Lucas Bergvall decision that will excite some Tottenham fans and Postecoglou’s terrifying words

“Something has changed within me, something is not the same. I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game.”

Nope, it’s not Elphaba from Wicked. If you want, feel free to imagine Ange Postecoglou with a green face belting those lines out – it’s some image we know – but certainly something changed within the Tottenham Hotspur head coach this week.

He was expected to play a stronger Spurs starting XI at Aston Villa on Friday night as Manchester United did at Chelsea to ensure players would not go almost two weeks without playing ahead of the Europa League final.

However, Dejan Kulusevski’s knee injury on Sunday afternoon just 15 minutes into the contest against Crystal Palace when he was only meant to play until half-time, finally convinced Postecoglou – as if he needed it – that the football gods are not done with torturing him yet.

It made him the one thing the Australian has rarely, if ever, been in his career – scared. He was going to protect his players and did not care a jot for anyone trying to lecture him on “the integrity of the game”.

“Look, in a normal world you use this for sharpening up but we’re not living in a normal world,” he said the day before the game. “That’s the reality of our existence at the moment where we can’t lose another player to an injury. It’s just too finely balanced for us considering what’s at stake. Villa are obviously going for Champions League football and you see how important it is to them and we’re doing the same.”

That resulted in a Tottenham starting XI that was one step away from including canteen staff and must have brought a wide smile to Villa boss Unai Emery’s face when he saw it.

Not a single one of the 11 players who started either semi-final leg with Bodo/Glimt began the game at Villa Park.

Instead Postecoglou dusted off Sergio Reguilon from his position on the shelf at Hotspur Way for his first Premier League start of the season – only his second in any competition – as the Spaniard’s contract runs towards its final month.

Seventeen-year-old Mikey Moore made only his third Premier League start of the season and his past two starts in February had brought half-time withdrawals as he struggled with the physicality of the game. This has very much been a season of development for the talented teenager.

Postecoglou went with a midfield pairing with an average age of just over 20 in Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr to face a strong Villa team giving everything in front of a noisy Villa Park crowd as they chased a Champions League spot.

Villa had won seven of the previous eight Premier League matches and when the Spurs line-up emerged, everyone, including the Villains’ top five rivals, would have expected a demolition job of embarrassing proportions.

Yet Tottenham’s makeshift XI actually gave a surprisingly good account of themselves in the first half, with an organised display that belied their lack of any real sustained playing time together.

While Antonin Kinsky did have to make a brilliant reaction save at full stretch to keep out Ollie Watkins’ slight touch on a cross into the box, that was really the only thing the Czech goalkeeper had to do of any note in those opening 45 minutes.

Spurs defended resolutely in front of him and Reguilon was solid enough for someone who had just 121 minutes of Premier League football this season to his name before this encounter.

With his lower fitness levels, the Spaniard’s brief was to rarely stray into the Villa half but he executed a lot of what he had to well before coming off in the second half with a knock and probably plenty of fatigue.

Tottenham also created first half chances of their own on the break, with captain Son Heung-min, making his first start in a month, curling an effort over the crossbar not long after pulling a low cross behind his team-mates following a trademark sprint up the pitch.

Then Wilson Odobert sent a lovely back-flick from Mathys Tel’s low cross straight at Emiliano Martinez when anywhere else would have brought a goal.

A goalless first half left Villa and their supporters frustrated as they feared slipping up against a Spurs B team just when they really needed not to.

The second half brought another chance for the visitors early on when a great long throw from Kinsky sent Odobert racing away up the pitch only for a dreadful first touch to take the lightweight Frenchman into the path of a covering defender rather than towards goal.

Moments later, the Tottenham goalkeeper made a second good save when he got down low to palm away what was a combination of a Watkins shot and Ben Davies’ tackle.

It was the removal of Pape Matar Sarr and the introduction of Yves Bissouma that ended up providing Villa with the space to win the game.

The 22-year-old midfielder had begun limping and Postecoglou had no qualms in bringing the Senegal international off and Sarr went down the tunnel with a member of the medical staff.

Moore would later need treatment himself before coming off late in the game and football.london asked on the status of both afterwards.

“Pape felt something in his back so we took him off as a bit of a precaution,” said Postecoglou. “I don’t think it’s anything too significant speaking to him afterwards but he just felt something in his back and I think Mikey was okay. It was fatigue as much as anything else. He hasn’t played that sort of amount of minutes before.”

Nothing will terrify Tottenham fans more than the Australian uttering the words “I don’t think it’s anything too significant”.

If Postecoglou was your doctor and he trotted out that sentence to you then you’d have every right to sprint out of the room screaming and getting a second opinion from anyone else you could find.

For the Spurs boss has said “I don’t think it’s anything too significant” about most of the injuries suffered to his players in matches this season, only to find out from scans or assessments a couple of days later that in fact it was certainly significant.

He said it in the aftermath of both James Maddison and Kulusevski’s recent season-ending, long-term injuries.

To be fair to Postecoglou, he is only going off the immediate information available to him after speaking to the players and the medical staff while trying to remain positive.

However, at some point he should have just started saying “We’re not sure, we’ll know more in a few days” because his “I don’t think it’s anything too significant” has become the bringer of doom far too often. People run for cover the moment he wheels it out.

The removal of Sarr and the arrival of Bissouma, who looked like he was already on his flight to Bilbao, handed Villa what they needed to grab the three points.

First Bissouma switched off in Tottenham’s area from a corner to hand Ezri Konsa the freedom of the six yard box to hook home Watkins’ header from John McGinn’s corner.

Then the Mali international moved away from Boubacar Kamara, expecting a pass that never came, as the Villa man dribbled across the edge of the Tottenham box before drilling home his first ever Premier League goal.

Spurs like handing out milestone moments to others, but they have also collected some unwanted ones of their own.

The north London club have now lost 25 matches in all competitions this season, the most in a single campaign in their history with 21 in the league. They have won just one of their past 11 Premier League games and have conceded in each of their past 12 league matches. It is Tottenham’s longest run without a clean sheet since the 17 games between August and December 2010.

There were still some positives for Postecoglou to take from this latest defeat with five days before the Europa League final in Bilbao.

“I thought up until they scored, the boys had worked hard, they were really disciplined and organised,” Postecoglou told football.london . “We didn’t really let them create too many clear openings. We had our moments as well, going the other way, but once they scored we lost a little bit of belief.

“We got a little bit fatigued. A lot of those guys haven’t played a lot and we looked like we were fatiguing and then the game just got away from us.”

Kevin Danso and Ben Davies at least looked sharp on the whole and will ready to jump in should something happen to either Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven. More for the long term, but behind them Antonin Kinsky does look a real prospect with not only his shot stopping but also his distribution.

At the other end of the pitch, Mathys Tel remains a bright and energetic presence and will likely get some minutes in the final. Wilson Odobert was better than he was against Palace in the number 10 role just behind his fellow 20-year-old Frenchman.

There was also, perhaps most importantly, a few signs that the old Son was returning during the game with a couple of trademark sprints up the pitch that left Villa players in the captain’s wake, even if the sharpness wasn’t there in the end product.

“I’m feeling good. A little bit tired of course after my first game back but physically I feel good. So yeah, ready to go [for Wednesday],” said Son after the game.

“It was very important to get the minutes against Crystal Palace as well. I came on and played 25, maybe 30 minutes, and today around 70 minutes. It was really good to get game time in my legs and I think the most important thing is that everybody gets fit for Wednesday and I’ll be ready.”

He added: “It’s been very, very tough to watch and not be involved with the boys. Obviously it’s one of the toughest moments when you’re not involved and not actually there. The lads did a fantastic job [in Europe] and I was very, very happy because their hard work paid off.

“I was very happy to see the boys happy and smiling and celebrating, which they deserved. Still the job is not finished and on Wednesday we have a massive, massive job to do. I believe we can do this.

“Our objective is to get a result on Wednesday. Let’s all be together from now on, everyone together with one goal and together it will happen.”

Postecoglou must formulate a game plan for United that does not involve creative central midfielders and his formation on Friday night was a chance for him to look at some of his players, albeit different ones, working within one potential tactic.

Spurs were set up in what looked like a 4-4-2 at times that became a 4-2-3-1, depending on where Odobert positioned himself as he spent long periods alongside Tel rather than behind him.

You could easily imagine the system with Dominic Solanke playing a little deeper off Richarlison, Son and Brennan Johnson on the wings trying to get the ball to the front men, as would Pedro Porro with his deeper crosses, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Bissouma patrolling the midfield.

One Solanke turn and run late in the game showed what he will be able to do in that role if called upon to perform it.

Postecoglou was asked what he had made of Odobert in that central attacking role on the night.

“I thought Wilson was good. The issue with Wilson is he has just missed so much of the season. You can see he lacks match sharpness but he is an intelligent player,” he said.

“Now I thought at times tonight, in tight areas he found his way forward and a couple of things didn’t fall his way. He was unlucky with his finish which I thought was an outstanding finish but it fell straight at Emi Martinez.

“I think with Wilson, at least we have got him some significant minutes again. With the way we are in that midfield area, he might be one we need to rely on come Wednesday so it’s good for him to play.”

The big decision was to leave Romero, Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie back at Hotspur Way to train with an intense session rather than bringing them up to the West Midlands.

When asked if he was concerned about the trio, along with Vicario, not playing a single minute for two weeks ahead of the final, he answered before the question had even finished.

“Yeah but they are available,” he said before pausing and going on. “They are available. For us there’s no point bringing them here, they weren’t going to play today. They stayed at home, they did a really strong session and come Wednesday, knock on wood, they are all available and that’s the most important thing.

“That’s the primary thing. When those guys play, that back four with Vic in goal, our chances of success significantly improve.”

He added: “I don’t know how else to say it. They are available. If something happened to them today then they wouldn’t be available and I just don’t think that would be the smart course for us to take.”

All eyes can completely turn to that final in Bilbao now. The players have had little tasters of the big day and everything to come around it throughout this week. There was a media day on Monday at Hotspur Way and then the following day UEFA had their day where they shot all of their promo images and motion capture moments.

Tottenham gave their injured players the choice of whether they wanted to take part or not, so that they could feel a part of the big day. Some were not around on the day as they continue their rehabilitation or in Kulusevski’s case recover from surgery.

Both Lucas Bergvall and Dane Scarlett took up the invitation to take part in the photo shoots.

Bergvall’s inclusion in particular will continue to give Tottenham fans some faint hope that the teenager might be feeling that he could play a part on Wednesday night, even if Postecoglou has ruled him out on multiple occasions.

The young Swede had his protective boot removed at the beginning of this week and has returned to the grass with medical staff. In Postecoglou’s words on Thursday they were his “first tentative steps” before adding “but he won’t be available”.

Bergvall, who swept the board with the supporters’ awards for this season in his debut campaign, will no doubt be doing everything to make himself available.

The key will be whether any involvement would risk serious longer-term damage for a player who has become key to this team already but will also hopefully have many more chances to play in big games across his career.

He will have sensed how big this game feels for everyone around the club as everyone craves a long-awaited trophy.

Even this football.london reporter, when turning up at Villa Park on Friday night, was offered their press lanyard with a Champions League or plain ‘visitor’ neck strap. That Champions League one could not have been grabbed quick enough, just in case it was some kind of sign.

On the way home, this same reporter passed the Tottenham squad’s bus heading back down the M6 and if they can do something special then on Friday they will all be on a very different kind of bus – one without a roof.

For these things must be planned in advance with all the relevant authorities as much as it feels like tempting fate.

Local residents, schools and businesses have been made aware that should Spurs win on Wednesday evening in Bilbao then an open-top bus victory parade would work its way through Tottenham, beginning at Edmonton Green and heading down the High Road before ending up at the stadium.

That’s all just ifs, buts and maybes right now though. First Spurs need to get the job done. Saturday is a rest day for them before a full, strong training session on Sunday at Hotspur Way.

Then Postecoglou and his coaches will put them through another session on Monday morning before they all fly to Bilbao that afternoon. Tuesday will bring press conferences with the head coach and two of his players before the players train on the pitch at the Estadio de San Mamés and the reality of it all will really start to hit.

It’s going to be a huge night for everyone connected with Tottenham Hotspur and there are so many subplots, narratives and pathways either result can push the club down going forward.

For those interested, that verse of the Wicked song at the top continues with the words “Too late for second-guessing, too late to go back to sleep. It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap”.

That’s exactly what Tottenham Hotspur need to do. Everything in recent weeks has been tailored towards this moment and they must trust that. They need to take that leap, defy the gravity of their league position and soar in Bilbao on Wednesday evening.

A look behind the scenes at Spurs ahead of the Europa League final. Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham!