On Wednesday, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou admitted that he had “no idea” he would still have his job after the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
But after Thursday’s 1-0 win in Germany, Tottenham are ready for the semi-finals against Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt – and have their first trophy in 17 years within reach Sporten.com.
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“Our fans have been through a tough period. Hopefully this gives them something to look forward to,” said Postecoglou, whose team is currently 15th in the Premier League.
“I’m the same coach as yesterday. The players have never lost faith. People like to mock and downplay what I’ve accomplished, but I leave that at that.”
“I don’t care, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the reclassification room. Do the players believe me? Does the support system believe me? That is much more important than what others may think of me.”
“So, unfortunately for many of you, you will have to put up with me for a while longer.”
Faith in the team has never failed
Despite heading for their worst Premier League finish since 1994, Postecoglou says he never lost faith in his players – and feels they have retained confidence in him.
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“They have been so united in their belief in what we are trying to achieve here,” the Australian coach said. “And that’s what gave me hope all the way – that if we had a little bit of luck getting some injured players back, I really thought this team could perform. That’s what drives me.”
“At no time have I felt like they lost faith in me or what we do. It’s crucial when you have a difficult season, but it’s also a season of opportunity.”
The Victory That Gives Breathing Room
Tottenham’s win in Frankfurt put an end to a three-game losing streak away from home in the playoffs of European competitions.
Postecoglou, with his back against the wall, will have to live to fight one more day.
We’ll never know if Tottenham would have sacked him if they had made it out of the Europa League on Thursday – but he was undoubtedly under immense pressure ahead of a game that was probably the biggest of his tenure so far.
The win buys him some time – it’s hard to imagine that Tottenham would sack him before the semi-finals.
But even if it keeps the wolves at bay for now, he is not out of the forest yet.
Long-term uncertainty
While success in the Europa League comes into play, it won’t be the only factor Tottenham consider when deciding whether Postecoglou will continue as head coach next season.
Their poor Premier League performances will weigh heavily, as well as Postecoglou’s relationship with the supporters, which can be described as mixed at best.
With the win in Germany, Postecoglou has given himself a chance to fight – but this result alone is unlikely to be enough to secure the job in the long term.
