Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged growing speculation about his future, admitting that many believe he could be sacked even if Spurs win the Europa League.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s quarterfinal first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Australian said he is aware of the narrative surrounding his job but remains undeterred in his mission.
“Someone wrote that even if we win it, I’m gone anyway,” Postecoglou told reporters.
“That’s just the general sentiment. If you’re trying to use that as a motivation [to win], you’re not going to win anyway.”
Postecoglou, who joined Spurs with a mandate to overhaul the squad and style of play, said his ambition and focus remain unchanged despite mounting pressure following an underwhelming Premier League campaign.
“This is just another struggle, but never through this struggle have I lost the will to fight for what I think is the right thing to do,” he said.
He also pointed to what he sees as a persistent “glass-half-empty rhetoric” around Tottenham, referencing criticism after Mathys Tel took a stoppage-time penalty in the club’s recent win over Southampton instead of Brennan Johnson, who was on a hat-trick.
“The one slight against this club is that it hasn’t been a winner,” Postecoglou said.
“We scored and, somehow, in this alternate universe, everything Tottenham does is negative.”
Spurs will be without Dejan Kulusevski (foot injury) for the match, but nearly the entire squad is otherwise fit for the high-stakes encounter with the Bundesliga’s third-placed side.
Source: ABC.
