Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou reveals plan to 'overwhelm' Bruno Fernandes against Manchester United in final | OneFootball

Spurs boss predicts final could come down to “moments” from big players

In a largely miserable season for Ruben Amorim’s side, Fernandes has been the standout player and Postecoglou made it clear Spurs must pay him particular attention.

“United are a tough opponent,” Postecoglou said ahead of kick-off.

On whether that meant specifically Fernandes, the Spurs bos added: “Absolutely. He’s one of those players. In big games, it’s sometimes moments that change games. He’s that player.

“At the same time, we’ve got to try and overwhelm him in a collective way, not an individual basis. That’s the key to our approach today.”

Postecoglou has made the big call to start captain Heung-min Son on the bench in Bilbao.

Son has been battling a foot injury in recent weeks, but came off the bench earlier this month on his return against Crystal Palace and then played 74 minutes at Villa Park last weekend.

At a pre-final press conference on Tuesday, Son declared he was fit and ready to play his part against United, but Postecoglou has opted to name Richarlison and Brennan Johnson either side of Dominic Solanke.

Son could potentially have played as a No10 in the absence of the injured James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski.

However, Spurs have opted for a midfield three of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr.

“We’re going to need some running power tonight,” Postecoglou explained.

“It’s disappointing losing guys likes Madders, Lucas and Deki because they’re very creative in there. But I think we’ll need running power tonight, it’s the kind of game in a final where we’re going to have to work hard defensively and in attack.

“The three boys we’ve got in there will work hard for the team and hopefully give us a good foundation.”