Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is unlikely to keep his job in north London beyond the end of the season, according to journalist David Ornstein - even if Spurs do win the Europa League final against Manchester United next week.
Spurs could end a 17-year wait for a trophy in northern Spain next Wednesday, having last tasted success in the 2008 League Cup final - and Postecoglou would be the man responsible for handing them a major honour, writing his name in the record books.
However, their poor Premier League form sees them sit as the 'worst of the rest' in 17th, a point behind United and conceding ground to West Ham United, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers in recent weeks.
However, when asked whether a potential trophy win would 'transform' Daniel Levy's viewpoint of their poor domestic campaign, Ornstein claimed via the Sky Sports Back Pages podcast that Postecoglou is 'likely' to leave regardless of the outcome in Bilbao due to their poor domestic campaign. He said:
"I think it's unlikely. I think the direction of travel is for Spurs to make a change in the summer, irrespective of the outcome of this match. I do take the point on the emotion, and we saw what happened with Manchester United [under Erik ten Hag], although that may serve as a warning why clubs shouldn't repeat what they did.
"I just think it's got so bad for Tottenham in the Premier League this season, and they feel that they've invested heavily into the squad. Yes, there are a lot of young players. Yes, there have been injuries. But the view of the club seems to be that he hasn't got what he should've out of the team this season, and that's putting it politely.
"And therefore, whatever happens in this Europa League campaign, I think that a new coach coming in over the summer is a very high possibility."
Tottenham have lost 20 games in the top-flight this season, and that could reach 22 if they fall to both Aston Villa and Brighton in the coming weeks - which would see them record their worst-ever Premier League finish, which stands at 15th in the 1993/94 campaign.
There is no coming back from that for Postecoglou, and even a win in Spain may not be enough to see him in the dugout in early August.