We’ll be back

Gutted. Proud. It’s been an emotional journey that has come to a truly heart-breaking end. Regardless, I went into the match proud of this club and as the final whistle blew, pride was still the overriding emotion.

It is difficult to talk about the game itself. After what has been an incredible season for the top tier of European football, it was a forgettable climax. We had been used to conceding early in the competition but a penalty awarded in the opening thirty seconds was the last thing we needed or expected in a game of such magnitude. Anyone who likes sports betting could not have predicted such an outcome so early. Three weeks of preparation and we had barely a touch of the ball before we were on the back foot, typically, a result of a controversial handball decision against arguably our most consistent and level-headed player of the season.

It couldn’t have been better for Liverpool; a side that thrives from a winning position and, as would be expected, they held onto their lead for the remainder of the game. We dominated possession whilst they sat back and cleared their lines with little reason to push forward.
Opportunities were few and far between for three-quarters of the match. The strength of Liverpool’s defence this year is no secret since their investment in recent windows and we made things far too easy for them with our lack of that final ball. And, whilst our defence remained strong, a clearly experienced Liverpool team took their chance as we continued to push forward in the final five minutes. Origi’s well-placed shot was the nail in the coffin. Even after our recent comebacks, two goals in as many minutes was too much to ask of our drained attackers.

“I want to congratulate Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, the players, club and fans. They had an amazing season and finished winning the Champions League. It is so painful, but we need to keep going.” – The classy full-time thoughts of Mauricio Pochettino.

Painful does not begin to describe the disappointment that we all feel but, as our manager might say, that is football. As a club, we have given everything this season. From a summer without transfers to almost a second entire season at Wembley and an unprecedented injury list throughout the campaign, there isn’t much that hasn’t been thrown our way. So, despite the indescribable despair of a final loss, it is certainly something that, like Klopp’s side, we can learn from.

As well as this match, our new stadium was another important stepping stone in Pochettino’s project and the right investment this summer could be the last piece of the puzzle in our hunt for glory. Whilst yesterday’s match may mark the end for some of our squad, this window will likely pose the opportunity to add to the team which will allow us to strive for more than another top-four finish in the coming season.

In the meantime, these wounds will take time to heal. It hurts, however, we’ve plenty of memories to take away from our journey to the final. It has been a season of highs and lows and one that I will not forget in a hurry. As always, I thank you Tottenham. We are all immensely proud of the direction that our club is heading in and this truly feels like just the beginning. Heads up. We’ll be back.