Spurs on the road with the FA Cup.

Spurs on the road with the FA Cup.

It is almost 40 years since two Argentinian charmers had a decisive bearing on the FA Cup. In 1981 Ricky Villa and Ossie Ardilles were almost wholly responsible for Spurs replayed victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup Final of that year. Roll forward to last night and two more Argentinians decided to get in on the act as well. Isn't football a wonderful sport? It is uncanny how football keeps finding coincidences when least expected.

When Paul Gascoigne, that impish midfield genius, went on a journey of self destruction for Spurs 10 years later, the world of football must have thought Tottenham had developed a unique knack of winning trophies at the beginning of a new decade. Gascoigne of course fully embraced rebelliousness and non conformity rather like parents greeting the birth of their new child. He would poke his tongue out at the Establishment, belching rudely at waiting reporters in airports, throwing himself to the ground and then being soaked with water after scoring spectacularly against Scotland at Euro 96. He would then generally lark about quite happily like a child on the swings.

Last night though at the now wonderfully new Tottenham Hotspur stadium there was no such tomfoolery but there were Argentinians in the house and how the Spurs fans revelled in their presence. 39 years ago Ricky Villa slalomed brilliantly through a forest of Manchester City legs and ankles before tucking the ball under Joe Corrigan, the City keeper for what would prove to be Spurs winning goal. We settled down to watch the current crop of Argentinian playmakers with a sigh of pleasure in our hearts and hoping against hope that history would come round full circle.

When Eric Lamella jinked and dinked inside and outside a very sluggish Middlesboro defence he might have thought back, just for a minute or so, to the very profound influence that his fellow countrymen had exerted on Spurs in 1981. Lamella joyously rounded his defenders, cut back sharply and then drilled the ball into the net for Spurs second goal. Mission accomplished for Spurs and a trip to St Mary's for a fourth round FA Cup tie against Southampton.

On the touchline for Spurs was one Jose Mourinho, allegedly the Special One but more of the exasperating one, maybe a pain in the proverbial neck for others but still glaring at his players like a disapproving uncle who shows little gratitude when he finds that sombody has given the same set of cufflinks for his birthday again. Mourinho, complete in dark navy tracksuit, hovered around his technical area, occasionally smiling almost reluctantly and very sardonically rather like an impatient commuter who discovers that his bus or train has been delayed for at least an hour.

We all know that Mourinho is the very model of impatience, a demanding perfectionist quite obviously and whenever Spurs missed perfectly decent opportunities he would spin on his heels, smack his hand against his forehead and then wonder how on earth his team had missed that goal. It could be said that Mourinho is a psychologist's dream but he couldn't possibly comment. Of course he loses his temper with every justification, of course he pleads for more from his players and training grounds in Mourinho's company are probably very revealing and insightful.

At Chelsea Mourinho deservedly won back to back Premier League titles but so did Brian Clough with Nottingham Forest in the old First Division and you didn't see him throwing bottles of water into the air or throwing his toys out of the pram in a childish outburst. Admittedly, Cloughie did grab hold of a bunch of unruly QPR supporters in an early League Cup tie but then that was Brian Clough.

Once again Mourinho just stood rooted in his technical area, waving and gesticulating at his players from time to time, severely reprimanding them privately and wishing wearily that he was still playing the game rather than managing other players. Mourinho is, as we all know, a ruthless taskmaster and knows only too well that Spurs fans are still yearning for another 1981 and 1991.

Last night though Spurs wasted no time in making sure of their fourth round FA Cup tie against Bournemouth with a businesslike and white collar performance. A goalkeeping blunder meant that all Giovani Lo Celso had to do was snatch the ball from a panicky Boro defence, dropping his shoulder, weaving his way subtly past another defender before steering the ball neatly home for Spurs first goal on the night.

Then after Lamella had added an inevitable second for Spurs it was more or less game over. From that point onwards Spurs simply joined in with a veritable street party of handsome passing, sharp, staccato passes to feet, wide circles of more passing, rectangular and diamond shaped passes, neat and dainty triangles of passes before driving Middlesboro to distraction with a festival of fleet feet. It was football straight from the coaching manual of Arthur Rowe in the 1950s and logically Bill Nicholson during the 1960s.

Oh glory glory Tottenham. Some of their supporters may just be hoping that another decade and another year can bring the rich promise of that big old jug eared FA Cup pot. When Eric Dier, Tottenham's rugged and dependable defender, began loping forward into attack, the ever zestful Ryan Sessegnon ventured through the centre of Spurs midfield with meaningful menace and Lo Celso began to beat players with embarrassing ease, Spurs were in full flow. With the splendidly maturing Harry Winks sending deliciously diagonal long passes from one side of the pitch to the other and Japhet Tanganga full of delightful runs overlapping on the flank, Spurs may well have produced another of their own.

By half time this third round FA Cup tie was merely history for Middlesboro. Under Jonathan Woodgate, Boro are struggling at the wrong end of the Championship which would never have done for one of their former bosses Jack Charlton. This is not to suggest that our Jack would have read the riot act but rather like his reaction to bringing on John Aldridge for the Republic of Ireland during the 1994 World Cup in the baking heat of USA, Charlton would not have been best pleased.

For almost the whole of the second half Spurs switched on another conveyor belt of passes, the ball flying and whizzing around in a blizzard of passing movements. Soon though the steam would pour out of Spurs overheating engine and the home team began to burn themselves out. The tempo had gone and minutes from the end Boro's George Saville took Spurs on at their own game, shrugging off a white wall of Tottenham's defenders and planting the ball firmly past the Spurs keeper.

Alarmingly for Spurs the game was teetering on the edge but in the end it would be all right on the night for the team from North London who will now look to the FA Cup as their only avenue leading to silverware. The Premier League (formerly the old First Division championship) looks certain to go back to Anfield after a 30 year gap and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are in pole position to re-claim the domestic game's biggest prize.

Meanwhile back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the light show before the game, which lent itself favourably in comparison to a major heavyweight boxing match, had been and gone. Storm Brendan had blown itself out in North London, the gusty, blustery winds had subsided and Spurs could dream again. Even Jose Mourinho would have allowed himself the luxury of a small smile. Cheer up Jose, it may never happen!