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Despite his two-year spell as Tottenham manager coming to an end, Ange Postecoglou is continuing to split opinions in England.

The Australian’s relationship with the English football punditry was always shaky.

Postecoglou did not take kindly to the disrespect towards his past accomplishments or the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick writing that he was “teetering between hero and clown” ahead of the Europa League final.

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Many members of the press pack did not like Postecoglou’s willingness to challenge the status quo be it with the way his side conducted themselves on the pitch or with his answers to their questions.

Meanwhile, others loved that he was a breath of fresh air whose every interview would include golden nuggets to base catchy headlines upon.

That polarisation has lingered upon Tottenham chair’ Daniel Levy’s decision to cut Postecoglou loose - the 15th manager he has sacked since he took charge of the club in 2001.

Many believes the former Celtic and Socceroos boss deserved more time given he had fulfilled his promise of always winning a trophy in his second season.

The players certainly seems to think so after several glowing testimonials pre and post sacking.

Others standby Levy’s call that a 17th placed Premier League finish with 22 losses, more than Tottenham had ever endured in a 38-game campaign, was in surmountable, and the club needed to look at the likes of Brentford boss Thomas Frank, despite Postecoglou ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought, and 41-year European silverware drought.

It will be a debate that will rage on among football enthusiasts for years to come from London to Melbourne.

There is certainly an abundance of perspectives and examples to talk through from a rollercoaster two seasons for Postecoglou in north London.

‘WILL NOT ALLOW TOTTENHAM TO BECOME ANYTHING OTHER THAN HIS’

Postecoglou knew his dismissal was on the cards when he joked about how sometimes television shows kill off the main character after he said “season three is better than season two” to jubilant Tottenham fans and the Europa League victory parade in London.

In this drama, Levy plays the role of villain, depending on your perspective.

Thousands of Spurs fans certainly think so as they protested his ownership of the club on countless occasions at home games over the years.

Their cries centred on a reluctance to provide managers, all 15 of them during his tenure, with the squad they demand resulting in disappointing performances; as well as a petulance that fosters leaks and discontent within the club, with a frequent desire to turn fans against the manager.

Only this time it did not work, and Postecoglou paid the price.

The Australian was honest, for good and for bad.

To quote Frank Sinatra, Postecoglou said “the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels”.

He certainly did things his way and while that ultimately earned the respect of the fan base, it did not sit well with Levy.

The Telegraph’s football news correspondent Matt Law wrote that when he joined the club “Postecoglou’s aim was not to deliver Levy’s Tottenham back to supporters” as Levy professed he had done when they were unbeaten after Postecoglou’s first ten games in charge.

“He wanted to change the club, the narrative around it and give the fans something to be truly proud of,” Law continued.

“In that regard, he was successful, as the club Postecoglou leaves behind after his sacking could not be further removed from Levy’s Tottenham, thanks to a Europa League trophy success that rendered the ‘Spursy’ tag meaningless.

“But asking the Premier League’s longest-serving chairman to fully invest in him and trust him to build on that victory in Bilbao proved to be an impossible dream.

“Levy simply will not allow Tottenham to become anything other than his.”

As history shows, Levy has plenty of experience sacking managers.

But this time it was different to the others.

He once sacked Jose Mourinho in the days leading up to a League Cup final, whereas on this occasion he waited for some time to think after the Europa League success before making his next move.

Law suggested that “Levy was taken out of his comfort zone by Postecoglou, who revealed that his plan to prioritise the Europa League after the winter transfer window closed did not meet with wholesale approval from within the club”.

While Postecoglou delivered the financial windfall of the Champions League for next season - a minimum £15.7 million (A$32.7m) for just qualifying from the total prize pot of £2.06 billion (A$4.29b) - his side’s poor league standing cost them roughly £36 million (A$75m) in prize money compared to last season.

The focus on the Europa League was a move ultimately deemed too risky by Levy, but the fact it was successful is what makes Postecoglou’s “the strangest Tottenham dismissal of recent years”, according to The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke.

“He did not leave when the fans had turned on him, but when many had turned back in his favour,” Pitt-Brooke wrote.

“And while most of his predecessors went when the players had grown thoroughly sick of them, and the mood turned fully toxic, he commanded a remarkable loyalty from the squad through the difficult spells and right to the end.”

Sky Sports senior football journalist Peter Smith agreed that the decision has come as things were looking up after bleak periods.

“Should this not be the time to capitalise on the momentum that victory brings and use the Champions League riches it delivered to upgrade Postecoglou’s options in the summer transfer market?” Smith suggested.

“It is easy to imagine the galvanising force the Europa League success, along with the subsequent trophy parade and celebrations could add to the group in pre-season. Confidence and belief had been restored.”

‘BROKEN BEYOND REPAIR’

Postecoglou’s relationship with the Tottenham fans had all the trademarks of a good romantic comedy.

There was the whirlwind honeymoon phase when results were good and the fans sung ‘I’m loving big Ange instead’ to the tune of Robbie Williams’ hit Angels.

Then things got rocky as losses mounted and only the ‘true believers’ as Postecoglou called them showed faith as others called for change.

Then the love was reignited via the captivating Europa League campaign, capped off by the Bilbao triumph.

Postecoglou brought the fans along for the journey throughout the knockouts rounds and they celebrated profusely as they finally enjoyed some success.

But Levy and the other decision makers at Tottenham hit pause with half an hour left in the movie, and left with the hard times firmly imprinted in their memories.

“Look at the relationship between Postecoglou and the crowd, particularly those fans who attend away games,” The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke wrote.

“There was an incident at Bournemouth on December 5, where Spurs lost 1-0 and the travelling supporters let him know exactly how they felt about the performance. The crowd steadily turned against Postecoglou over the course of the season, and the team were booed off more loudly with every home defeat.

“Things came to a head at Stamford Bridge on April 3. Postecoglou’s decision to take Lucas Bergvall off for Pape Matar Sarr was booed by the away end, who sang, “You don’t know what you’re doing!”.

“When Sarr then thumped in an apparent equaliser, Postecoglou cupped his ear to the Spurs fans and waved at them. The goal was disallowed anyway.

“For many supporters, this was a breaking point. And it left senior figures at the club worrying whether the relationship between Postecoglou and the crowd was now broken beyond repair.

“But then Bilbao happened and, for many fans, that relationship was not only fixed but stronger than it had ever been.”

Twelve months on from when Postecoglou had lamented the club’s “fragile foundations” for the supporters desire for their team to lose to Manchester City to prevent rivals Arsenal from winning the title, the fans were endeared by the way he had passionately stuck up for the club amid media scrutiny.

Postecoglou called out agendas against the team, and demanded greater respect for the accomplishment of making, and then winning, a European final.

The Times’ football reporter Tom Allnut wrote that: “Even the fans loved the way Postecoglou stood up for Tottenham, rather than belittling them like his predecessors had done.

“He called the “Spursy” tag “schoolyard stuff” and ridiculed the debate around them qualifying for the Champions League: “It’s going to upset a lot of people, so that makes me happy.”

But there was another testing relationship that ultimately sowed doubt in the mind of Levy.

‘LIKE A HOUSE OF CARDS’

Undeniably, the chief instigator of Tottenham’s disastrous Premier League campaign was their injury crisis.

This is where the biggest point of conjecture lies.

Some believe it was simply bad luck, others insist it was largely self-inflicted.

‘Angeball’, Postecoglou’s famously intense, at times manic, style of play is physically demanding.

Some argue that he was not given the depth needed to play his way, others suggest he should have adapted better to the cards he was dealt.

The latter becomes somewhat redundant when he did so in Europe, most notably in Bilbao with a steely defensive performance and less aggressive displays in the league in the new year with teenagers and depth players on the park.

The Times’ football reporter Tom Allnut laid out how severe Postecoglou’s Spurs’ injury crisis was.

“In his first season they lost Micky van de Ven (hamstring), James Maddison (ankle) and Rodrigo Bentancur (ankle) in November, and never truly recovered,” Allnut wrote.

“In his second, they never had fewer than five players out from November to February, and in January that number climbed to 12.

“Postecoglou’s defence was ripped apart. Four of his first-choice back five — Guglielmo Vicario (21 games), Destiny Udogie (13), Van de Ven (30) and Cristian Romero (27) — missed a combined 91 games this season due to injury.

“In total, Postecoglou fielded an astonishing 30 different combinations of back four and goalkeeper.”

But the medical staff seemingly were angered by Postecoglou’s approach to managing the almost never ending line of soft tissue issues.

They were the ones baring the brunt of the casualties, despite Postecoglou’s public insistence that the blame lied squarely with him, and they wanted the coach to change his philosophy.

He demanded players go full throttle in defence and attack, while Postecoglou publicly said the mounting injuries were a series of unfortunate circumstances, behind closed doors the views were reportedly different.

“Those ideas grated with medical staff, who warned Postecoglou early in his first season the data for sprint and high-intensity distances in training was too high,” Allnutt wrote.

“Postecoglou insisted the players needed to endure to adapt. Staff were dismayed when he ignored advice around how long players should stay on in games, particularly those returning from injuries. They told him the risk rate of recurrence for a hamstring injury doubles after an hour but Van de Ven played 79 minutes against Chelsea last December, before going off with another hamstring tear.”

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke dived into the data behind the territory Postecoglou’s men were covering when they were at their electric best.

“When Spurs were truly on it, playing at their intense physical peak, they were impossible to live with,” he wrote.

“They put up some huge running numbers — 119.8km in a 3-0 win away to Manchester United, 117.7km in that 4-0 at City — some of the highest figures all season.

“But at times it felt like a house of cards, where one part out of place could collapse the whole structure.

“Especially when key players were missing and their replacements were unable to replicate their work.”

‘FEAR OF REPEATING THAT MISTAKE’

In the end, the decisive factor in Levy’s decision to sack Postecoglou was the desire to not be like Manchester United.

Tottenham added to the Red Devils painful season by defeating Ruben Amorim’s side 1-0 in Bilbao.

The Portuguese manager was extracted from Sporting CP in November after a disastrous start to the season, and things only spiralled further out of control at Old Trafford.

Levy could see a similar situation arising at Tottenham next season if he stuck with Postecoglou, according to Sky Sports senior football journalist Peter Smith.

“Spurs’ Europa League final opponents Manchester United were fooled last summer when they extended Erik ten Hag’s contract, allowing the buzz of that FA Cup win over rivals Manchester City to mask their true status,” he wrote.

“At Spurs there was clearly a fear of repeating that mistake.”

The Times’ Tom Allnut wrote that: “There were concerns about attention to detail and fears that the injury situation that derailed his first two seasons could, with the added strain of the Champions League, be repeated in a third.”

Ultimately, no one will ever know how Postecoglou would have fared in a third season at Tottenham.

But what is for certain is that his legacy will long be debated, and his replacement will be immediately placed in a pressure cooker after how Postecoglou’s tenure has played out.

With Ange Postecoglou given his marching orders by Tottenham chair Daniel Levy, candidates are lining up to take over the north London club.

Postecoglou’s tale of delivering Spurs the trophy they so craved, but being sacked regardless because of a Premier League campaign riddled by injury and the need to keep important players fit and firing for vital European fixtures, could be a cautionary one.

History is also not on their side as Levy has now fired 15 managers in the 24 years he has been at the helm, hence why the Spurs managerial role has been labelled a ‘poisoned chalice’ by countless football pundits.

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Nevertheless, several top names have been linked with filling Postecoglou boots, and some of them were even caught meeting with Levy in recent months.

So, who are they? foxsports.com.au runs through the list of candidates.

- Thomas Frank -

It has been widely reported in the English press that the Brentford manager is the top contender for the Tottenham gig.

Levy has reportedly met with Frank multiple times after he led the Bees to a tenth place finish in the Premier League in the season just past.

His attacking philosophy is not far removed from the style Postecoglou has implemented on the current playing group in the last two seasons.

Only top five teams Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle scored more goals than Frank’s side but perhaps what has endeared him most to Levy is the fact that the Danish manager has turned Brentford into a stable Premier League side on a limited budget.

The Bees were in the Championship when Frank took over in 2018, and he guided them to promotion in 2021.

Levy has notoriously been unwilling to splurge in the transfer market, notably in January when Postecoglou was crying out for defensive support, prompting regular protests by fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The BBC’s Sami Mokbel and Andy Cryer also reported that “Frank has a good relationship with Spurs technical director and fellow Dane Johan Lange, which could be a deciding factor when club chairman Daniel Levy comes to decide who he appoints”.

- Francesco Farioli -

Now, this one had some layers to it.

Farioli recently quit as Ajax manager in the Netherlands after a disastrous end to the season.

No team had ever not won the title leading by nine points with five games to go until Farioli’s Ajax coughed up the Dutch title.

He stepped down afterwards but it also came about with strong links to Tottenham.

Fabio Paratici, who has been serving a two-and-a-half year ban by FIFA for illegal accounting practices at his former club Juventus, is set to return to his managing director role at Spurs.

He was linked with taking up the same position at AC Milan before the Italian giants opted not take him on.

Among those reports were links between Farioli and AC Milan given Paratici is an admirer of Farioli’s.

But since he quit the Ajax job, Farioli has also been linked to bringing his possession-based, high-pressing style of football to Tottenham.

- Andoni Iraola -

Iraola’s Bournemouth finished one place above Frank’s Brentford in the season just gone.

The Spaniard has reaped the rewards of a high pressing style, that again would not be a complete overhaul of Postecoglou’s methods, with impressive victories against Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle last season.

But the Cherries were also defensively solid, with only Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton conceding fewer goals for the season.

Iraola is another example of a manager that has worked with a budget that is among the lowest in the Premier League.

- Marco Silva -

Another manager of a mid-table Premier League club, Silva’s Fulham finished 11th.

The Portuguese manager also implores his teams to play in an up tempo fashion, and he did so at Craven Cottage, guiding Fulham to promotion in his first season in charge at the end of the 2021/22 season and re-establishing them as a Premier League club since.

Silva is also the experienced option for Levy.

He was once in charge of Everton and is familiar with European nights having led Greek club Olympiakos in the Champions League.

- Roberto de Zerbi -

De Zerbi may be hard to pry out of France given he led Marseille to second on the Ligue 1 table behind Champions League winners PSG.

But The Telegraph’s Emily Thomas reported that “there have been whispers that the current Marseille manager could be open to a return to the Premier League”.

The Italian had two seasons at Brighton before departing 12 months ago and took the Seagulls to Europe for the first time with a sixth-placed finish in de Zorbi’s first season securing Europa League qualification.

However, the Telegraph’s Emily Thomas also issued a word of warning “poaching the Italian would be a gamble, given he is temperamentally similar to Mourinho and Conte. We know how Tottenham’s love affairs with that pair ended.”

- Oliver Glasner -

Like Postecoglou, Glasner was recognised by the League Managers Association with the John Duncan Award for bringing a drought-breaking trophy to his club.

Glasner’s Crystal Palace won their first significant trophy in their 120-year history when they defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup.

It is a feat that would not have gone unnoticed by other clubs, but it would be difficult to get him out of Palace, who have made it clear they want Glasner to stay on.

- Mauricio Pochettino -

This one feels like a bit of romanticism and a bit fanciful.

The former Tottenham manager who once led Spurs to a Champions League final and runners-up in the Premier League feels unlikely to come back, despite previously saying he would love to some day, due to his current job.

Pochettino is in charge of the USA men’s national team, who just so happen to be hosting a FIFA World Cup next year.

That does not scream an imminent return to club football.

There won’t be season three after all.

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Tottenham’s silence was telling in the end as the axe fell on Ange Postecoglou in the early hours of Saturday morning, with Spurs confirming the Australian had been sacked just over 16 days after breaking their 17-year trophy drought.

Of course, Tottenham’s Europa League triumph is only part of the story and the club’s statement said as much, pointing to a poor Premier League record under Postecoglou as the reason the board “unanimously” decided to cut ties with him.

So, what has the Premier League and broader football world made of the news?

Well, there are some pragmatists who saw this coming but the overwhelming majority believe Postecoglou was hard done by and deserved another chance to turn the team’s league form around, having sacrificed it in the pursuit of a trophy.

Read on for the latest reaction to Postecolgou’s sacking from around the world!

‘DEGRADING A TROPHY WIN’: EX-SPURS PLAYER RIPS ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ CALL

Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega, who played four years with Spurs, called the decision to sack Postecoglou “unbelievable”.

He argued that regardless of how poor Tottenham’s league form was under Postecoglou, the injuries he had to contend with made it “impossible to be successful” and that the Australian did incredibly well to guide the team to Europa League glory.

Now? Well, he believes Spurs are “degrading winning a trophy”, which is ironic given the focus on winning silverware for so long.

“We are now in a place where a trophy is not valid at all whatsoever. The principles and the disciplines are not valued in the same way,” Vega told Sky Sports News.

“What kind of inspiration or example can you bring to the future and the young talented players? Do you not want to win trophies anymore?

“In football, results count. And they won a trophy. It’s unbelievable.

“The only excuse that they can come out with, is that the second season saw them have unbelievable injuries where inexperienced young talent - and Ange had to reinvent the squad because there was no backing there. 80 per cent of the men’s squad was out - when you’re top centre-halves are out for 25 per cent of the season, it’s impossible to be successful, with all the competition flying into it.

“And they still won a trophy? The league situation, there’s an excuse.”

Vega then went on to question what kind of situation the next manager will walk into given the support, especially in the locker room, for Postecoglou.

“The question is here: where do Tottenham want to go with their manager? Why are they now sacking someone where they can bring stability into the whole club?” he asked.

“The fans - 250,000 people went to the parade, when is the next time they will do that? They aren’t talking about 17th in the league, they won a trophy!

“We are degrading winning a trophy here. Ange had a big personality clash with the main guys in the board. Both parties were not getting on together.”

REALIST REDKNAPP SAYS DECISION ‘DOESN’T SHOCK ME AT ALL’

While plenty of people were surprised by the decision, former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp was not one of them.

He pointed to the silence from Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy as an indication that Postecoglou’s time was up, even before that was confirmed.

“I thought it was a certainty, doesn’t shock me at all,” Redknapp told talkSPORT.

“Daniel has had two weeks after the cup final to come out and stop the speculation, from day one after they won that cup he never came out and said a word.

“I knew then for sure he was finished, so it’s not a shock in any shape or form to me.”

Despite that, Redknapp still conceded it was a “harsh” decision to sack Postecoglou but added Levy may have learned from Manchester United’s experience with Erik ten Hag.

“It’s harsh, it’s a difficult one,” Redknapp said.

“They were atrocious this season, let’s be honest.

“The league form, fourth from bottom, they had a shocker, they won the cup, sometimes you get a bit of luck with the draw.

“But overall I suppose Daniel has looked at it and is thinking, hang on, Man United kept ten Hag last year after winning a cup and they went out and bought some players under his leadership and then suddenly they sack him?

“Were they going to take that chance with Ange? Bringing four or five new players and suddenly things haven’t improved in the league by Christmas, then they have to sack him and are stuck with the players he brought in.

“He looks a good guy and I’d have liked to have seen him given more of a chance but it was never going to happen once Daniel didn’t come out and support him.”

SHORT AND SUCCINCT FROM FORMER ENGLAND CAPTAIN ALAN SHEARER

“What a stupid game football is!!!!” he posted on X.

‘MONEY OVER GLORY’ ACCORDING TO EX-ENGLAND STRIKER SUTTON

Meanwhile, former England Striker Chris Sutton had plenty to say on BBC, describing the decision as “absolute bonkers” and declaring it “sums up modern football”.

“I’m not a Tottenham fan but, from the outside, the reason Ange Postecoglou was employed was because they wanted to win a trophy and, if they couldn’t do that, they wanted to watch an entertaining team - and I think he has ticked both boxes,” Sutton said.

“I am not saying it has been brilliant this season because I understand the Premier League has been a disappointment - but he has won a major European trophy and that is a huge achievement - their first trophy since the 2008 League Cup and their first European trophy since the Uefa Cup in 1984. He has done something no other manager has done there in 41 years, since Keith Burkinshaw.

“To get someone in who wins them silverware, then straightaway get rid of him, that sums up modern football, doesn’t it? It’s absolute bonkers.”

Like Vega, Sutton also questioned what sort of message the move sends to a Tottenham fan base that hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent years but flocked to the streets of north London after Postecoglou’s Europa League win.

“Look at the teams who have won trophies this season - Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Spurs, the sides who have won trophies - their supporters have had some of the best times of their whole lives this season,” Sutton added.

“Tottenham are a club which has been ridiculed - they have had the whole ‘Spursy’ thing thrown at them for years, and Postecoglou has gone in and changed all that in many ways, and now they treat him like this.”

In the end, as much as it may hurt Postecoglou to be denied a chance to build on the Europa League success and momentum it created, Sutton said the Australian is “better off out of it”.

“I would love to know the thought process behind the decision to get rid of him,” said Sutton.

“Basically it is saying the finance of the Premier League is the be all and end all, is it? So finishing fourth or fifth in the Premier League and not winning a trophy is what matters - it is like they are morphing into Arsenal under Arsene Wenger at the end, if that’s what is important.

“But money over glory sums up the owner, Daniel Levy, doesn’t it?

“Nothing surprises me in football anymore, so Ange Postecoglou is better off out of it really - and maybe they can go back to being mediocre old Tottenham again now.”

ENGLAND BOSS AND FORMER CHELSEA MANAGER TUCHEL GIVES HIS TAKE

Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was asked about Postecoglou’s exit ahead of England’s game against Andorra and had quite a pragmatic response to it all.

“That is the job,” he simply said, almost with a resignation to the brutal reality of the business.

It is not a surprising response given Tuchel himself was sacked just three months after Chelsea’s new owners completed their takeover of the club.

“I feel for every manager and have huge sympathy for them in these moments. I was in the same spot and it feels horrible,” he added.

“It shows it is not only about titles, you can survive without titles.

“If there is slight disbelief and the trust is not there anymore, then sometimes it is not enough to win a trophy.

“He is a huge character and said he would deliver the trophy. This is part of the job, we are responsible for the results and development of the team.

“Whether we like it or not.”

TOTTENHAM PLAYERS PAY TRIBUTE TO DEPARTING POSTECOGLOU

Meanwhile, current Tottenham players have taken to social media to thank Postecoglou.

Tottenham striker Richarlison said: “Mister, massive thanks for helping me out and believing in me during one of the trickiest periods of my career and my life.

“Everyone who loves the Spurs will remember that Big Ange always bags trophies in his second season.

“We’ve made history! Cheers and good luck on your journey! I’ll always be rooting for you.”

Defender Pedro Porro, meanwhile, wrote: “Thank you for everything, boss.

“For mentoring me early on, helping me settle into the club, and trusting me out on the pitch. I’ll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows.

“Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club’s history and for that, you’ll always be celebrated.

“Wishing you all the very best, boss.”

Micky van de Ven credited Postecoglou for showing faith in him from day one.

“Gaffer, thankyou for everything!” he wrote.

“Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club. Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us.

“Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it. All the best.”

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario echoed similar sentiments, calling Postecoglou “not only a top manager” but “an incredible person”.

He wrote on Instagram: “Boss, I just want to say a massive thank you for everything you have done for me and for all of us.

“From that very first call, right from the beginning, you always showed so much belief in me.

“Giving me the opportunity to be part of the leadership group… those moments, and many others, will stay with me forever.

“You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I’ll always look up to.

“What we achieved TOGETHER will stay in the history books.

“Wishing you nothing but success as I know you will go on to achieve more and more.

“Thank you, Boss.

“Forever grateful, Vic.”

Lucas Bergvall wrote: “Thank you for everything you have done for me.

“Thank you for bringing this club a European trophy and memories to last a lifetime for us and every Spurs fan around the world. Wishing you all the best.”

Dominic Solanke wished Postecoglou “all the best in your next adventure” and added he “won’t ever forget” the conversation he had with the Australian before he signed.

“Thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club, thank you for bringing us a wonderful trophy,” he wrote.

Tottenham chair Daniel Levy will speed up his decision over whether Ange Postecoglou will remain Spurs manager with a call now expected to be made this week, according to reports.

Sky Sports in the UK reports that Postecoglou — who is on holiday in Europe — is expected to learn his fate in the coming days despite initial reports saying he’d have to wait until next week.

The report comes amid growing support from the playing group with defender Pedro Porro the latest to publicly express his backing of Postecoglou.

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“Him continuing would be good for the dressing room. He has built a very good group and coaches also need time,” Porro told The Guardian.

“In the league things didn’t go well but he made us win a trophy. That’s important too.

“The people in the dressing room with weight have to understand that.”

Porro’s support echoes similar displays from fellow players Cristian Romero and James Maddison, who said Postecoglou has “been brilliant” and should stay.

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Nonetheless, Postecoglou remains at serious risk of losing his position due to a domestic campaign that saw Spurs finish 17th after suffering 22 defeats.

Postecoglou explained that he had to heavily prioritise the Europa League, which Spurs won over Manchester United to clinch the club’s first trophy of any kind in 17 years.

But Levy must now decide whether that glittering night in Bilbao justifies one of the worst domestic campaigns that the club has endured in the Premier League era.

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Levy is set to return from holiday this week when he will reportedly make his decision.

The decision was described by Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solheko on The Transfer Show as “one of the hardest decisions Levy has had to take since he’s been at Spurs”.

“If you go with your heart, you stick with Postecoglou because he won a trophy. However, if you go with your head, you look at the Premier League table and I still can’t believe Tottenham finished 17th,” Solhekol said.

“Under normal circumstances, that would be totally and utterly unacceptable. There’s no question the manager would lose his job, but he won a trophy.

“It’s a debate for another day perhaps, the quality of the Europa League this season. The fact the Champions League has expanded, and teams weren’t dropping down, but a trophy is a trophy. A European trophy is a European trophy.”

Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has urged Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to keep faith in Ange Postecoglou and retain him for another season with a decision on the Australian’s Spurs future expected within days.

Speaking to Foxsports.com.au ahead of Thursday’s unveiling of the FIFA Club World Cup’s on air lineup that will be heard on Kayo Sports, Mikel said that Postecoglou’s Europa League triumph and exciting ‘Angeball’ exploits should earn him another chance in 2025-26.

However, Mikel, who will be part of the team exclusively covering the major tournament over the coming weeks, offered two pieces of advice to Postecoglou should he remain at the helm.

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The Premier League and Champions League winner said that Postecoglou must be ready to temper ‘Angeball’ more readily, and build on his occasionally testy relationship with Spurs fans.

“I love big Ange. I think Ange is a really good manager,” Mikel said, when asked if he believes Postecoglou should not be sacked.

“To win the Europa League is a massive, massive achievement. Yes, it wasn’t the season that the Spurs fans wanted to see, but to go on to win the Europa League for me I think is an incredible achievement.

“I hope he stays.”

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UK reports suggest that Postecoglou, despite winning Spurs’ first trophy of any kind in 17 years, and ending a 41-year drought in Europe, will ultimately pay the price for a dismal domestic campaign in which Spurs finished 17th.

But should Levy pull the trigger, it will be a decision to face substantial backlash with several key Spurs players publicly supporting Postecoglou since winning the Europa League, while the Australian’s popularity with fans has also skyrocketed amid the good-feeling of ending the trophy drought.

Postecoglou has shared an up-and-down relationship with the club’s fans. The low point came when he publicly derided Spurs supporters who wanted their team to lose to Manchester City at the end of the 2023-24 season to prevent bitter rivals Arsenal from clinching the Premier League.

Several fan clashes inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium involving Postecoglou have been captured since.

But Postecoglou has won favour with many more recently, especially after making his stunning “I always win things in my second year” prediction come true.

Postecoglou has used the momentum to help swing the narrative of his Spurs tenure back in his favour, most notably with his public cry of: “All the best television series, season three is better than season two.”

Mikel is among the Australian’s fans, but has warned Postecoglou that should he remain, he must continue to foster a stronger relationship with his constituency.

“I like his approach to the team with the players, and I hope, leading into next season, he creates some relationship between him and the fans, because it’s important,” he said.

“You need a relationship between him and the fans. I don’t think he’s done that.

“I hope winning the Europa League will create some of that friendship, relationship between him and the fans.”

Mikel added that he “likes the way (Postecoglou) plays”, but urged him to more often adopt “a balance” to succeed.

Postecoglou’s breakneck style of play took the Premier League by storm in his early days, and even shot Spurs to an early lead in the 2023-24 title race.

But it fell flat in Postecoglou’s second season amid the club’s massive injury toll, while a more pragmatic style in Europe was ultimately what led Spurs to finally winning a trophy.

As such, Mikel thinks there is a time and a place for ‘Angeball’ — and it’s not always.

“I just think sometimes there needs to be a balance to that,” he said. “You can’t keep attacking and attacking and damage your balance.

“You need to sometimes shore up the game. Keep the balance of the team.

“I think, for me, that’s my only criticism with Ange. He needs to sometimes shore up the game a little bit more.

“Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be a basketball game, you know what I mean? Keep the balance of the team.”

As for a final prediction on whether Postecoglou will get sacked by Levy?

“(Levy) was the man who got rid of Jose Mourinho a day or two days before the (League Cup) Final, so you can never tell with Daniel Levy,” he said.

“I hope he makes the right choice for the football club, but yes, I love big Ange, and I hope he stays.”

Son Heung-min could leave Tottenham this summer transfer window with interest from the Saudi Pro League emerging, according to reports.

Son is one of the club’s greatest players of the modern era but has struggled for form in recent times following the departure of Harry Kane, injury troubles, and the emergence of Richarlison.

The club captain, who lifted the Europa League trophy last month, has one year left on his contract at Spurs, where he has been a fan favourite for 10 years.

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But The Telegraph understands that Spurs could sell him now to generate a fee for the striker instead of potentially losing him for free at the end of the 2025-26 season.

The publication reports that the Korean international is a target for Saudi Pro League pro league clubs, who have previously shown interest in him.

Although it’s unclear what clubs are willing to pay now, it’s worth noting that in 2023, Al Ittihad was reportedly willing to pay Spurs a £55million (A$115m) transfer fee, and offer Son a four-year deal worth around a mammoth £25m annually (A$52.4m, A$210m over four years).

Son has been an ally of coach Ange Postecoglou, but the Australian’s tenure at Spurs sits on a knife-edge with chair Daniel Levy expected to make a call on his future in the coming days.

FERNANDES CONFIRMS HE REJECTED SAUDI MOVE TO STAY AT MAN UTD

Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes turned down his own chance to move to Saudi Arabia, with the Manchester United captain reportedly rejecting a £100m move to Al-Hilal that would’ve seen him pocket about £1m-a-week.

“The president of Al Hilal called me and asked me if I wanted to move there,” Fernandes confirmed, saying the club “waited for me to think about my future”.

“I talked to the gaffer and he asked me not to go,” Fernandes revealed, adding: “Man United said they didn’t want to sell me.

“They said if I wanted to go I could but they didn’t need the money.”

The player said a transfer would have been “easy” with several Portuguese players already in Saudi Arabia, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, but added: “I want to play at the highest possible level.

“I want to play major competitions. I know I still can and I want to be happy doing the thing I love the most.

“For better or worse, this is how I see football and I’m passionate about football and this is the decision I’ve made.”

United endured their worst finish of the Premier League era, finishing 15th. They also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham.

United captain Fernandes was one of the few players to emerge with credit from a disastrous season, scoring 19 goals and making 19 assists across all competitions.

The club have already signed Brazil forward Matheus Cunha from Wolves and are being heavily linked with Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

Departures could include Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.

Fernandes has made 290 appearances and scored 98 goals for United since his £47 million move from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.

FALLEN STAR’S LATEST HUMILIATION

Elsewhere, Jadon Sancho’s brutal decline has taken another sobering step.

The former Borussia Dortmund star, who was bought by Manchester United and then shipped to Chelsea on loan, will not remain in West London next season.

Instead, the 25-year-old will return to the Red Devils after the two English giants couldn’t agree to a permanent move.

United was willing to make Sancho’s move to Stamford Bridge permanent, but Chelsea baulked at the decision, instead paying the £5m (A$10.5m) penalty clause just to not keep him.

Sancho, who just won the Conference League with the Blues, appeared to be willing to stay.

“Grateful for the experience. Big love to everyone at Chelsea who made me feel at home — teammates, staff and the fans,” he said in a statement.

“Wishing the club all the best moving forward. Truly grateful, Thank you Blues.”

Sancho returned to England after a blistering spell in the Bundesliga, where he netted 38 times in 104 games for Dortmund, and became an England international.

The winger’s career is now in limbo after being forced to return to the club where his decline began.

COACH INZAGHI TO LEAVE INTER MILAN: CLUB

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi is leaving after four years by “mutual agreement”, the club announced on Tuesday, as Italian media reported he was moving to Saudi Arabia.

“The club and Simone Inzaghi are parting ways. This is the decision taken by mutual agreement,” Inter said in a statement.

Both Inter and Inzaghi said the decision had been made at a meeting involving the coach and club President Giuseppe Marotta on Tuesday afternoon.

The parting came just days after Saturday’s 5-0 thumping by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

Talk had already been swirling about his exit, and last month Inzaghi played down rumours about a two-year deal with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal worth 50 million euros.

Italian media said Tuesday this reported had been confirmed. Inzaghi took over Inter in 2021 and had a contract until 2026. The 49-year-old guided the club to one Serie A title - Inter’s 20th - and two Italian Cups. He led the team to two Champions League finals in the past three seasons but lost both.

On track to repeat the treble heroics of 2010 just a few weeks ago, Inter ended the season trophyless after falling away in each competition.

In its statement, the club said Inzaghi’s management was “characterised by great passion, accompanied by professionalism and dedication”.

His trophies had “brought the club back to the top of Italian and European football”, it said.

Marotta thanked him “for the work done, for the passion shown and also for the sincerity in today’s discussion, which led to the common decision to separate our paths”.

“Only when we have fought together to achieve success day by day, can we have a frank dialogue like the one that happened today,” he said.

In a separate statement, Inzaghi thanked the players, managers and staff, but most of all the fans, adding: “I will never forget you.”

Ange Postecoglou has sent a strong message with the Australian set to learn his fate in the coming days, but already there have been major changes across the board at Tottenham.

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The shake-up already started with the arrival of new CEO Vinai Venkatesham, while it was also widely reported on Tuesday that executive director Donna-Maria Cullen would be leaving the club.

Cullen, who had been on Spurs’ board since 2006 and is a trustee of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said in a statement that it was a “hard decision” to step down.

“It has been quite some journey, starting at White Hart Lane, with a brief stay at Wembley and finally our new home -- amazing memories home and away. Ending this season with the Europa League trophy was a dream come true,” she added.

ESPN reported that Venkatesham has already started work at Tottenham and “will play a role” in determining whether Postecoglou stays on.

Another expected change was confirmed on Tuesday as West Brom appointed former Tottenham midfielder and caretaker manager Ryan Mason as new boss.

Mason, 33, has signed a three-year deal at the Hawthorns and is tasked with getting West Brom promoted back to the Premier League.

“This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fanbase and I am excited about what we can achieve together,” Mason said in a statement.

West Brom finished ninth in the Championship last season and had been without a manager since the sacking of Tony Mowbray in April.

After his playing career was ended early by a serious head injury, Mason returned to Spurs as a coach in 2018.

He stepped up as caretaker boss in 2021 and 2023 following the sackings of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

“Ryan has been an integral part of Tottenham Hotspur for a number of years, both as a player and a coach,” Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Ryan for all his dedication and hard work over the years, and we wish him every success for the future.”

While all eyes are now on Postecoglou, there are still other changes on the horizon with chief football officer Scott Munn’s position also in jeopardy while there will likely also be a shake-up to the club’s medical and sport science teams.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou appeared on ABC’s Australian Story program on Monday evening and sent a strong message to support his famous claim at Tottenham’s trophy parade that “season three is always better than season two”.

When asked to explain the meaning behind those words, Postecoglou doubled down.

“I didn’t want us to just enjoy the moment,” he said.

“I also wanted us to think about what’s next, you know – don’t settle for this. We’ve got a taste of it now.

“My players have got a taste for it. The club’s got a taste for it. Well, let’s make sure we’re back here again.”

With the 2025 Club World Cup expanding, the Premier League’s transfer window is set to begin earlier this year, opening between June 1 and June 10.

The summer transfer window will then open, as usual, on June 16 to deadline day on September 1 — but the new window could see a host of clubs make early moves.

Liverpool and Chelsea have already reportedly recruited big-name scalps, while Manchester City and Tottenham are once again in the market for recruits after disappointing Premier League campaigns.

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Read below for all the big Premier League transfer news!

PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPS MOVE FOR GERMAN ACE

In a move that is sure to leave their Premier League rivals quaking in their boots, Liverpool have reportedly submitted a club record bid to sign Florian Wirtz.

The Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder is widely regarding as one of football’s best up and coming talents, refusing a move to German giant Bayern Munich.

That decision saw Liverpool pounce and they’ve tabled a whopping $228m AUD bid to bring him to the Premier League according to The Guardian.

That offer includes add ons, knocking their previous $178m AUD fee to sign Darwin Nunez out of the park.

Negotiations between Wirtz and Liverpool have reportedly progressed, however Bayer Leverkusen could still turn down that fee.

They reportedly value Wirtz at $264m AUD and requested that figure when Bayern Munich came knocking to sign the German ace.

However, what works in Liverpool’s favour is the versatile attacker is hopeful of making a move away from the Bundesliga after five years in Germany’s top flight.

Wirtz has previously been linked heavily with a move to Manchester City, scoring 57 goals and assisting 65 more in his 197 Leverkusen appearances.

LIVERPOOL’S ALEXANDER-ARNOLD REPLACEMENT

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has made a switch to Real Madrid and the Premier League champions have already confirmed his replacement.

Wing back Jeremie Frimpong was unveiled as the club’s newest recruit overnight, with Liverpool activating his $62m AUD release clause.

Frimpong will leave Bayer Leverkusen as one of the world’s most exciting fullbacks and the switch will be made official once the early transfer window opens.

Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, will move to the La Liga for only $18m AUD and his switch left the Liverpool faithful incensed.

However, Frimpong shapes as a more versatile player on the right wing, with the ability to also join the attacking line and play further forward.

Arne Slot, according to ESPN, reportedly believes the Dutch international can fill in for Mohamed Salah when he departs for the African Cup of Nations later this year.

The 24-year-old is also no stranger to the Premier League, having been spent time in Manchester City’s pathways system, meaning he qualifies as a homegrown player in England.

“It went quite easy,” Frimpong said.

“Liverpool came and said they had interest, and obviously for me it was a no-brainer.“For me, it was like, ‘Whatever you guys do, just get this done,’ [speaking to] my agents: ‘Just get this done’.”

TOTTENHAM’S DEFENSIVE REINFORCEMENTS

While Australian coach Ange Postecoglou’s future remains uncertain in North London, star centre back Cristian Romero could also be on the move.

The Argentinian star is widely expected to depart Spurs in the off-season, winning the Europa League with a win over Manchester United last week.

Romero is reportedly being targeted by a host of clubs, with Tottenham officials earmarking Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi as his ideal replacement according to Football Insider.

The English international is a proven Premier League defender and is reportedly Postecoglou’s ideal recruit to fill the hole left in the middle of the defensive line.

Spurs previously had a $146m AUD bid rejected earlier this year to secure his services, meaning Daniel Levy will have to come to the table with an increased offer.

Premier League rivals Chelsea are also reportedly interested in Guehi’s services.

“Tottenham are very interested in Marc Guehi,” former Spurs scout Mick Brown said.

“They’ve got a certain instability at centre-back and it’s an issue they want to deal with.

“They see Van de Ven as their top option in that position, but from what I hear they’re not quite so sure about Romero, and he could be leaving. Guehi doesn’t have those same question marks about his performances.

“He’s ultra-consistent, you could put your bank balance on him giving you a good display every week.”

CITY ONCE AGAIN HIT THE MARKET

Pep Guardiola is once again set to hit the market in a bid to strengthen his squad after a spluttering campaign that saw them finish third in the Premier League.

With talisman Kevin De Bruyne set to depart for Napoli, City are reportedly hoping to strengthen their midfield stocks.

Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish are also set to leave, which could strengthen their ability to hit the transfer market.

According to The Telegraph, the Premier League heavyweights want to recruit both AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders and Lyon’s Rayan Cherki.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak confirmed they are hoping to complete any transfer moves before the squad depart for the Club World Cup on June 14.

Reijnders, 26, can play as a No.8 and also as a defensive midfielder and AC Milan are reportedly hopeful of breaking their club departure record.

That record is held by Kaka’s move to Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants forking out a whopping $119m AUD in 2009.

Cherki, meanwhile, is reportedly keen on making the move to City and the attacking midfielder could finally depart France after previously agreeing on a switch to Fulham.

The 21-year-old is seen as an incredibly talented attacking midfielder and is yet to make his France debut.

ARSENAL SET TO SIGN A STRIKER... FINALLY

It’s a position that has consistently plagued Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta looks to have began talks to finally recruit a striker.

According to the Daily Mail, the Spanish manager has reportedly began discussion to recruit RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal have previously been heavily linked to the Slovenian marksman, with a whopping price tag of $193m AUD laid down by Leipzig.

During the January transfer window, Arsenal had a bid declined by the German outfit as they were desperately hoping to land a target man.

The ‘Gunners’ also reportedly had a big for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins turned down, hoping to fill a hole left vacant for a large part of the season.

Midfield recruit Mikel Merino was often deployed as a striker under Arteta to close out the season, with both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus struggling with injuries and form.

Interestingly, Merino scored nine goals and tallied five assists in what was a successful move for the midfield recruit.

However, Arsenal will be desperate to secure Sesko’s services before their next Premier League campaign begins.

Real Socieded midfielder Martin Zubimendi is also reportedly set to complete a medical before he makes his switch to the North London club.

Accolades keep coming for Ange Postecoglou as the Australian received the John Duncan Award from the League Managers Association for winning the Europa League with Tottenham.

The award, named for Duncan who spent 30 years managing across the various tiers of English football after an esteemed playing career that included scoring 53 goals in 103 appearances for Spurs, is to recognise those who have achieved historic and notable success for their club in the season just gone.

Postecoglou guiding Tottenham to their first European trophy in 41 years, and their first piece of silverware in 17 years no doubt fits the bill.

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The award is not limited to just one recipient, however, with five managers praised for their outstanding achievements.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who led the Eagles to FA Cup glory and their first ever major trophy in their 120-year history, was recognised.

So too was Newcastle manager Eddie Howe after the Magpies ended a 70-year trophy drought when they won the League Cup.

Chelsea women’s manager Sonia Bompastor received the award as the Blues became the first Women’s Super League team to be unbeaten across a 22-game season as they won the league for the sixth successive season.

Renée Slegers also was celebrated for winning the Women’s Champions League with an Arsenal team that featured Matildas Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross.

The acknowledgment for Postecoglou as his future at Tottenham remains clouded.

Football.London’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold reported over night that Spurs chair Daniel Levy is unlikely to issue a verdict this week on whether the Australian will stay in charge.

It was reported that no meeting took place between Postecoglou and the club before he jetted off on his end of season holiday earlier this week.

The 59-year-old is at the halfway mark of the four-year contract he signed when he joined Tottenham from Scottish giants Celtic.

Several of his star players have made their feelings clear about the manager in recent days.

Centre back Cristian Romero, who wore the captain’s arm band in the Europa League final as skipper Son Heung-min started on the bench, also has two years to run on his current contract but has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid.

That would be a huge blow for Spurs as the Argentine World Cup winner was named player of the tournament in the Europa League, but his social media activity has spelled out his intentions.

“WINNERS!!! We achieved what we wanted this season as a group, and that’s what matters and….my name is part of the history of this beautiful club @spursofficial,” Romero wrote.

“I want to thank you all for the love and support every day despite everything, but I have no doubt that staying together led us to success. We must continue; this is the path.”

That last line comes after Romero reposted a tweet that said “Oh no, he is clearly signal that he would leave if Levy sack Ange, unfortunately the only two who has ambitions.”

He later deleted the repost, but the point was made.

Postecoglou invested heavily in teenagers Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray in the season gone, and when asked about the manager at teammate James Maddison’s charity golf day, the pair were emphatic that there is no need for change.

“A hundred per cent [he should stay], I think he’s done a great job,” Bergvall told Sky Sports. “It’s not been easy for any of us, especially because of all the injuries, but as he said, he always wins things in his second year and that’s true.”

When Gray was asked if Postecoglou should get a third season, he said: “Yes, definitely. It’s been a great season this year and it’s been a roller coaster of a season as well, not just at the end.

“We’ve obviously had some really tough times and we stuck together. He’s big on things like family and I think the main thing that helped us get to the final and win the final is our morals of what we’re like as a team.

“Like I said, family is our main thing. We believe in each other and it’s like brothers going out there on the pitch in the final and we just fought for each other.”

Maddison too issued a strong show of support, making it obvious to Levy that the playing group are backing Postecoglou.

“Yeah [he should stay], he’s been brilliant, man, like, even at the start of the season, saying: ‘I don’t usually win things, I always win things’. It’s one of them. We knew that would create a big uproar in the media with you like never shutting up about it, but never once did I stop believing that he meant that,” Maddison said.

“The season three line was iconic as well and he’s got them in the locker, the motivational mic drop moments.”

He added: “Managers and clubs, you don’t need a bigger example than Tottenham, can go long periods without winning trophies, 17 years, but he’s a man who’s always had success and he’s a man who I think his biggest strength is his self-belief in what he does, and that feeds off into us and that’s been installed into us in Europe this year.

“All the away games and even the ones early in the group stages and the round of 16 we had a really bad performance away at AZ Alkmaar and he went heavy on us because you just know he’s a winner and then we turned it around second leg and we’re in the quarters, and every step we got closer and closer and we believed more and more, and now we’re winners and no one can ever take that away from us.”

Ange Postecoglou urged Tottenham to end the “weird” speculation over his future as he promised to deliver more success for the Europa League winners.

Postecoglou’s side suffered a 4-1 home defeat against Brighton in their last game of the Premier League season on Sunday.

But the match was a sideshow to the debate about Postecoglou’s fate after the Australian ended Tottenham’s 17-year wait for a major trophy.

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Tottenham’s 1-0 win against Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday fulfilled Postecoglou’s bold boast that he always lifts a trophy in his second season.

However, the former Celtic boss has spent much of a turbulent campaign battling to quash speculation that he faces the sack.

Tottenham, in 17th place, suffered their worst top-flight finish since 1976-77. And although Postecoglou has won over the Tottenham fans who chanted his name throughout the Brighton game, the verdict from chairman Daniel Levy is yet to be delivered.

“I will be honest, I have been finding it really weird talking about my future when we have done something unprecedented,” Postecoglou said.

“I have had to answer the questions because no-one else at the club is in the position to do so, I guess.

“I have got no doubt, though, that this could be a real defining moment for this club, because wherever I have been, I have made an impact where I have brought success to a club that hasn’t had it for a while.

“You just have to look at those clubs’ trajectory even after I left, they are still competing for things. I really think this is a moment in time where this club could push on and be a real contender for honours on a yearly basis.”

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Levy’s end-of-message program notes published on Sunday afternoon failed to address Postecoglou’s future, with Tottenham linked to Fulham boss Marco Silva and Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

With the season now over, if the Spurs hierarchy make the call to sack to Postecoglou, he will have no regrets over how he choose to navigate this campaign.

“From my perspective, I made decisions that I felt were giving us the best chance of achieving the goal we needed to achieve this year and that has affected our league form,” he said.

“If people don’t want to take that into account, then there is nothing I can say to explain it any better than that.

“I came to the club and we had finished eighth. I didn’t take over a club that had finished second. They had no European football to speak of. Lost the one player who probably guarantees you European football. That was my starting point.

“At the end of two years, I’ve got the club a trophy it has been crying out for, Champions League football, we finished fifth last year. Either people are saying ‘last year it was a huge anomaly for us to finish fifth or this is what we deliver right.’

“I have got no doubt next year we will be in a much stronger position, challenging for the top places. I have got no doubt we will tackle the Champions League with the same determination that we tackled the Europa League. I have no doubts about that.

“If people are seeking any more evidence about me, then there is nothing I’m going to say that’s going to convince them if they haven’t seen it in the last two years.”

While Postecoglou believes he can take Tottenham to the next level after they finally ended their trophy hoodoo, the 59-year-old was tired of talking about his situation after an emotional week.

“You know my gut feeling? My gut feeling is I feel right now that I’ve done something that no-one believed I could,” he said.

“I shouldn’t be sitting here talking about it (my future). That’s my feeling, but it is what it is. Probably I am talking now because I’m tired, mate.

“You’re asking the person who can’t give you that answer. I guess, even for you guys, you wouldn’t be asking it if there wasn’t a doubt, right?.

“There is nothing I can say that will answer that question. Other people can, so from my perspective, it doesn’t diminish the achievement.

“Like I said, I am so confident about what we can build at this football club and I want to push on and take it to the next level. We’ll see whether that happens.”