Spurs failed to retain the Carling Cup, but it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Although under the cosh for much of the game, the defence held firm and Man. Utd’s keeper, Ben Foster, was forced into making a couple of very good saves, earning him the man of the match accolades. While he probably deserved it, there were also several eye-catching performances from men in white shirts.

With Bent and Pavlyuchenko disappointing up front, Spurs’ attacking threat was carried by two midfield players, Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric. The England manger, Fabio Capello, was looking on and he cannot fail to have been impressed by Lennon’s livewire contribution. Not only did Lennon give the accomplished Patrice Evra a chasing all afternoon, he also paid heed to his defensive duties. When Evra stole upfield late in extra time for a shot on goal, it was not a coincidence that Lennon – having run himself to a standstill – was by then off the field. His replacement was David Bentley, as usual not so much tireless as tiresome.

Modric was also outstanding. If he possessed a more powerful shot, he would inarguably be a player of the very highest calibre. Once thought of as too lightweight for the rigours of the Premier League, the little Croatian tussled bravely in the middle of the field, getting to his feet after being chopped down by O’Shea, whose late tackle surely merited a red card. Modric’s intelligent distribution drove Spurs on and he somehow managed to last the full 120 minutes.

Modric’s stamina and desire was matched, astonishingly, by Ledley King. He was superb alongside Dawson at the heart of the Spurs defence and earned special praise from his manager:

"Ledley can't train and yet goes out and plays extra time, doesn't get cramp or anything, he's unbelievable. How he gets through it I don't know. He doesn't train at all and yet he's fit to play a game like that for two hours - amazing."

Whether King will be available for the vital game against Middlesbrough remains to be seen. Gareth Southgate’s men will be buoyed by their recent victories against West Ham and Liverpool and Spurs could hardly be facing them at a worse time, just three days after a draining final. On the plus side, players who were cup-tied on Sunday will be back in contention, with Keane and Palacios presumably guaranteed to start. The team now need to put the defeat behind them and focus on the Premier League. The next few days will play a major part in determining whether or not Spurs remain a part of it.

A final word for young Jamie O’Hara, who took and missed the first penalty in the shoot-out. He possessed the courage to take a spot-kick and his effort was at least on target, unlike the poor effort from the hapless Bentley. O’Hara was dejected on being left out of the Carling Cup final team last season and looked equally dejected one year later by his penalty miss. He is a terrific prospect, and should take considerable consolation from the fact that had it not been for his efforts against Burnley in the semi-final, Spurs would not have returned to Wembley in the first place.