“It’s who we are, mate.” Ange Postecoglou’s diffident appearances in front of the media have made him a cult hero. So, too, have his Tottenham Hotspur team playing adventurous, risk-taking football, the glory game the club’s fans cherish. The Australian has not been an unqualified success, since Spurs’ chase for Champions League football via fourth place is now out of their hands. Though it’s not quite a lost cause, with Aston Villa also distracted by the Europa Conference League.

Tottenham’s remaining six matches are crammed into 20 days, a daunting schedule that nonetheless has the potential to make Postecoglou’s team into kingmakers.