Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou's side shows promise in post-Harry Kane era

Tottenham's Ange Postecoglou praised by MOTD2 pundits

Ange Postecoglou stood arms folded looking into the vast expanse of the South Stand at Tottenham Hotspur's stadium with the satisfied smile of a manager reflecting on a job well done.

The Australian cut a low-key figure in his dark polo shirt throughout a thrilling 2-0 Spurs victory over Manchester United, twice shedding his calm demeanour to raise both arms in triumph for the goals.

Postecoglou was happy to let the Spurs players who had delivered his mantra of all-out attacking football with such intent take the acclaim after their desire and quality eventually overpowered a mediocre Manchester United.

Eventually, he broke into a broad smile as the Tottenham fans who treated this as a feast following the famine and stodge served up by predecessors Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte saluted their new manager, Postecoglou moving towards the supporters before quietly pumping his fists in the direction of the elated gallery.

This was a landmark day in so many respects.

It was the first home game of the post-Harry Kane era. It was the first home game for the manager who brought such success to Celtic but had been lured away from Parkhead by the attraction of the Premier League.

It was also a day that started with protests against Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and owners ENIC, a reaction to the sale of Kane and an unpopular new ticketing price policy, one giant banner a twist on the club's motto of "To Dare Is To Do" as it read "To Dare Is Too Dear. Levy And ENIC Out."

The chant that so often proclaimed Kane as "One Of Our Own" was re-worded to "Exploiting Our Own."

If it all started with a show of discontent, the full weight of the Spurs support was thrown right behind Postecoglou and his new-look team, ending with this giant stadium rocking and echoing to roars of approval barely heard in recent years.

Yes, it is only one game but there was a feeling of joyous release among Spurs supporters who had grown tired of watching a team seemingly trapped in the shackles of the negative styles imposed by Mourinho and Conte.

Of course, the absence of Kane will be felt. How can Spurs not miss a player of such world class, the club's record scorer with 280 goals in 435 games? There will be times among the baby steps of the Postecoglou tenure when his absence will cause pain.

It would be foolish in the extreme, and just as premature, to downplay the effect Kane's sale will have in games to come, but here at least Postecoglou's new Spurs gave their fans cause for optimism and hope.

In this game, there was a fresh positivity and intent among the Spurs team as new faces made their impact and those who had struggled before suddenly looked like the players the club thought they had signed.

James Maddison was outstanding in midfield, directing the traffic and creating in a manner which made him look instantly at home while new goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, signed from Empoli to replace Hugo Lloris, was safe with his handling and also produced an outstanding save from Casemiro's header.

And then there was Yves Bissouma.

Yves Bissouma battles with Bruno Fernandes — Yves Bissouma, left, played a significant role in Tottenham's impressive display against Manchester United

Bissouma struggled in his first season at Spurs following a move from Brighton but here was the game's outstanding performer, helping Pape Matar Sarr outflank United completely in midfield, where Casemiro looked like a player with many miles on the clock and Mason Mount was, to put it kindly, anonymous.

Sarr, at just 20, also scored his first goal for Spurs to break the deadlock four minutes after half-time, deserved reward for his performance.

There may be questions ahead about whether Richarlison, who looked unhappy when replaced, will score enough goals and form an effective enough link with Heung-Min Son to compensate for Kane's departure, but that will be answered at another time amid the ecstasy on display after referee Michael Oliver sounded the final whistle.

There is an element of high risk about Postecoglou's strategy, as proved by the opportunities even this very average United performance created, particularly Bruno Fernandes' first half header wide of an open goal and a second half strike by Antony against the post.

United manager Erik ten Hag had a real case that they should have had a first half penalty when Cristian Romero handled, but Spurs also had justified claims of their own when the Argentina defender went down under challenge from countryman Lisandro Martinez in the second half.

In the end, there can be no arguing Spurs were the better team and deserved the win, completing an underwhelming start to the season for United after a fortunate win against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.

If Ten Hag has any consolation, it is that United at least have three more points than they did at this stage last season.

For Spurs, Postecoglou's calm approach will ensure there will be not getting carried away but - despite the absence of Kane and the unhappiness with Levy and the club's hierarchy - it at least felt like the toxicity that had been gathering the team in recent years had started to clear.