Sir Alex Ferguson’s Brutal Comment Helps Spurs Land Windfall
A comment Sir Alex Ferguson made more than 20 years ago has unexpectedly helped Spurs make some extra money, ahead of their clash with Manchester United on Saturday.
Tottenham head into the game hoping to improve on the worst home form in the Premier League, having suffered three defeats in their first five games.
After last weekend's 1-0 loss to Chelsea, in which they managed just three shots, Thomas Frank's side were booed off by their own supporters.
Despite that, Spurs will feel confident of claiming a second home win against a United side they beat four times last season.
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They dominated at Old Trafford in September, running out 3-0 winners, before edging chaotic 4-3 victory in the Carabao Cup quarter final.
James Maddison's early goal proved decisive in the second league meeting, while Tottenham defeated United in the Europa League final, to win their first trophy in 17 years.
After the final, Tottenham released merchandise reading: "Lads, its Tottenham," a reference to Ferguson's famous pre-game team talk at Old Trafford.
Roy Keane later recalled the Scotsman's words.
Speaking to The Guardian, he said: “I thought I knew what the group might need, that we didn’t need a big team talk.
“It was Tottenham at home. I thought please don’t go on about Tottenham, we all know what Tottenham is about, they are nice and tidy but we’ll fucking do them.
"He came in and said: ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’, and that was it. Brilliant.”
In recent years, Tottenham have had the upper hand in their matches with Manchester United, with the Red Devils' last victory coming in 2022.
United's most recent win at Spurs dates back even further, to a 3-0 victory in October 2021, when Ole Gunnar Solskjær was in charge.
United arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a four-game unbeaten run, following a 2-2 draw at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest.
While they were unable to extend their winning run, there are signs the squad is increasingly adapting to Ruben Amorim's tactical demands.
Meanwhile, it has been a mixed start to life for Thomas Frank at Spurs.
His side have impressed on the road, most notably with a 2-0 win over Manchester City at the Etihad.
However, they have struggled at home when opponents sit deep and force Spurs to break them down.
Their dismal second-half display against Chelsea offers encouragement for United, particularly if they can take an early lead.
Yet Spurs reminded everyone of their quality in Europe midweek, thrashing Copenhagen 4-0 in the Champions League.
Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Premier League, Football, Roy Keane
James Taylor