Ange Postecoglou still has a chance to uphold his reputation for winning trophies in his second season, but he needs to find a way to motivate a faltering Tottenham side for a shot at Europa League success.
On Sunday, Spurs endured their 19th setback of a disheartening Premier League season, suffering a crushing 5-1 defeat at Anfield, where Liverpool celebrated their title win.
This anticipated loss leaves Tottenham languishing in 16th place – on track for their worst league finish since their relegation from England’s top tier in 1977, although luckily, relegation is not a threat this time around.
Looking ahead, Spurs will host Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final this Thursday, with their hopes resting solely on this competition.
If they advance, they could face either struggling Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the final, providing an opportunity to claim their first European trophy in 41 years.
In a bold move, Tottenham manager Postecoglou made eight changes from the side that lost to Nottingham Forest last week, clearly shifting his focus to the Europa League.
Although injuries have plagued his squad this season, he is almost back to a full complement of players for Thursday’s crucial clash in London.
His primary concern revolves around captain Son Heung-min, who has been sidelined for the last four matches due to a foot injury.
Defensive reinforcements in the form of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven are likely to return, whilst Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski are expected to strengthen the midfield.
On a positive note for Tottenham, Bodo/Glimt will also be missing key players due to suspensions and injury issues affecting their manager, Kjetil Knutsen.
A Long Wait for Silverware
A frustrated Postecoglou, aged 59, has acknowledged the prevailing sentiment indicates a potential exit for Spurs, even if he secures the Europa League to finally end Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought.
“We finished fifth last year, but that’s not an uplifting tale,” he remarked. “A more fitting narrative is that my time here has been a disaster, and that continues.
“I believe the hysteria surrounding the current situation has been fostered for a specific outcome. Hopefully, we can defy those expectations.”
Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham in July 2023, following a tumultuous end to Antonio Conte’s tenure.
The former Australian national team coach made an impressive impact in his first season, winning eight of his first ten Premier League matches with his dynamic “Ange Ball” style.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was so taken by this revival that he told a fans’ forum in September 2023: “We’ve got our Tottenham back.”
However, Spurs faltered and dramatically fell apart towards the end of the season, losing five of their last seven Premier League matches, which led to missing out on Champions League qualification.
This season has been dismal for the club, and Postecoglou appeared notably downcast when addressing the media following the defeat at Anfield.
Despite the ongoing struggles, he remains confident he won’t need to exert much effort to uplift his players ahead of their pivotal Europa League encounter.
“There’s a huge opportunity ahead of us,” he stated. “We’ll channel all our energies and efforts into this to secure a place in a European final.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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