Tottenham 'can go somewhere' says Glenn Hoddle, as Owen Hargreaves insists trophy is all that matters
Published 18/04/2025 at 00:28 GMT+1
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Tottenham booked their place in the last four of the UEFA Europa League with a 1-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night for a 2-1 aggregate victory. TNT Sports pundit Glenn Hoddle says the team "can go somewhere" - particularly if they carry on defending like they did in Germany. And Owen Hargreaves says everyone will be happy if they lift the trophy in Bilbao next month.
Highlights: Spurs battle into semi-finals with Frankfurt win
Video credit: TNT Sports
Glenn Hoddle said that if Tottenham carry on defending like they did at Eintracht Frankfurt, the team "can go somewhere".
Dominic Solanke's penalty gave Tottenham a 1-0 win in Germany on Thursday, as they sealed a 2-1 aggregate win and a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. Spurs will now take on Bodo/Glimt in the last four.
Former Tottenham player and manager Glenn Hoddle was really impressed with the performance, especially their defending.
"It's going to give them a bunch of confidence. It keeps the season going, which is so, so important," Hoddle said on TNT Sports' coverage.
"Tonight, they deserved everything they got. I thought they were excellent. With the way they started the game, and then [the way] they quelled the game in the middle part of the game, they just took control of the ball, created a few chances, and defended well.
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"That was the thing, the way they defended. If they defend like that, this team can go somewhere. It's about the defence with Tottenham. It's the first clean sheet for so many games.
"At the end of the day, they've got the players on the pitch that can create in the attacking third.
"If they defend like that, they defend as a team together, and they're tightly-knit and there are no gaps there...
"They were excellent with the ball and without the ball. It just shows you what sort of performance they can put in under immense pressure."
It has been a difficult season domestically for Ange Postecoglou's team, with the team currently in 15th place in the Premier League. But they can still claim glory in Europe.
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Solanke nets Spurs penalty after Maddison wiped out by 'reckless' foul
Video credit: TNT Sports
'Maybe not the way Ange wanted to play - but it was enough'
Another former Spurs star, Les Ferdinand, was just as enthused about the Tottenham performance.
"To a man, every single player put in a shift tonight," Ferdinand said. "It was just a thoroughly professional performance.
"We knew Frankfurt were going to come on strong in the second half, which they did, and they had to weather the storm. Spurs did that really well.
"It sounds really strange sitting here and saying Spurs have won a game 1-0. Full credit to them because they went out with a game plan and stuck to the game plan and got the result they needed.
"They're now in the semi-finals. That's another part of the job done, they've got to go again."
Another one of TNT Sport's pundits for the match, Owen Hargreaves, said if Spurs go on to lift the trophy in Bilbao next month - which will also put them in next season's Champions League - it will mean everything.
Spurs haven't won silverware since they claimed the League Cup in 2008.
"There are no pictures on the trophy, there are no stats on the trophy," Hargreaves said.
"Just find a way to get the job done. They found a way to get it done in really difficult circumstances. It was maybe not the way Ange wanted to play. But it was enough and that's what counts. Lift the trophy at the end and everybody is happy.
"They defended like a team that are brilliant at it. They had to suffer in that second half. Credit to Ange and the players, it's been a really, really difficult season.
"It actually showed, if you get the back four in with [Guglielmo] Vicario, they can defend properly. And they really did tonight.
"Obviously, the goal was from a penalty. It doesn't have to be pretty, just find a way to get the job done. That's not always with 70% possession.
"You've got to hang on when it's hard, especially in Europe away. I felt they did that. Everybody stepped up for Tottenham."
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Eintracht Frankfurt
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Tottenham Hotspur
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