Football.London

Ange Postecoglou remains under intense pressure as Spurs manager, with his team's latest performance being a drab European tie where they failed to offer much threat - and some fans in the football.london comments section are wondering how much further he can take the team after a mixed set of results in the Premier League and cup competitions.

Spurs fell to defeat in the Europa League on Thursday night, losing 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the round of 16. The only goal of the game came via a Lucas Bergvall own goal, inadvertently turned in from a corner, and they struggled to stamp their mark on the game despite having more of the ball.

Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke returned from injury to sit on the bench, but Solanke was forced off 15 minutes after coming on thanks to a collision with the goalkeeper.

Speaking after the game, Postecoglou said: "Yeah, it wasn’t great from us tonight. Pretty much all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

"Look, it’s a combination of things, but we’ll analyse it and have a look at the areas where we struggled with, but it’s fair to say yeah it was nowhere near the level it needed to be."

It was far from convincing for some fans. Reader Tunic says: "It's not two or three players we need to buy in the next transfer market, it's a whole team and manager. I'm not seeing any exciting attacking football, correct me if I'm wrong."

Commenter 1chuckspurs1 writes: "After 8 days off, for Spurs to play that terribly against a weak team, is not acceptable. Toothless attack is almost a compliment. Spurs could have played 270 minutes and they would not have scored. The manager does not play on the pitch but he is responsible for how his team plays. If Spurs were any flatter, their chins would be on the turf."

Lillywhite1978 says: "Poor to shocking all round. I went from excited to to depressed in 60 seconds. Ange's time is coming to an end, I've tried to be supportive & get behind him. I thought he'd be out of his depth, it's his way or the highway so with that naivety he'll be taking the highway."

Spuredon says: "It really was dreadful to watch. I was looking forward to a game I was confident we would win but that confidence lasted about 5 minutes. I’ve been an ‘Ange in’ guy up to now but I think he’s got to win the return leg convincingly to save our season and keep his job."

Others have appealed for calm or blame other factors. Reader Christo.cy writes: "I am really surprised with people supporting Ange all this time and now suddenly changing minds. Personally I haven't liked Ange for a long time now. But if we want to be honest Ange last night was the last to blame. He put on the pitch the best 10 available (Tel I don't consider he was playing), he rested the team properly, and I think he did the best he could do."

BobbeP says: "Players need to look at themselves. You can’t blame the manager for poor individual performances even though ultimately the buck stops with him."

LXI_Martin writes: "I think Ange was not sure whether to risk his returning defenders and decided to play it safe this time, opting for continuity, in the hope that we can settle it on home soil. Ange may be proved right, but I think he himself did not seem confident about the best approach. And this unsure and cautious approach may have affected the players. Let's hope it works out, and that we win well enough next week, so that we can put this miserable display behind us."

Pressure continues to mount on Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou following their latest setback in the Europa League - a 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the round of 16 first leg.

An unfortunate own goal from Lucas Bergvall in the first half proved to be the only goal of the game at the AFAS Stadion. The hosts had further chances in the first half and Spurs struggled to provide a response or force the Alkmaar keeper into any saves after just one shot on target.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Postecoglou acknowledged : "Yeah, it wasn’t great from us tonight. Pretty much all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game, we struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

"It was a tricky surface but having said that we kind of knew that from yesterday and yeah we just didn’t tackle the challenges we had out there in a real positive way. That allowed AZ to get into a rhythm, which when you’re playing away from home, it is difficult to stem the tide."

Spurs will look to reverse the result in the second leg at home next week (March 13). Nonetheless, the latest defeat has prompted further calls for a managerial change at the club.

With that said, football.london has taken a look at the odds for the next manager should the club part company with the Australian.

According to bookmakers BetFair, five managers (Marco Silva, Kieran McKenna, Thomas Frank, Andoni Iraola and Mauricio Pochettino) have been placed at 11/2 and are favourites to take over. Out of the five managers, only Pochettino is out of full-time job after being appointed head coach of the United States national team last summer.

Full odds for next Tottenham Hotspur manager*

Marco Silva - 11/2

Kieran McKenna - 11/2

Thomas Frank - 11/2

Andoni Iraola - 11/2

Mauricio Pochettino - 11/2

Edin Terzic - 13/2

Ryan Mason - 9/1

Erik ten Hag - 10/1

Eddie Howe - 14/1

Gareth Southgate - 14/1

Sean Dyche - 16/1

Xavi Hernandez - 16/1

Massimiliano Allegri - 16/1

Michael Carrick - 20/1

Kjetil Knutsen - 20/1

Roberto De Zerbi - 25/1

Brendan Rodgers - 25/1

Julian Nagelsmann - 25/1

Steven Gerard - 25/1

Rafael Benitez - 25/1

Gian Piero Gasperini - 33/1

Diego Simeone - 33/1

Michel - 33/1

Zinedine Zidane - 40/1

Cesc Fabregas - 50/1

Luis Enrique - 50/1

Unai Emery - 50/1

Ralf Rangnick - 66/1

Nuno Espirito Santo - 66/1

Antonio Conte - 125/1

Jurgen Klopp - 125/1

Jose Mourinho - 125/1

*Odds correct at the time of writing.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Guglielmo Vicario has explained exactly what he was trying to do with the Tottenham away fans after their 1-0 Europa League last-16 first leg defeat to AZ Alkmaar. The Spurs goalkeeper was one of few players on the night that can be happy with his display as he kept the score down by saving efforts from Troy Parrott and Ernest Poku.

It was the goalkeeper's actions soon after the full-time whistle that caused the biggest reaction, however, as TNT Sport cameras captured him waving his arms in the air and in the direction of the away end in an attempt to rouse the traveling Tottenham fans.

However, it did not come across how he wanted with it instead looking like the Italy international was frustrated by the reaction from supporters to the defeat. After the match, he provided an honest verdict on their defeat, the fans' feelings and the second leg.

"I can understand the disappointment for the night because we didn't play our football," the Italian said. "So I can understand the frustration of the fans, but we still have a lot to play for, especially in the second leg. It's just a way of trying to stay together because we have the opportunity to go through to the next round.

"They can [be critical]. They have to be, they must be disappointed for the game we played tonight but we still have another game to play against AZ at our place, so it's the moment to stick together now because we can go through this round."

On Friday afternoon, once the dust had settled, Vicario posted an honest message on social media which also saw him explain what he was trying to do with those that had travelled to the Netherlands.

"As a team, we take full responsibility for our terrible performance on the pitch last night," he wrote in a caption to an Instagram post. "We will work even harder to understand, as a mature group, what went wrong.

"Still, we have a great opportunity, starting from Sunday, to redeem ourselves and prepare in the best way possible for the second battle next Thursday.

"Regarding what happened at the final whistle in front of the away section, I want to clarify my intention to keep everyone as united as possible, even in the disappointment we have caused our people. If I have offended anyone, I apologise to those who felt affected."

"Post-match emotions can be misunderstood, but I assure you that my commitment to this team and you, our fans, grows stronger day after day. COYS, together." As somebody who quite clearly wears his heart on his sleeve, Vicario cannot really be blamed for his emotional reaction especially as someone desperate to win every game.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

A quick turnaround for Tottenham Hotspur means that they have the chance to quickly bounce back from the disappointment of Thursday night’s loss against AZ Alkmaar.

Spurs quill have to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if they are to progress in the competition. But concentration will now be on the weekend’s Premier League clash against AFC Bournemouth.

The Cherries sit in seventh place in the Premier League table 10 points above Spurs in 13th position. Both teams have had more than their fair share of injury problems throughout the campaign.

Ahead of the match, Bournemouth have concerns over six players, with four definitely rules out. Andoni Iraola will be without long-term absentees Enes Unal and Marcos Sensi . Full-back Adam Smith is also expected to miss the game through injury.

Central defender Illia Zabarnyi will serve the third of his three-match suspension following a red card last month against Spurs, so will be unavailable.

Full-back Julian Araujo could make a comeback after recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since November. Midfielder Ryan Christie missed the FA Cup clash against Wolves, but could be back available.

Tottenham’s injury woes are starting to fade. Radu Dragusin remains out due to an ACL injury, while Dejan Kulusevski has been ruled out for the next few weeks with a foot injury.

Forward Richarlison is expected to miss the game with a calf problem. There is however more optimism over Dominic Solanke and Ben Davies.

Just 20 minutes into his return, Solanke picked up a know, with Ange Postecoglou providing the latest in his pre-match press conference . “It's too early to tell,” he said.

“With Dom, obviously it's a knee going into the backside so a bit sore but it's a knock so hopefully he'll be back pretty quickly.”

Defender Ban Davies has missed the last two games due to injury, but Postecoglou confirmed that he is now back in training. He's training at the moment so we will see how he feels,” he said.

“He's definitely progressed and he feels good so let's see how he goes in the next 24-48 hours. He's a chance but we'll see how he goes.”

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

The Dutch media refused to get carried away following AZ Alkmaar's 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night. The Eredivisie outfit turned in an impressive display against Ange Postecoglou's side, who were disappointing on the road.

Spurs are among the favourites to win the competition but will need to overturn a one goal deficit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next week. In truth, AZ could and probably should have lead by a greater margin.

An own goal from Lucas Bergvall gave the hosts the lead before former Spurs striker Troy Parrott squandered a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 and inflict more pressure on his ex-manager.

Pressure is starting to build on Postecoglou after a disappointing campaign to date, one that has been blighted by injuries and the absence of key players. Although they were without a number of important stars for the clash in the Netherlands, they were still able to name a strong starting XI that should have turned in a better display.

Speaking after the full-time whistle, the Spurs boss said: "Yeah, it wasn’t great from us tonight. Pretty much all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

"It was a tricky surface but having said that we kind of knew that from yesterday and yeah we just didn’t tackle the challenges we had out there in a real positive way. That allowed AZ to get into a rhythm, which when you’re playing away from home, it is difficult to stem the tide."

Football.london has taken a look at what some of the Dutch media have had to say about Spurs' defeat in Alkmaar, firing a warning to the Eredivisie side.

'Could not get into the game'

Voetbalzone wrote: "Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, could not get into the game. They got some small chances via Son (shot blocked by Wouter Goes) and Johnson (over), but especially illustrative was a free kick variation in a dangerous place that went completely wrong.

"At the start of the second half, Spurs finally showed themselves. Bergvall shot the ball wide, and an attempt by Son went over. But as the second half progressed, the AZ defence became increasingly successful in keeping the English attack under control.

"AZ itself became dangerous again via Poku, who saw Vicario make the save. A little later Alexandre Penetra shot wide via a defender. Tottenham Hotspur could not create any more danger on the other side, and as a result Alkmaar travels to the English capital next week with a lead."

'AZ dominance'

Football Oranje wrote: "AZ Alkmaar sealed a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie. AZ were poor in a league defeat to Heerenveen at the weekend but they bossed the game from the start against Tottenham.

"The opening goal came in the 18th minute when Troy Parrott’s cross was turned into his own net by Lucas Bergvall. Shortly afterward, Parrott got through on goal but couldn’t make it 2-0. AZ failed to add a second goal in the second half to crown their dominance while Tottenham’s only shot on goal came in the 88th minute.

"AZ take a slender lead into the second leg next week."

'Caused trouble'

NL Times said: "As has been the case in most of AZ’s Europa League matches this season, the Alkmaarders were dominant in the AFAS Stadium. They should have made it 2-0 after half an hour played when Denso Kasius, who had come on in the first half for the injured Mayckel Lahdo, gave Troy Parrott a one-on-one chance after a brilliant dribble. However, the Irishman failed to convert the chance against his former team.

"A cross caused trouble again for Ange Postecoglou’s side shortly before halftime. Seiya Maikuma’s chip found David Møller Wolfe in the box. What followed was a goalmouth scramble in which AZ had four attempts at goal but they were each blocked by a Tottenham player.

"There were not many attacks of note in the second half. Ernest Poku came close with a free shot in the box, which really should have been at least on target. But that was really the only source of danger in the second half for either side.

"Martens will be pleased with the win. But AZ will also know how difficult the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be next week."

Tottenham's season is now hanging by a thread.

Dumped out of the two domestic cup competitions in the space of four days, the Europa League is all that is left for Spurs now, with the Premier League campaign already a write-off.

And, as is often the case when it comes to Tottenham Hotspur, they are going to have to do it the hard way. On paper, when the Europa League draw was made, it looked like Spurs had finally had a bit of luck this season, with the more favourable side of the draw.

However, to have any chance of winning the competition, they will have to come from behind after losing 1-0 away at AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night in the first leg of their last 16 encounter.

In truth, it could and should have been a bigger deficit. Spurs were woeful on the night and did not deserve to get anything out of the game. They are lucky that there is only a one-goal deficit to try to overturn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Thursday.

After watching fierce rivals Arsenal smash seven past PSV - a side four places and nine points better off than AZ in the Eredivisie table - defeat to the Dutch side just highlights even further the gulf in quality between the two north London sides at this moment in time.

The problem for Ange Postecoglou now is that he is running out of excuses. This poor season has been underpinned by horrendous luck on the injury front, games every few days, players being forced to play out of position and youngsters having to play week in and week out when their development would be better suited to learning from opportunities here and there, rather than being the go-to players Postecoglou has been forced to call upon.

On Thursday, Spurs had a substitutes' bench that consisted of seven senior players and they had had eight days to prepare for the clash, without a game at the weekend due to their elimination from the FA Cup. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were still not risked, so the side was not at full-strength, but they were available and it was Postecoglou's choice not to risk them, due to the state of the pitch.

Spurs had rest, they had a good squad to choose from; so what is the excuse for possibly one of the worst performances of the season, when there have been plenty of other displays to choose from? There really isn't one.

Tottenham were so poor, with the ball and without it. And it is not the first time that has been the case this season. There was a real lack of movement, a lack of desire to want the ball and a lack of any real quality throughout. It was a tough watch - again not for the first time this season.

Guglielmo Vicario, Djed Spence, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson, Mathys Tel - these are all good players, but in the main they are not showing it as a collective. And when you're talking about the collective, you have to talk about the man in charge.

It has been a season full of disappointment, but there had been mitigating circumstances for it. Those excuses have run out now and nothing but a perfect performance and convincing win in the second leg will do. Ange Postecoglou's job is on the line.

Ange Postecoglou has launched a passionate defence of Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after the Italian's heated exchange with the travelling supporters in Alkmaar.

After Spurs' dismal 1-0 defeat to AZ in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie on Thursday night in the Netherlands, Vicario, one of the few visiting players to come out of the game with any credit with his saves, led the team over to the 950 travelling supporters in the corner of the stadium.

The goalkeeper attempted to call on the fans to raise their support by passionately raising his arms up in the air repeatedly. It was a miscalculated decision and the furious supporters hit back with angry words towards Vicario and the group of players who had followed him.

The goalkeeper looked disappointed at the reaction and walked off from the group towards the tunnel, with the supporters left disgruntled at being asked for more support after a big game in which Tottenham had failed to show up.

"Vic is very, very passionate about this football club and very passionate about what we're trying to do here and he wants to win and he wants everyone on board with that," Postecoglou said on Friday. "If people think there is one bad or vindictive bone in Vicario's makeup then they don't know the man that I do.

"The guy is one of the purest human beings you have ever come across, mate, so whatever he does he does for what he thinks is best for the team and for the football club because he really cares."

Vicario admitted afterwards that he could appreciate the frustration among the fans amid his failed attempt to bring them together.

"I can understand the disappointment for the night because we didn't play our football," he said. "So I can understand the frustration of the fans, but we still have a lot to play for, especially in the second leg. It's just a way of trying to stay together because we have the opportunity to go through to the next round.

"They can [be critical]. They have to be, they must be disappointed for the game we played tonight but we still have another game to play against AZ at our place, so it's the moment to stick together now because we can go through this round."

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou spoke honestly about the shortcomings in his Tottenham side after they lost 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night. The Spurs head coach was also looking ahead to a tricky Premier League clash with Bournemouth to come.

Having fallen to a first-leg defeat in Europe, Postecoglou suffered yet more injury problems after Dominic Solanke went off with injury. Meanwhile, he also took a staunch position behind goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario after he was the recipient of clear unrest from travelling supporters in the Netherlands.

Tottenham know that their best chance of getting back into any form of European competition next season is to win the Europa League but also risk losing yet more faith from the fans if they fall to another defeat against Andoni Iraola's upwardly mobile Bournemouth.

Here, football.london has everything Postecoglou said at Hotspur Way on Friday.

With a quick turnaround is there an update on Dominic Solanke and the other players?

No, it's too early to tell. With Dom, obviously it's a knee going into the backside so a bit sore but it's a knock so hopefully he'll be back pretty quickly.

Do you have any additional reflections from last night's game?

Not additional, no. I said after the game that we didn't perform anywhere near the level we wanted to or needed to. Disappointed. We're disappointed, I've got disappointed players who are disappointed. The tie is not over though and we get a chance to focus on that after the weekend's game because that becomes the priority.

Do the players need to show more? It's a younger team with Son Heung-Min and James Maddison, so do you need more leadership in there?

I don't think last night was a matter of individuals. As a collective we just were not anywhere near the level that we needed to be and it's tough playing away in Europe. The crowd created a really good atmosphere for the home side. They got the goal which gave them some momentum but as I said, last night was not about individuals. As a collective we were nowhere near the levels we needed to be.

Alkmaar have a free week, so are you glad to have a game because getting back out on the pitch is another opportunity?

Look, we definitely need another game to get the squad to where we need to get to. It's an opportunity to get more game time to certain guys.

The best way to put last night's disappointment to one side is to perform well at the weekend and our league form hasn't been too bad over the recent period and we want to continue that. The Europa League is a massive emphasis for us but I still want us and have a real desire to move up the table and we get that opportunity on Sunday.

Could Ben Davies be back for Sunday?

We're not really sure. He's training at the moment so we will see how he feels. He's definitely progressed and he feels good so let's see how he goes in the next 24-48 hours. He's a chance but we'll see how he goes.

You said last night you need analyse the mindset as a collective, how important could the result on Sunday be for the second leg?

Yeah, it's important and the result is the ultimate ambition for the weekend but the performance is important. It's fair to say that it's our inconsistency. Our best and our worst this year has had too much of a gap.

We've been really good at times but like last night we've been poor at times this year and we've paid the price for that. We need to rectify that and try to get more consistency in performance which will then reflect more on the results.

We need both a good performance and a good result at the weekend. Like I said, the Alkmaar game, as poor as it was, the reality is that its 1-0 and we have got them at home next week. We can focus on that after the Bournemouth game but right now that has to be our priority.

We didn't see Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero feature yesterday, how much are they in your thinking for Sunday's match?

Yeah, they're a chance. When I saw the pitch the night before [Wednesday] I made up my mind that I wasn't going to risk them. It wasn't a great pitch, and it wasn't steady underfoot. It wasn't the sort of game I thought I needed to expose them. A couple of extra days training and recovery and hopefully both are in line to feature.

Can you clear up of what happened at full-time with Guglielmo Vicario?

Vic is very, very passionate about this football club and very passionate about what we're trying to do here and he wants to win and he wants everyone on board with that. If people think there is one bad or vindictive bone in Vicario's makeup then they don't know the man that I do.

The guy is one of the purest human beings you have ever come across, mate, so whatever he does he does for what he thinks is best for the team and for the football club because he really cares.

You mentioned looking for consistency, the last few matches haven't had the free-flowing football, can you put your finger on why?

If you take away when we beat Ipswich 4-1 a couple of weeks ago and the second half against [Manchester] City we were really, really good against a very good team. But when you're inconsistent like we are, people pick moments and invariably look at your lowest points as your reference point.

If you look at last night that was nowhere near the level we need to be. We've had that kind of performance a few times this year and it's what has cost us more than anything else, the inconsistency. We need to rectify it.

What have you made of Bournemouth this season?

They've been really good and they were last year too. Andoni has a really distinct way of playing, they're really aggressive with their football both with and without the ball. They've got some very good players who are developing under them. Good challenge. For us, as I said, it's a real clear objective that we need to play well if we want to get the result that we want.

You said that the gap between your best and your worst is too big, is there a wider challenge to raise your worst level?

It's like I said, consistency and performance. It's not just about raising our worst level but about understanding the different challenges each game poses and being sure we are prepared for that.

Some of our inconsistency has come from the fact that we haven't had a consistent lineup. You bear that in mind but at the same time I still feel last might was kind of a reflection of where we are as a squad perspective. We need to embrace the challenge from the different competitions that we are in and understand that there's different ways of tackling those answers and making sure that at the bare minimum we compete at a level that at least allows us to get our base line performances higher than they are.

Do you have concerns that the group are doubting the game plan or lacking clarity over it?

They don't lack clarity over it, absolutely. They don't lack clarity. If anything I think people are saying it's too transparent but you do need conviction to play that kind of football all the time. You need belief and you need a real strong mindset because it's challenging and it doesn't allow you to veer off into a different direction. It means you stay on course and it's the only way it works.

It's fair to say last night that we weren't on the road we need to be.

Is the message to them that you do it on these terms and you play how you want to play?

That's been there from day one. I don't think there's any doubt about that. There wouldn't be anybody who has followed for us for the last 20 months who thinks anything other than that.

We are determined to go down this road and we believe, I believe, it is the way that will bring success to the club and every challenge along the way that tries to shift you away from that, that's when you have to show your resolve and determination to stay the course.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Kevin Danso has provided an honest response to Tottenham's limp showing against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League. Despite having eight days to prepare for the last-16 first leg, while the Dutch side played twice in that period, Spurs were miles off the pace and were fortunate to only lose 1-0.

A Lucas Bergvall own goal put AZ in front early on with Guglielmo Vicario required to make several saves to keep the score down. In the attacking third, Wilson Odobert was the only played to manage a shot on target with Ange Postecoglou's verdict after the game telling of the performance.

"Yeah, it wasn’t great from us tonight," he admitted in a press conference. "Pretty much all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

"It was a tricky surface but having said that we kind of knew that from yesterday and yeah we just didn’t tackle the challenges we had out there in a real positive way. That allowed AZ to get into a rhythm, which when you’re playing away from home, it is difficult to stem the tide."

Ahead of the game, Tottenham were handed a triple injury boost with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke all making the squad. The latter was the only one to actually feature off the bench, but he was forced off with a new issue making it a far worse night for Spurs.

As has been the case for the last few months, the likes of Djed Spence, Archie Gray and Bergvall, despite his own goal, cannot really be criticised with the senior players once again failing to step forward. January arrival Danso can arguably be considered in the same category as the aforementioned trio based on his recent displays.

The Austria international was far from his best in the Netherlands, but he does not shy away from taking responsibility with that evidenced by his defiant message on Instagram. Alongside seven action shots, he wrote: "Not at our best tonight.

"We will work hard to fight back on Sunday and correct this next week. Thanks for the traveling fans for their continuous support [one hundred and flexed arm emoji]."

As Danso references, before the second leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Thursday Spurs welcome Bournemouth to North London for a Premier League clash on Sunday. Mass rotation is likely for that game with focus on their Europa League knockout tie.

Considering the pain he was in, Solanke featuring against his former club does not look likely while Van de Ven or Romero starting is also hard to imagine given the fact they did not feature on Thursday. However, a strong performance in that game will be needed ahead of a season-defining clash.

Two poor performances in the next six days could, however, spell the end of Postecoglou's tenure at the club with Spurs facing the possibility of being out of all cup competitions while nearly sitting closer to the relegation zone than the top four.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou has revealed why Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were not involved in Tottenham's dismal 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last 16 first leg on Thursday night, despite returning from long-term injuries.

The central defensive duo have been badly missed by Spurs for along periods this season, but both returned from their injuries to be named on the substitutes' bench for the Europa League clash.

It was a huge boost for Postecoglou and the Tottenham fans waiting to see them back in action. However, neither made it off the bench, with the duo kept back by the Australian head coach.

And he has revealed exactly why he made that decision in his press conference ahead of the weekend's Premier League clash with Bournemouth. Postecoglou said: "When I saw the pitch I decided I wasn't going to risk them. A couple of extra days training and they will be in the mix."

Postecoglou referenced the pitch in his post-match press conference folowing the defeat to AZ. It was a poor performance all round from Spurs and they have work to do in the second leg now if they are to keep their dream of silverware alive next Thursday.

Postecoglou said on Thursday night: "It wasn’t great from us tonight. Pretty much all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

"It was a tricky surface but having said that we kind of knew that from yesterday and yeah we just didn’t tackle the challenges we had out there in a real positive way. That allowed AZ to get into a rhythm, which when you’re playing away from home, it is difficult to stem the tide."

Romero and Van de Ven are likely to be involved as Spurs take on Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.