from us now.”
And yet…
Too many Spurs fans are proving what the manager fears:
They don’t want success.
They want control.
They want to be proven right.
They want to complain about league tables even after watching their captain lift a major European trophy in Bilbao.
The Real Fans Understand
This was a year of calculated risk, and it paid off:
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🏆 UEFA Europa League champions
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🎟️ UEFA Champions League football secured
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🔁 Club-wide unity restored
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⚙️ Young core blooded (Archie Gray, Bergvall, Odobert)
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⛑️ Injuries overcome
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💬 Narratives rewritten
But Still, 17th?
Look at the context:
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Spurs targeted the cups.
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We had more injuries than almost anyone.
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We lost Kane.
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We fielded teenagers.
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We made a trade-off — and won.
Postecoglou again:
“You either assess it in its totality… or you just say it’s not good enough.”
Too many fans are doing the latter.
They’re choosing misery over memory.
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| Tottenham’s long wait for silverware is over. Son Heung-min leads the celebrations after winning the 2025 Europa League. |
THBN The Final Word: What’s More Important — Points or Pride?
Ask yourself:
Would you rather finish 5th with nothing
…or
17th with a European trophy and Champions League football?
James Maddison answers for you:
“If you offered me 5th and no Europa League, I’d laugh at you.”
You either get it… or you don’t.
