Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou faced plenty of questions after reaching the Europa League final with a 2-0 win at Bodo/Glimt.
Spurs seized control on the night in the second half in Norway. First Dominic Solanke slid home from Cristian Romero's header from Mathys Tel's corner. Then Pedro Porro made sure of the victory with a deep cross that hit the back post and bounced into the net to make it a 5-1 aggregate scoreline in the tie and fired Tottenham into the final against Manchester United in Bilbao later this month.
Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Postecoglou after the game. Here's a full transcript from the press conference at the Aspmyra Stadion.
It felt like the players stuck to the plan perfectly tonight?
The players were outstanding. They were well-prepared tonight, the staff did a great job of making sure the boys were really clear about what we needed to do. They executed it perfectly. It's been well-chronicled in the last few days it's a difficult place to come through, they've got a really imposing home record, not just with wins but with goals, I thought the lads just handled it really well, as they have throughout this European campaign, particularly the knock-out stages, and credit to them, I thought they did an outstanding job.
You must be proud to reach a European final yourself?
I guess yeah, it's a great opportunity. It's my fourth year in European football, plenty of people have been in European football for longer than I have, they haven't got to a final. So you understand it's something that you need to appreciate. And I'll certainly do that. I haven't really thought a lot about it, because obviously the focus is on tonight. More importantly, just really pleased for the players and the staff, and particularly our supporters. There were a few hundred here tonight who I'm sure will remember this night. And thousands back home. We've given them some real hope and something to dream about, that we can do something special this year."
You and United are both through after tough seasons...
It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it! The debate's now raging, the latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy. I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league? Why is that important? If it's so easy to get to a final, then why doesn't everyone who finishes in the top three do it? It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form. We understand our league form hasn't been great.
We understand the struggles we've had. A lot of them are because of the situation we've been in. But how that diminishes the achievement of getting to a final. Like I said, this club and others have finished in first, second or third in the Premier League, and haven't made finals. Why should that be diminished? I couldn't care less who's struggling and who's not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there. I think we've probably beaten teams who will be in the Champions League next year, on our road to getting there. So looking forward to it, should be a great game.
You love attacking football but that felt like a win built on discipline and pragmatism?
I love winning. That's what I've done my whole career. People will dismiss it, that's fine. But I love winning, and I love the way the boys, like I said, clearly understood what we needed to do tonight. The key thing for us was not to allow them to get any sort of rhythm in their game. They like to play at a quick tempo, because they use the surface, they take advantage of the opposition being uncertain on it. But I thought our press was just outstanding. We never allowed them really to get into our half with any sort of clean possession .It's a credit to the boys that they understood what the task was tonight, and still had the quality to score the goals we did.
United have constantly said that this competition won't save their season, would it save Tottenham's season or is it different?
Why do I care what Man United think? Why is that relevant to me. Ask the Manchester United manager why he said that. Me I've said all along that this is important.
To rephrase, what does it mean for Tottenham's season?
Well,. to be fair, you know better than me. You've followed this club for longer than I have. What do you think a trophy would do for this club?
I think it would be massive.
Exactly. That's exactly right. So the question answers itself, it doesn't need me to... but what’s happening now is people are fearing that. That it actually might happen and let's see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it somehow by saying it's been a poor season and we don't deserve this or we don't deserve that.
Or somehow comparing us to Man United. Maybe if we had Man United’s success then maybe I’d have a different view. But I came into this role, you know better than me, I could have been sitting here at exactly the same time in fifth position and I can guarantee that the commentary around me 'well that's great Ange but this club needs to win something'.
That's exactly what everyone would be saying. So of course it’s massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through.
Man United have got their own journey to go on. Maybe if they go 15 years without winning something they'll change their perspective on things as well.
United have got a knack of winning trophies in recent years, when you see the kind of professionalism and resilience that your team has shown in these big away games, do you see they're ready mentally for this final?
A final is a unique standalone game, it's a bit different to everything you do in the build up to it. But if you’re talking about resilience and adversity, this group of players have had it in bucket loads this year and we've still found a way to deal with it. We've been losing players, key players and yet they've still found a way to stick together and believe in what we’re doing. That gives me the belief that the challenge we have of trying to overcome a tough opponent in a massive game I know the lads have it in them to rise to that.
You used to watch big English games and European finals with your dad, what would he make of you leading a team into one?
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.
