Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has hit back at suggestions that his past comments about winning trophies in his second season were bold claims rather than simple statements of fact.
Ahead of Thursday’s must-win clash in the second leg of their Europa League tie against AZ Alkmaar, there has been a clear sense of galvanisation within the Spurs camp.
Club captain Heung-min Son has issued a rallying cry to his teammates, insisting that talent alone will not be enough if they are to progress. Hard work, he stressed, will be just as crucial.
The equation is simple: overturn a one-goal deficit, and Tottenham advance. Anything less, and the Lilywhites crash out of Europe.
Ange Postecoglou stands by his second-season claim
With silverware on the line and Tottenham Hotspur in a must-win scenario, Ange Postecoglou was asked about his past claim regarding winning trophies in his second season.
He made his stance clear and told football.london: “My view has always been that when you are asked a question, you answer it. I was not making anything up. I was asked a question, and I answered that question.
“People have used it for their own purposes, suggesting I was making a bold claim, but I was not. I was stating a fact. If it does not happen this year, then I cannot say it anymore if I am asked next year, can I?
“What was I supposed to say? ‘I always win in the second year, but, well, I have in the past everywhere I have been, here it will not happen.’ Is that what people want to hear?
“I do not have an issue with that. People can twist these things and use them. Maybe we will defy the odds and I do win something. You know what people will say? ‘Isn’t it great that he made such a bold claim?’
“People just use it the way they want to depending on the circumstances. I will always answer things the way I feel comfortable answering them.
“I am really comfortable and proud of the fact that everywhere I have been, I have won things. I think it is something where I would not be sitting here if I did not. Whether I win something in my second year here, time will tell.”
The weight of expectation at Tottenham Hotspur
Whether or not Postecoglou acknowledges it, Tottenham’s season now hinges on whether he can deliver silverware.
Spurs are languishing in 13th place and have already crashed out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. This has been one of the worst campaigns in recent memory.
Should Tottenham be eliminated on Thursday, the pressure on the manager will only intensify. The reality is that his previously stated “fact” will be tested to its limits, and if he is to remain in the job long-term, he will need to start backing up his words with tangible success.