Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has acknowledged the infamous "lads, it's Tottenham" remark as "derogatory", yet admits that during his tenure, the Red Devils always had an air of confidence against Spurs.
The two sides are set to clash in a high-stakes Europa League final, with Tottenham hoping to secure their fourth victory over Manchester United this season. Despite this, United are tipped as the favourites, with the added incentive of Champions League qualification for the victor.
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During Scholes' illustrious career at Old Trafford, United were the powerhouse of English football, while Tottenham were not seen as contenders, although they were on the cusp of something special towards the end of his playing days. The phrase "Lads, it's Tottenham" became emblematic of Sir Alex Ferguson's nonchalant pre-match comments when facing the London club, encapsulating the psychological edge United felt they held.
Scholes reflected on the saying during an interview with TNT Sports: "'Lads, it's Tottenham' - It feels a bit derogatory to talk about such a great football club like that. We were always confident against Tottenham. You still have to play against a team with very good footballers."
In response, Tottenham icon Glenn Hoddle quipped with a twist on the famous line, suggesting: "Maybe in that dressing room Ange is saying, 'Listen lads, it's only Man Utd'."
Micky van de Ven, who faced ridicule upon his arrival at Tottenham due to the club's trophy drought, shared: "It will be a big thing, of course, because everybody knows that when you join Tottenham, you get the words through of: 'Ah, you're not going to win a trophy, you will be trophyless for the rest of your career. All the guys that came up here were like: 'We're going to change something about this club'."