Ange Postecoglou still believes there’s a special story to be written this season, after guiding Tottenham Hotspur into the Europa League semi-finals.
Ange Postecoglou has come under serious pressure in his second spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
In fact, prior to their second leg victory against Eintracht Frankfurt, the narrative surrounding the Australian wasn’t a positive one, as there were whispers of Postecoglou being gone as early as Friday.
However, the 59-year-old continues to buy himself time, with the Europa League proving to be his only saving grace at the moment.
Ange Postecoglou insists special season still alive for Tottenham
Before the clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Tottenham boss, fully aware of the noise around him and his job, was quick to challenge the media’s narrative.
When asked if winning a trophy was the only way to salvage what has been a horrendous season, the Spurs boss was clear – he doesn’t view lifting the Europa League as some form of rescue act. Instead, he sees it as a unique achievement in its own right.
Now, with a place in the semi-finals confirmed, Postecoglou remains confident that something special is still on the cards, hinting that his “second season trophy” prophecy might not be so far-fetched after all.
When asked: Is this a good time to remind people you always win things in your second season? Postecoglou told TNT Sports: “Nah, look I would leave that to, you know, people like to mock and they like to ridicule and diminish my achievements, that’s fine, I just keep doing what I do.”
On their next opponent, and whether something special is still possible, he continued: “Absolutely, we’re in the final four, you know, it’s a semi-final of a European competition and for this club, with its famous history, you’re not often there so we want to make sure we put our best going forward.”
What Postecoglou’s reaction tells us about Spurs
As it stands, Ange Postecoglou seems like a man with a lot to prove at Spurs. And to be fair, he looks like he’s handling the pressure well. Instead of crumbling under it, he’s using all the noise around him as fuel to keep moving forward.
While some of the criticism he’s faced has been justified, there’s no denying he’s earned some praise this week.
Of course, if Ange Postecoglou manages to bring silverware to Spurs after 17 long years, he could go from being written off as one of the worst managers in recent memory, to a cult hero the streets will never forget.
Three more games, three more wins, and Tottenham could touch the sky. It could indeed be a special season.