- Spurs trail 1-0 ahead of the return leg in north London on Thursday night
- The Europa League remains Tottenham’s only realistic chance of silverware
- They sit 13th in the Premier League after an underwhelming campaign
Ange Postecoglou has given an angry response to a reporter who suggested Tottenham’s Europa League tie against AZ Alkmaar was ‘win or bust’ in terms of their season prospects.
Spurs trail 1-0 ahead of the return leg in north London on Thursday night with Lucas Bergvall’s own goal proving the difference between the two teams.
That means that Postecoglou’s side must win on the night to stand any chance of progressing to the quarter finals.
Ahead of the second leg, the Australian was asked, with the game being ‘billed by some as win or bust’ when it came to Tottenham’s season and his chances of continuing as the club’s manager.
Addressing Postecoglou, the reporter asked: ‘How do you feel about it and how important is it?’
Giving an angry response, he replied: ‘There aren’t many professions in the world where you have to come in and answer questions like that is there?’
Ange Postecoglou has given an angry response to a reporter who suggested Tottenham’s Europa League tie against AZ Alkmaar was ‘win or bust’
The Europa League remains Tottenham’s only realistic chance of silverware this season
‘But I’m going to be polite and just say we are focussed on winning the game.
‘We certainly feel if we can play with the intensity and tempo we played with [against Bournemouth on Sunday], we will give ourselves a good chance to progress’.
The Europa League remains Tottenham’s only realistic chance of silverware this season as the Lilywhites have already been eliminated from both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup – and sit 13th in the Premier League after an underwhelming campaign.
Should they beat Dutch side Alkmaar, the Lilywhites would still be required to potentially beat the likes of Lazio, Athletic Club and Manchester United.
A follow-up question also saw Postecoglou asked whether he regretted saying that he always wins trophies in his second season.
Back in September, he remarked: ‘I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year. Nothing has changed. I don’t say things unless I believe them.’
At Celtic, Postecoglou failed to win anything in his first season in charge in 2020/21, but in his second campaign, 2021/22, he managed the team to a Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish League Cup title.
In Japan, he managed Yokohama F Marinos from 2017/18 onwards, steering the Japanese team to their first J League title in15 years.
He also won the Asian Cup with Australia in 2014/15, having taking on the top role for the men’s national team in 2013.
