Ange Postecoglou admitted it would be “massive” if Tottenham were to finally end their 17-year wait for a trophy, although he lashed out over comparisons between Spurs and Manchester United ahead of the Europa League final.
Postecoglou led his Tottenham side to a 5-1 aggregate win over Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals after the north London outfit won 2-0 in the Arctic Circle thanks to goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro on Thursday night, but he left fuming at critics that are using the club’s Premier League struggles to discredit their achievements in Europe.
United have also struggled domestically but both sides now have the chance to win silverware and qualify for the Champions League as they head to Bilbao on May 21.
However, Postecoglou was not impressed when Matt Law of The Telegraph asked: “Manchester United have constantly said this competition won’t save their season – managers have said it, players have said it. Would it save Tottenham’s season, is it different for Tottenham?”
An irked Postecoglou then flipped the question back to the journalist: “You probably know better than me and probably followed this club longer than I have. What do you think a trophy would do for this club?
“Massive,” came the reply.
“Exactly right, so the question answers itself,” Postecoglou explained. “But what’s happening right now is that people are fearing that, that it actually might happen.
“Because it might happen they’re thinking, ‘let’s see how we can tear it down somehow, diminish it somehow by saying it’s been a poor season, we don’t deserve this, we don’t deserve that’, or somehow comparing us to Man United.”
“Maybe if we had Manchester United’s success, maybe I’d have a different view. But I came into this role and I could have been sitting here in 5th position and I guarantee they’d be saying ‘this club needs to win something’.
“That’s exactly what everyone would be saying. Of course, it’s massive because you have to frame it against what this club has been through in the past 15-20 years.
“Man United have got their own journey to go on and maybe if they go 15 years without winning something, they’ll change their perspective on things as well.”
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Postecoglou preparing for Bilbao date with destiny
While Postecoglou’s focus now switches to Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, he admits it’s hard not to look ahead to Bilbao – especially when asked what the win in Norway and booking a place in the final would have meant to his late father.
The Australian added: “There’ll be a time when I reflect on all this stuff but I’ve got friends who I grew up with who are probably booking tickets to Bilbao.
“For all intents and purposes I’ll be on the touchline but almost with the imposter syndrome that I should be in the stands with them because that’s where it comes from. It’s my fourth year in European football and I’ve got the chance to lead a team into a European final.
“That’s something I will look back on but I’d rather look back fondly with a positive memory on the day. But yeah, not just my Dad but my family, my wife who was here today cheering on with the away end.
“Credit to her and two boys on a school night who I’ve promised a trip to Bilbao. There’s so many people you know who take the knocks and feel it more than I do. I’m sure they’re proud of me tonight but more importantly I’m just pleased I can give it back to them for all their sacrifices.”
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