Ange Postecoglou held his press conferences on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Europa League semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt and we've got every single word he said.
Tottenham welcome the Norwegian side on Thursday night looking to turn a disappointing season into something to remember. They will have to take on the huge game without captain Son Heung-min with the South Korean ruled out of the encounter by the Spurs head coach.
Postecoglou spoke about the skipper's foot injury and when he could be back as well as Lucas Bergvall's new contract, which was signed this week until 2031. The Australian also discuss the club's efforts to get their Premier League game against Aston Villa moved next month in case Tottenham do reach the Europa League final in Bilbao.
Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Postecoglou and here is a full transcript with every single word the Australian said at the press conference at Hotspur Way.
What is the latest team news, is Son available?
No, he won't feature tomorrow night. He is out training but is still separate from the group. He is improving and hopefully we can get him back sooner rather than later.
You have experience of Bodo before with Celtic, what do you expect from them?
Yeah, they have been pretty consistent the last few years, obviously same manager and core group of players, but definitely a distinct style of football that they have stuck to and they've had success with. They've been pretty consistent in the Norwegian league but also in Europe and every game they've played, irrespective of the opposition, they've played some really good quality opposition in Europe and always been really competitive. I think that is very borne from the fact they are very stable, have a clear understanding of how they play their football. It will be a good challenge for us.
A new contract for Lucas Bergvall, how much has he improved this season and how important is it for the club to build around players like him?
Yeah hugely so and I'm delighted for Lucas. It's reward for his development this year, his performances and how well he has adapted. We've got to remember a lot of young guys who come to the Premier League maybe have a step in between whether that is playing in another league, but he has come straight from the Swedish league, a year of senior football and it's a credit to him. He's worked really hard at his game. At the beginning he was struggling to cope with the intensity and tempo, as you'd expect and we expected.
A lot of our football and life in general is opportunity. He had an opportunity this year because of the situation we were in and he grabbed it with both hands. And even now, we've virtually got a full squad to pick from and he's still being selected because he took the opportunity. I think there is a core group of young players here that hopefully we can build something from.
Jumping ahead, if Spurs can advance through these two legs, the club have tried to move Aston Villa fixture in case of a Europa League final. We've seen foreign leagues do this, is this something the Premier League should do to help out?
I haven't looked too deeply into it and I don't know what precedence there is, but like you said I know other leagues obviously do it which you can kind of understand for a European final. I'll leave that to the powers that be. I'll concentrate on trying to get us there first of all....Well done on the marathon mate, congratulations. Well done.
The club have worked with fan group THFC Flags to put on a tifo display and flags will be available to fans throughout the group, how important is that unity tomorrow night?
Yeah, really important and again guys that have travelled with us throughout Europe, whether this year or other years, you see the impact that has when you play in opposition stadiums when the supporter base really feels engaged with the club, with the team and with the occasion. It will be hugely important for us tomorrow night. Our fans in Frankfurt were outstanding and to be fair in Europe this year, all the European games, even the Frankfurt home game I thought it was a fantastic atmosphere and we are going to need it tomorrow night. Again, it's a semi-final of a European competition, I am sure our supporters are excited, everyone at the club is excited and we want to make sure we get the best chance to perform at the best level so we can get through.
Are you superstitious?
Na, I used to be but not any more. I find it was kind of yeah, it worked against everything else I believe in my life because I never used to change one of those socks and then I thought, 'jeez, if it's just the socks, what am I doing?' What's the point of me being a coach if it is just socks that make the difference, so no I am not, mate. Sorry.
I asked because the last time Tottenham won a European trophy, Liverpool were champions, but the manager also left at the end of that season...
Jeez, it's a hell of a way to frame that question! (Laughs) Look I said before, and I get we're trying to run two parallel things here of a really disappointing season in terms of the league. But I just don't think that we can do anything other than really concentrate on an unbelievable opportunity we've got before us.
I just think irrespective of what kind of season you have, how often will you be in this position? History tells you not that often, irrespective of how strong you are as a club, even the strongest clubs in terms of Europe. So any thought of what's going to happen next year or what's going to happen this year I just don't think is really of any importance.
As I said last week, I think you ask any Tottenham supporter what's furthermost in their mind right now, what's going to happen next year or us hopefully trying to get to a final in Europe and the opportunity to win some silverware, I think the answer would be just concentrate on the now and that's what I'm doing.
That game against Bogo with Celtic was a few years ago, is there anything you can learn from those games?
Yeah, absolutely, like I said, same manager, similar style of play. When we played with Celtic, our season had got off to a slow start, but by that time we played some decent football, but I remember, because again we had the first game at home a bit like us and their ability to, to play at a really good intensity, they weren't fazed.
You know, the atmosphere at Celtic Park is unbelievable, they weren't fazed by that, they'd beaten Roma a couple of weeks before that and it really strikes you that I don't think they're going to be daunted by anything tomorrow that they face because they've been at Old Trafford, they've played at the Emirates, I think a couple of years ago, Like I said they've played some big clubs in Italy, they've played some big clubs in other countries and you see that they have this ability to not be fazed by that, and we've got to expect that tomorrow night.
I don't expect them to be overawed by the occasion, you know, sort of thinking 'wow'. They've got a real capacity to be really strong in their mind about what they need to do and and the away game is tricky because you're playing on an artificial surface in difficult conditions.
So I think there are still some real parallels there and having experienced it, I know that they're going to be a really tough opponent.
Throughout this season when it's been difficult in the league, you've constantly said to the players that they can still have a fantastic finish, and you're now two ties away from the final, what's your message to the players this week? You spoke about the Stonecutter's creed last week, any more Angeism's this week?
No, no, and that wasn't an Angeism. I'm still shocked that the whole room I was talking to had never heard of it before, but look, I think that still rings true. I'm really strong at the moment of these parallel worlds we're trying to traverse, and I've sensed, which is not surprising because I've said that before, that this is the way this club is perceived that people are always trying to diminish it in some respects, you know.
I've heard people say, well, it's the equivalent of Man United winning the FA Cup. No, it ain't. I'm sorry, it's not on any planet is it the equivalent. Others suggesting that maybe we're not worthy of Champions League. I mean, again, they're things that are designed there to diminish what's ahead of us, which is an unbelievable opportunity.
Like you said, irrespective of how this season's gone we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else, to share again with the people that they love, a special moment, supporting their football club, so this season could have gone a lot differently and we could be flying in the league, but it wouldn't make this opportunity any different, the opportunity is the same.
I've made that clear to the players. We're disappointed obviously with Sunday at Liverpool, we were nowhere near the level we needed to be, but again, that's something we need to deal with separately. What we have before us is a semi-final of a European competition with an opportunity to get to a final, win a trophy, Champions League football. I just think for the players and everyone involved at the football club, it's a brilliant opportunity.
How do you assess the players' ability to perform physically tomorrow after the recent rotation and game management?
I think we're in a good place from that point of view. I think looking at the outputs of the players, I think we've got work into players who needed it. Others, we've had to manage. Because with a season like ours, where guys like Romero and Van de Ven and Destiny, guys who've missed a lot of the season, it's not just about getting them back, you've got to manage how you bring them back, how and when they play. Certainly all the guys we rested on the weekend - like Bentancur - all could have played - or like Pedro - on the weekend for sure. But it made sense for us to give them really good preparation. And the guys who played - Dom played 60, Madders played 45 - they're in a good place physically absolutely. We're going to need a big physical performance. Because again, Bodo work really hard as a team. But similarly to the Frankfurt games, I think the guys from a physical stand-point are in a good place to have a strong performance.
Is there an incentive to rack up a big score first leg without the away goals now?
I think you try and do that anyway. I think playing at home in Europe for every club has its advantages, and you want to try to take that advantage. As you said, Bodo away is a difficult challenge. But having said that, we played really well against Frankfurt at home, should have won by three or four. We ended up drawing. But the important thing was that we played really well and were dominant. That gave us confidence. Frankfurt away wasn't easy, their record is just as compelling as Bodo's. I think tomorrow night what's really important is that we put in another dominant performance. Hopefully if we create as many chances, it's time they go in rather than hitting crossbars and so forth. But I don't think you just go into tomorrow night thinking you're going to kill off the tie then. I just don't think... I think semi-finals for the most part tend to be pretty tight. And I expect that tomorrow night.
Bodo are a small club, you're a bigger club, how does that affect you mentally....
You'd love us to think that! That you're a small club and we don't rate....no, no, that's not how I.... I just said I think Bodo's there on merit. They beat Lazio, they beat Olympiakos, tough teams. They're there because they're a good football team. Doesn't matter where you come from. I come from the other side of the world, where football is the fourth sport. I don't underestimate anyone. You said we're a big club, they're a small club, it doesn't matter. We're two clubs in the semi-final of a European competition. And they've earned the right to be there. They've done very well to get there. And we're going to treat them with the respect they deserve. And at the same time, make sure that we go in there and give our best performance.
What's the main reason for Bodo/Glimt to reach this stage?
"They've been a real stable club, same manager, they've got a real clear identity in the way they play. As I said, I think they've created a real kind of resilience in the group, mental resilience that irrespective of who they play with, whether that's in the Norwegian league, or in Champions League qualifiers, or Europa or Conference, they treat every opponent the same and they play it the same level. That's why they've been a dangerous opponent for any team.
They're from a small town so are the underdogs?
That's what I love about the game, that's the beauty of football. Irrespective of where you come from, or the size of the place that you come from, if you're ambitious and if you have a clear plan, especially in our sport, you can create unique opportunities and create fantastic moments. I think that's what we love about the game, that's what we love about football. There's always been stories of clubs from smaller areas or small countries doing well in major competitions. That's always existed.
What do make of the Bodo manager?
Good guy. I obviously met him a few years back and has done really well. He has a clear identity of the way he wants his team to play, he has created a real strong culture at the club not just from a football perspective but from a mental perspective as well.
Will there be a replay of the Jose Mourinho clash?
I'm a bit different to Jose. That's the kind of results they have had in the past - it means you have to respect them. This is not just a one-off, that was four years ago and every year they have done that to more than one club that is supposedly bigger.
They have gone further this year and have earned it. Even to get to the knockout stage - Olympiakos are a tough team and won the Conference League last year. Lazio are a good side so they are not there by accident.
What do you make of their playing style?
I love their approach, I love that they are not intimidated by oppositions, I love the fact that they take the game to whoever they play. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Are you surprised they got this far?
I'm not. If it was the first year they had got results like that then you would say 'yeah, I'm a bit surprised' but they have been building towards that. Every year they have made an impact in Europe.
It has only been in recent years that they have been in Europe and the more you are in the more you get a chance to grow. They have grown every year. Irrespective of how it goes this year I would expect them to have another impact next year, maybe through the Champions League qualifiers and get to the Champions League. That wouldn't surprise me either.
They've got injuries and suspensions with Patrick Berg missing, how much will that affect them?
Missing Patrick Berg is a loss but has always been what they do as a team rather than individuals because over the last five years they have sold a lot of players and the team has always been consistent.