Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville has urged Tottenham Hotspur to stick with manager Ange Postecoglou and says he hopes the Australian wins something this season.
Tough times for manager Ange Postecoglou
This campaign has been nothing short of difficult for Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou, as they have faltered and failed to live up to expectations.
After a respectable fifth-place finish in the league during his first season in charge of the Lilywhites, Postecoglou’s second season has only worsened, with the N17 club currently sitting 15th in the table.
As it stands, Spurs’ only hope of securing silverware this season hinges on the Europa League, having crashed out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the same week.
However, despite the team’s poor form, Postecoglou has retained the backing of the club, who have shown understanding towards him given the ongoing injury crisis he is facing.
Gary Neville urges Spurs to stick with Ange Postecoglou and backs Ange to win Europa League
While the club continues to back the manager, football pundits and fans have called for a change. During the defeat against Aston Villa, Spurs fans were heard chanting for former head coach Mauricio Pochettino to return to the dugout.
Some pundits have suggested that the club would be better off with a different manager, with some even labelling this Spurs side as the “Spursiest” they have ever seen.
Gary Neville, however, has taken a different approach. Instead of calling for the manager to be sacked, he has urged Spurs to stand by Postecoglou, believing that he remains an asset to the Premier League.
The former United man even went as far as to say that he would support Postecoglou’s Spurs to win the Europa League—should his own side, Manchester United, fail to do so.
Speaking on Skysports, he said: “I thought if he got out of the League Cup and the FA Cup, there would be real pressure building on him.
“I don’t think it’s as much as I thought it would be, and I’m glad about that because I want him to stay in the job. I do think he is a massive asset to the Premier League, and I think he is an asset to Tottenham.
“But obviously, it’s been a terrible time—some shocking results. I hope he comes out of it. We know he’s had injuries.
“I did have some sympathy with him when he talked about the Thursday-Sunday, Thursday-Sunday schedule, the volume of games, not having any rest, not having some of his players available. You get that negativity spiral, confidence starts to dip, and it’s really tough in football to turn it around.
“So I hope they can turn it around—maybe not on Sunday—but I hope they can turn it around quite quickly. I wouldn’t mind seeing them do well in Europe as well. Obviously, I’d like United to win the competition, but if they didn’t, I’d want Spurs to win it.”
The return of injured stars a major boost for Ange Postecoglou
If Tottenham Hotspur are to have a chance of winning the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou will need to keep his players fit.
This season has been challenging due to the alarming number of injuries the Lilywhites have had to contend with. However, there is some relief for the Spurs boss, as several of his injured players are now returning to full fitness.
Vicario, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, and Timo Werner are all back and set to feature in the coming months. Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, and Micky van de Ven are just two weeks away from a return.
A positive end to a bleak season is still possible, and if Ange Postecoglou delivers a European trophy, there is a strong chance he will remain in charge next season.