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Ange Postecoglou is yet to discuss his future with chairman Daniel Levy as the Tottenham manager waits to discover if he will be sacked despite winning the Europa League.

Postecoglou led Tottenham to their first silverware in 17 years with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in Wednesday’s final in Bilbao.

The north London club’s first European trophy in 41 years also secured qualification for next season’s Champions League.

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But, languishing in 17th in the Premier League, Tottenham are set for their worst top-flight final position since 1976-77 amid reports that Postecoglou faces the axe.

After being serenaded by thousands of Tottenham supporters at Friday’s Europa League bus parade, Postecoglou declared “season three is always better than season two” in a hint he believes that he will survive.

But, facing the media before the last game of the top-flight season against Brighton on Sunday, the 59-year-old insisted he remained in the dark over his future.

“I should have thought about it a bit more because as somebody rightly pointed out, sometimes they kill off the main character. I could be in strife there,” Postecoglou told reporters on Saturday.

“I said, even before the game, I really believe we’re just building something and a significant win accelerates that. I really believe that is the case and I am not going to put a limit on what we can achieve.

“I certainly believe it’s exciting the possibilities of next year knowing I’ve got a group of players now and staff and a club that knows how to win and wants more of it.

“Similar to before the game, I haven’t had any discussions with the club. Like I said, maybe they were just waiting for clear air to give me some guidance, but I haven’t heard anything from the club.”

Pressed on his chances of remaining in the job for a third season, former Celtic boss Postecoglou referenced American comedy Seinfeld and an episode where character George Costanza turns up for work after leaving his job.

Postecoglou, who has two years to run on his contract, said: “I just refuse to be distracted by anything in terms of the opportunity that was before us.

“And since the game, I just wanted to take the opportunity also to enjoy that as well.

“I haven’t thought about it. I assume at some point somebody will tell me something. If not, I’m just gonna roll up next year and be a bit like Costanza from Seinfeld. I’ll just sit in the desk and get on with my job.”

Ange Postecoglou has done it again.

Europa League winners Tottenham were saluted by around 150,000 ecstatic fans during an open-top bus parade through north London on Friday and the Australian treated them to a powerful speech — ending it with another iconic quote.

“I told them and they laughed. I told them and they didn’t believe,” he opened.

“And we’re here because of this unbelievable group of people, the players, the staff, absolute heroes, led by the legend, Son Heung-Min, Cuti Romero, James Maddison, and Guglielmo Vicario.

“All of them, heroes, and they did it all for you. Because you deserve it. This club deserves it.”

Then, came the mic drop moment.

“And I’ll tell you something, I’ll leave you with this,” Postecoglou continued, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy not too far away.

“All the best television series, season three is better than season two.”

VOTE: Should Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou’s side beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao on Thursday to end the club’s 17-year trophy drought.

Brennan Johnson’s first-half strike sealed Tottenham’s first European silverware for 41 years, making amends for the team’s dismal form in the Premier League this term.

A white double-decker bus with ‘Europa League winners’ emblazoned on it carried Tottenham’s players on an “emotional” journey to their stadium.

Jubilant supporters packed the streets to hail the players, with chants of “glory, glory Tottenham Hotspur” echoing as the bus rolled past.

Tottenham’s South Korean captain Son Heung-min held the trophy aloft on the top deck of the bus as his team-mates proudly displayed their winners’ medals and Postecoglou waved to fans.

An estimated 150,000 supporters were expected for a parade that was due to last around 90 minutes.

Tottenham players were seen partying in a London nightclub after arriving back from Bilbao.

And Dutch defender Micky van de Ven soaked up the scene at the parade and said: “Unbelievable man. Yeah I slept only a little bit since then.

“Emotional, so emotional. The season we’ve had, it was so difficult, but we got the trophy and we’re so happy. I’m so proud of the boys.

“If you experience this, you want to do it over and over again. We’re going to try to do the same beautiful things next season.”

It was Tottenham’s first trophy parade since winning their last FA Cup in 1991, while their last silverware came in the 2008 League Cup.

Postecoglou’s side are currently 17th in the Premier League, one place above the relegation zone, as they face up to their worst finish since 1976-77.

But Graham Roberts -- a member of the Tottenham team that won the 1984 UEFA Cup -- backed his old club to chase more silverware now the trophy curse is over.

“This will give them belief now. All that pressure that was there, that’s gone,” Roberts said.

“We have to strengthen our squad, but I think we have a great bunch of boys.

“They love Ange, they went round him, they cuddled him, they wanted him in the photos. The team spirit is there.

“We’ll get more now, the rest will come. Wednesday was one of the greatest nights. I had tears in my eyes. The fans were magnificent. They deserve it.”

Martin Samuel of The Times wrote that sacking Ange Postecoglou would be the “most Spursy move Daniel Levy could make”.

The Telegraph’s Matt Law, meanwhile, urged the Tottenham chairman to “be brave” and declared “now is not the time to sack another manager”.

Spurs icon Robbie Keane simply said that this is a team that “needs stability”. In other words, they need Postecoglou.

That seemed to be the general consensus from the UK media, pundits and former players after Postecoglou did what he always said he would, winning in his second year in charge as Tottenham overcame Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final.

Postecoglou said he had unfinished business after the game, telling TNT Sports he wanted to stay.

“I don’t feel like I’ve completed a job here, we’re still building,” he said.

However, all reports before Thursday’s final seemed to point towards Postecoglou being sacked regardless of the result given Tottenham’s poor Premier League record.

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But Law argued in a column for The Telegraph that would be a mistake.

“Now is not the time to sack another manager. Now is not the time to rip everything up again,” he wrote.

Instead, Law called on Levy to “show the kind of courage” that Postecoglou had in putting all of his focus into the Europa League, with the Australian admitting after Thursday’s game that he had rested players in the Premier League to make sure they were in top shape.

“Sure the Premier League campaign might have been horrible. But who cares now?” continued Law.

“Not the delirious Tottenham fans in Bilbao or those watching the victory over Manchester United at the club’s stadium in London. This is what the club has been dreaming about and longing for. Why sabotage the feel-good factor instead of feeding on it?

“Surely it would be an act of footballing cowardice on Levy’s part to celebrate winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League by letting Postecoglou go. If that was the plan, as it seems was the case, then rip it up. Be brave.”

Law went on to acknowledge that Levy deserves some credit for sticking by Postecoglou up until this point, even as the Premier League losses piled up, giving him a chance to make good on his promise and deliver Tottenham its long-awaited trophy.

“But it is now time to show some real loyalty,” Law added, writing that Levy can “make up slightly” for the “mistake” of backing his players instead of Mauricio Pochettino after the 2-0 loss to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final.

Of course, it isn’t realistic to argue Levy should be swayed by the emotions of the past few days when making a call on Postecoglou’s future, but Law rightfully pointed out there is far more to go off than just that.

There is the growth that Postecoglou showed throughout the season, as evidence in the more pragmatic approach he adopted once he decided to turn his attention towards the Europa League.

“Angeball has not been seen at Spurs for months and this trophy success was built on solidity and a series of streetwise performances. It feels strange to even write that in relation to Tottenham, let alone watch it,” Law wrote.

“In Bilbao, they wasted time, hoofed the ball when they needed, Postecoglou threw on extra defenders and they got over the line. The entertainment was in the winning, instead of risking it all by trying to be unnecessarily pretty.

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“The Australian has reacted to the circumstances. What is to say he cannot do so again by learning from his mistakes and ensuring Spurs can cope far better with the Premier League while also competing well in Europe? He has earned the right to try, at least.”

Tom Allnutt of the Times made a similar point in his column after Thursday’s win, in which he wrote that there are “two key variables” when it comes to deciding whether Postecoglou deserves another chance.

The first being Levy’s view of him as a coach and the second whether the win changed his relationship with the players.

When it comes to the first, Allnutt wrote like Law that “Postecoglou showed he is clearly a more malleable tactician than many gave him credit for”.

“His restricting tactics delivered in the Europa League latter stages, and against United he made the best of a line-up that was deprived of its three prime midfield creators,” added Allnutt.

“He settled for 27 per cent of possession and finished with a back five. If only he had been as adaptable in the Premier League.”

As for the second, Allnutt praised Postecoglou for the way he prepared for the final in a “way that resonated with the players”, including the inclusion of their family members as a focal point and public messaging in press conferences on how important the win would be for the club.

It stood in stark contrast to what Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim offered, telling reporters a Europa League win would change little given the team’s Premier League struggles.

As Allnutt went on to write, Postecoglou’s messages “engage” and he has “always been a storyteller to his core”.

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“A coach who knows the importance of narrative,” Allnutt wrote.

“Sacking any triumphant head coach would be difficult, but Postecoglou? It must be a chairman’s nightmare,” he later added, referencing how much harder it will be to sack Postecoglou given the way he has won over the public.

But as Allnutt also added, for Levy the “analysis will have to be a cold and rational one” and the Premier League results speak for themselves.

“The problem,” Allnutt wrote, “is the weight of evidence against him: the collapse over 37 games in the Premier League this season and, in truth, the slide in the 18 months ever since that breathtaking start”.

Although Allnutt’s colleague, Martin Samuel, wrote in his column for The Times that sacking Postecoglou would “be a hammer blow for morale” and “rob” the Australian of a “deserved chance to lead a new era” at Tottenham.

“This isn’t Erik ten Hag being kept on at Old Trafford after last year’s emotional FA Cup final win over Manchester City. That was a mistake, as Manchester United discovered,” Samuel added.

“They shouldn’t have been swayed by one glorious day. The modern United are serial trophy winners. Ten Hag had won the Carabao Cup the year before too, and it changed nothing about the club.

“He spent poorly, again, his players reverted to bad habits, again. It was all so predictable. Tottenham are different.

“We do not know what this could do for Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham — for the Tottenham of any manager since Juande Ramos, in fact — because actually winning something hasn’t been tried.

“The least Levy should do, and Postecoglou deserves, is to let this play out. Not just in terms of recruitment and pulling power over the summer — although a slot in the Champions League does neither any harm — but for what it could do to morale and self-belief. Give the manager what he wants, what he needs and see where it takes you.”

It isn’t just members of the media who believe Postecoglou has earned a third season in charge.

Club icon Robbie Keane, who was part of the League Cup-winning squad 17 years ago, said on talkSPORT that stability has to be the focus moving forward.

“It’s an unbelievable moment for Spurs, Daniel Levy and the manager, people asked me today do you think the manager will go, but how can you get rid of a manager who just won a European Cup?” Keane said.

“You need stability at the club and you’re not going to get that if you keep changing every couple of years, they need to build on this and build on momentum now.

“There’s no way they can have a season like that next year with the squad that they have, no way, so hopefully they add two or three players and can achieve something.

“... What I do like about Ange is his confidence, he believes in himself and his group of players, yes the season hasn’t been great, I’m not making excuses but when you’re missing three or four key players it can be difficult, especially when it’s guys at the back.”

Former Spurs defender Ramon Vega, meanwhile, said sacking Postecoglou now “would be one of the worst mistakes”.

“He has to continue the work he’s done, these players with his mentality and principles and quality of putting a team together, you can see they’re a team,” Vega said on talkSPORT.

“If the dressing room was not there I’d tell you sack the manager, but this dressing room works for the manager.

“Without a doubt he deserved this win, from the first day everybody was hammering him, but he stuck to his guns and when someone has the mentality of saying he’s going to win in his second season and everyone is laughing, this is the mentality I like. It’s confidence, it’s not arrogance.

“Ange’s mentality really brought a winning formula into this club. When he came to the club, who actually really wanted to come? It’s very, very difficult to manage, he took the risk and winning is the only answer.”

Manchester United and Tottenham will slug it out in the Europa League final on Thursday morning (AEST) in Bilbao, with both sides desperately seeking salvation from dismal Premier League campaigns through silverware and a golden ticket into next season’s Champions League.

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A potential £100 million ($A208 million) honey pot for reaching Europe’s top competition is on the line at the San Mames stadium between two sides languishing near the bottom of the English top flight.

Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils are 16th and with 18 league defeats are enduring their worst top flight campaign in half a century, since their 1974 relegation.

One place lower lie Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, beaten a club-record 21 times in the league, and on course for their worst season since returning to the top tier in 1978.

With both teams fixated on Europe, their plunge towards the table’s lower echelons has only accelerated in recent weeks.

United are winless in eight league games, their worst such run in Premier League history, falling at Chelsea on Friday in their last outing ahead of the final.

Tottenham also slumped to defeat at Aston Villa for their fifth loss in six league matches.

Spurs are twice winners of this competition, but their victory in 1984 was the club’s last European trophy and they have not won any silverware for 17 years.

They reached a maiden Champions League final in 2019 but came up short in another all-English battle in Spain, losing against Liverpool in a drab contest.

Postecoglou said last week that winning this week’s final “could be a turning point” for the club.

“For me personally, great, it’s another trophy I can reminisce about in my old age,” the Spurs boss said.

“But more importantly for the club, I’ve always said that it’s the significance of what it does to people that really impacts you.

“A lot of the success I’ve had has been really significant stuff. Yokohama hadn’t won the championship for 14 years, Australia had never won a continental championship, and Brisbane hadn’t won one.

“South Melbourne, my first job, hadn’t won in seven years and Celtic was one year, but that’s a long time in Scotland. They had to wrestle back the dominance they’ve had for so long.

“When you look at the historical backdrop of this club for the past 20-odd years, it feels like a turning point for how people perceive this club and how this club perceives itself, which I think is the biggest thing.

“Until you do it, irrespective of what else you accomplish, people are going to say you haven’t won anything. In our game, and in life in general, that’s the things that matter most when people asses where you are at.”

Despite United’s gradual decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, they did win the FA Cup and League Cup in the past two seasons under Amorim’s predecessor Erik ten Hag.

The Portuguese has endured a torrid time since taking charge in November, winning just six of his 26 Premier League games.

But the Europa League has been a different story as United thrashed Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, either side of a famous fightback from 6-4 down to beat Lyon 7-6 on aggregate in the quarter-finals that sparked memories of the club’s dramatic Champions League final victory in 1999.

Amorim, though, is aware of the scale of the task he faces to turn around the 20-time English champions.

“I’m not concerned about the final, it’s by far the smallest problem in our club,” said the former Sporting Lisbon boss.

“We need to change something that is deeper than this.”

Tottenham were once seen as not much trouble for an all-conquering United. Former United great Roy Keane revealed once Ferguson’s team talk was limited to a dismissive “lads, it’s Spurs”.

This season the London side have won all three meetings, twice in the Premier League as well as in the League Cup, with Postecoglou unbeaten in five matches at the helm against United.

“If you think about the odds it’s hard for the club to lose four times in a row,” said Amorim.

With players like Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, United have both experience and quality at their disposal.

“They know how to win trophies, Tottenham don’t,” said former United midfielder Paul Scholes, who played alongside Keane.

Despite the team’s diabolical domestic form the Portuguese coach is expected to stay, bolstered by the thrilling unbeaten surge to the Europa League final.

The same cannot be said for Postecoglou. The Australian is almost certain to depart if he fails to deliver on his promise to win a trophy in his second season in charge.

Spurs’ bad luck with injuries this season continues with midfielders James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski all missing for the final, but captain Son Heung-min is back fit.

They survived an Arctic trip in the semi-finals at Bodo/Glimt, but Postecoglou may still be frozen out even if his team triumphs.

“(If we win) it’s going to upset a lot of people isn’t it?” said the Australian. “Who cares if we’re struggling in the league ... I’m looking forward to it and it should be a great game.”

“I’ll correct myself,” Ange Postecoglou told reporters after Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal in September last year.

“I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year.

“Nothing’s changed. I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

It was a confident claim from the Australian, one that opened himself up to ridicule, especially with Tottenham having won just one of their first four games in the Premier League season at the time.

But Postecoglou was insistent. He would find a way because, again, he always wins in his second year.

It won’t be in the Premier League, with Spurs languishing in 16th — their worst ever league position in the 20-team era.

But Spurs’ Europa League dream is still alive after Postecoglou oversaw a clinical 2-0 win over Bodø/Glimt to book a date with Manchester United in the final.

And when reminded on Friday morning of the fact he said he “always delivers trophies in the second season”, Postecoglou once again stood by his words.

“Well yeah, I mean, you know, it’s just stating a fact,” he said.

“And we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing.”

MORE: Ange shuts down ‘raging’ Europa League debate in press conference

In the case of the Europa League, Postecoglou and Tottenham will just keep on winning and if they can continue that on May 22 against Manchester United, The Telegraph’s Matt Law went as far as to claim it would deliver “one of football’s great mic drops”.

While expectations of Postecoglou and Tottenham were high ahead of Friday’s game, not everything was working in their favour either.

Their two most in-form midfielders, Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison, were both out injured. Spurs struggled on the artificial pitch when they beat Tamworth in the FA Cup.

But Postecoglou still found a way, and it meant departing from what he knew best and what had earned the Australian some of his harshest critics early in his Tottenham tenure.

Postecoglou said after the game he felt there was “just too much risk to play out” when asked about Guglielmo Vicario’s tendency to take his time with goal-kicks before sending them long.

“We wanted to knock the rhythm out of them. I just felt tonight made sense for us to be a bit more direct,” Postecoglou added.

“Today was going to be a different game. We just needed to take our time and try to take any rhythm out of the game.

“They like to play at a high tempo, high intensity and we tried to take that rhythm out of them. We were still aggressive with our press and didn’t really let them get in our half too many times.”

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson called it an “outstanding performance” from Tottenham.

“Organised, structured, defensively sound. Not pretty, not a great watch but effective,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Dan Kilpatrick, chief football correspondent for the Evening Standard, described it as “Ange-ball but with hard edges and dark arts”.

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, meanwhile, credited Postecoglou’s pragmatic approach.

“The fact that Spurs did it like this, managing the game, shutting down Bodo/Glimt, frustrating the noisy home crowd, will be of huge satisfaction to Postecoglou,” Pitt-Brooke wrote.

“All season he has been criticised for being too ideological, too committed to his aggressive style of play. But he has managed Spurs all the way through to their first European final since 2019, masterminding a 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-final second leg and now this.”

More specifically, Pitt-Brooke pointed to the different ways Tottenham “turned to the dark arts” in order to “take time out of the game”.

“One of the features of Tottenham under Postecoglou has been their relentlessness, their commitment to getting the ball back into play as fast as possible. It is one of the hallmarks of Angeball at its most intense,” Pitt-Brooke wrote.

“But this was not a night for Angeball. It was a night for getting over the line. And it was striking from the start how happy Spurs were to take time out of the game, taking as long as possible over every re-start, to the fury of the crowd and the frustration of referee Maurizio Mariani.”

Pitt-Brooke went on to note the ball was in play for less than 26 minutes in the first half, which marked the second-shortest time from all of Tottenham’s Europa League first halves this season.

“From corners and throw-ins, Spurs waited, changed their taker, then waited again. From goal-kicks Guglielmo Vicario took as long as possible, before invariably going long, looking for Solanke or Richarlison. He was finally booked in the second half,” Pitt-Brooke continued.

“Later in the game, substituted players gently ambled off the field. And why not? Given the pitch, the opposition and the match situation, this strategy made perfect sense.

“Much like Spurs’ quarter-final second leg at Eintracht Frankfurt, it proved that Postecoglou is far readier than many expected to put his ideology to one side, in pursuit of winning this competition.”

The Athletic’s Elias Burke, meanwhile, singled out Postecoglou’s flexibility in changing the 4-3-3 formation he has typically run in the Premier League with a 4-2-3-1 variation in Frankfurt and both games against Bodø/Glimt.

“Credit to Postecoglou, his willingness to alter his Premier League approach for the Europa League has proven crucial in Spurs’ run to the final,” Burke wrote.

But regardless of whether Postecoglou wins the silverware or not, ex-Socceroos captain Craig Foster said on Stan Sport that the Tottenham coach has “already created a new level for Australian coaches”, having become the first male Australian football manager to reach the final of a major European final.

“Ange has broken a lot of barriers, and he has broken another one here. First Australian coach in a major European final,” Foster said.

“That’s big. Win or otherwise, it doesn’t matter. He has already created a new level for Australian coaches… for Australian football generally it is a very big moment.”

It was a very big moment in Postecoglou’s tenure at Tottenham too. He may end up being sacked regardless of whether Spurs lifts the trophy before the end of the month, but defeat against Bodø/Glimt would have all but sealed his fate.

Instead, Postecoglou has a chance to silence his critics. Again, it may not end up saving his job, but even if it doesn’t, as Law wrote, he can leave in a “blaze of glory”.

“How his critics laughed, when Postecoglou told them that he wins trophies in his second season at clubs. This, after all, is Tottenham, lads,” Law continued.

“But one more victory, over Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao, will force those who mocked him to eat their words and hand Tottenham a first European trophy for 41 years.

“It could also allow Postecoglou to exit Tottenham in a blaze of glory, leaving on his terms and having become the first Spurs manager since Juane Ramos in 2008 to clinch silverware.”

Tottenham kept alive their hopes of ending a 17-year trophy drought and saving Ange Postecoglou from the sack as they beat Bodo/Glimt 2-0 on Friday to book a Europa League final clash against Manchester United.

After winning the semi-final first leg 3-1 last week, Postecoglou’s troubled side weathered the storm in a second leg played in gale-force winds in Norway.

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro netted in the second half as Tottenham’s 5-1 aggregate victory secured their place in the final in Bilbao on May 21.

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United thrashed Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate to set up the showdown between the Premier League’s two biggest underachievers this season.

Tottenham have already beaten United three times this season, winning 3-0 and 1-0 in the Premier League and 4-3 in the League Cup.

The north Londoners are aiming to win their first European trophy since the 1984 UEFA Cup and their first silverware in any competition since the League Cup in 2008.

Tottenham’s last four finals have all ended in defeat, most notably the 2019 Champions League showpiece against Liverpool, while they were also beaten in the 2009, 2015 and 2021 League Cup finals.

Ending that dismal streak would fulfil Postecoglou’s bold boast earlier this season that he always win a trophy in his second season.

Despite languishing in 16th place in the Premier League, Europa League glory for Tottenham would also secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

Whether that will be enough to spare the beleaguered Postecoglou from the sack is another matter.

The Australian has admitted the general perception outside Tottenham is he faces the sack regardless of the Europa League run because their domestic form has been so bad.

With three games left in the top-flight season, Tottenham are in danger of their worst finish since they were relegated in 1976-77.

United are just one place above Tottenham in the English top flight after an equally woeful campaign.

Based just north of the Arctic Circle, Bodo/Glimt were the first Norwegian team to play in a major European semi-final.

Kjetil Knutsen’s side stunned Lazio in the quarter-finals after beating Porto, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiakos, Besiktas and Twente earlier in the tournament.

It was a remarkable achievement for a side from a fishing town with a population of barely 50,000.

Even members of the Norwegian royal family were in attendance to witness the biggest game in Bodo/Glimt’s history.

Playing in icy temperatures and persistent rain on artificial turf at the tiny 8,270-capacity Aspmyra Stadium, it would have been in keeping with Tottenham’s turbulent campaign if they had become the minnows’ latest scalp.

But Tottenham kept their composure, delivering a committed display to retain their chance of salvaging their wretched season.

Porro went close early on with a 25-yard free-kick that was superbly tipped over by Nikita Haikin.

In the howling wind, Patrick Berg’s swirling free-kick forced Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to claw it away at full stretch.

In contrast to their usual ultra-attacking tactics, Tottenham were content to sit back and hit on the counter, often slowing the game down so much that Vicario was booked for time-wasting.

The plan worked a treat as Bodo/Glimt struggled to establish any momentum before Solanke scored in the 63rd minute.

Cristian Romero rose highest to head goalwards and Solanke pounced with a predatory close-range finish.

Porro killed off the Norwegians six minutes later when the right-back’s cross dipped in at the far post with Haikin rooted to the spot.

Postecoglou could finally breathe a sigh of relief on the touchline as Tottenham celebrated a rare uplifting moment in a season of angst.

Ange Postecoglou is one step closer to securing Tottenham’s first trophy since 2008 after the Spurs booked their place in the Europa League final with a win over Bodø/Glimt on Friday.

Watch The UEFA Women’s Champions League Final LIVE on Kayo Sports | Arsenal vs Barcelona Sunday 25 May 2am AEST | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

The final will take place on Thursday, the 22nd of May at 5am (AEST) and this year is being held at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain.

Tottenham will play Manchester United in the final after the Red Devils did enough to seal their spot in the decider, having already won the first leg of the semi-final against Athletic Club 3-0.

The decider will bring together two teams in United and Tottenham who have struggled in the Premier League this season, with the Red Devils sitting in a lowly 15th with Spurs right behind them in 16th.

Both Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim have been the subject of much scrutiny, although the United manager said earlier in the year that the two situations were not comparable as he is under “bigger pressure at a bigger club”.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S JOURNEY TO THE FINAL

Quarter-final: Lyon

April 11 - 2-2 (a)

April 18 - 5-4 a.e.t (h)

Semi-final: Athletic Bilbao

May 2 - 0-3 (a)

May 9 - Second leg (h) — LIVE

TOTTENHAM’S JOURNEY TO THE FINAL

Quarter-final: Eintracht Frankfurt

April 11 - 1-1 (h)

April 18 - 0-1 (a)

Semi-final: Bodo/Glimt

May 2 - 3-1 (h)

May 9 - Second leg (a) — LIVE

Ange Postecoglou looks set to leave Tottenham at the end of the season even if they win the Europa League, according to reports.

Spurs are in the midst of a disastrous Premier League season and they currently sit a dismal 16th on the table, The Sun reports.

Monday night’s 2-1 “car crash” defeat to Nottingham Forest was their 18th loss — and they are now just one away from matching their record of 19 defeats suffered in the 2003-04 campaign.

But the season can still be saved by ending the club’s 17-year wait for silverware via the Europa League.

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Postecoglou’s men saw off Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals to set up a last-four tie with Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.

But lifting the Europa League on May 21 will reportedly not be enough to keep the Aussie in the job.

The Telegraph claim all roads appear to be leading to Postecoglou’s exit at season’s end.

“There is a growing sense that Postecoglou is likely to leave Tottenham at the end of the season, regardless of the outcome of the Europa League campaign, either through being dismissed or a mutual parting,” the report stated.

Speaking on SEN radio, former Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich called the decision “extremely harsh”.

“There’s a lot of strong rumours going around that maybe Ange doesn’t survive even if they go on to win the Europa League which I would find extremely harsh,” Bosnich said.

“Sometimes the rumours are actually put out by the clubs themselves to give the manager and team are kick up the pants, which you can’t rule out.

“It has been a poor season no doubt about that... 18 defeats for a team of Tottenham’s stature is not good enough.

“But I will say to all Spurs fans... forget about the (Premier) League right now. You’re not going to get relegated.”

He continued: “If he’s going to go down, he’s going to go down fighting.

“Which means go and win the trophy, put the ball in the club’s court... because regardless of what everyone is saying it will still be a huge call.

“I can understand the hurt and disappointment but they’ve just got to stick with it until the end of the season.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool legend Michael Owen declared that the Europa League has become the “be-all and end-all for Postecoglou.“He is really backing himself into a corner now because the more games you lose (in the Premier League), the more Europa matters,” Owen told Optus Sport’s The Final Word.

“If they can win a couple of games in the Premier League it lightens the mood in the camp and there is not so many angry questions directed at him.

It’s all pointing towards the Europa League and that is the be-all and end-all, so now if they go out in the semi-finals it is a disaster all-round.

“He’s got to at least get to the final to salvage what’s been a poor season.”

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is highly-rated by Tottenham chiefs, but the Cherries are determined and “optimistic” of keeping him.

Fulham manager Marco Silva is also among the leading candidates to replace Postecoglou.

Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his interest in returning to Tottenham - although he is set to manage the US team at their home World Cup next summer.

Spurs technical director Johan Lange is understood to be a fan of Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

It comes amid reports that their chief football officer Scott Munn is set to be sacked.

Munn is said to be Postecoglou’s “key ally and biggest supporter”.

Before beating Eintracht Frankfurt, the under-fire boss opened up about his future and admitted he has “got no idea” whether he will be at Spurs next season.

He said: “You either think I’m capable of doing the job now or you don’t. That’s where I sit with these things.

“If people think that us winning tomorrow all of a sudden makes me a better manager than what I am today or us losing tomorrow somehow makes me a worse manager, I guess that’s their burden, not mine.

“I don’t think that way and I don’t think most people think that way. Or I’d like to think they don’t, in terms of their own sort of self esteem and who they are as people.

“I couldn’t care less. Really. I couldn’t care less.

“There’s no burden on me, there’s no anxiety on me. What I’m sitting here doing is thinking we’ve got a great opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament.

“Mate, I’m not going to let that slip by without fighting tooth and nail for it irrespective of what may come the day after.”

Nottingham Forest beat struggling Tottenham 2-1 on Monday (Tuesday AEST), bouncing back from two defeats to strengthen their push for a Champions League spot and heaping the pressure on Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.

Forest came into the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in sixth spot in the table after losses to Aston Villa and Everton.

But early goals from Elliot Anderson and topscorer Chris Wood settled their nerves and they held on tenaciously despite a late goal from Richarlison to climb to third in the table.

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Leaders Liverpool have one hand on the Premier League title and Arsenal are likely to finish second. But behind them the competition is fierce for the top five places that will guarantee qualification for the Champions League next season.

Just three points separate Forest from Aston Villa in seventh spot, with five games remaining for all the contenders.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s visitors took the lead in the fifth minute following a corner when Anderson’s deflected shot beat Guglielmo Vicario.

Wood had the ball in the net five minutes later but it was ruled out by VAR for off-side.

But the New Zealander doubled Forest’s lead in the 16th minute, nodding a cross from Anthony Elanga past Vicario.

Spurs dominated possession and had more shots on goal but provided little threat.

Forest had a chance to make it 3-0 10 minutes into the second half when Wood cushioned the ball into the path of Morgan Gibbs-White but the midfielder skewed his shot wide.

Forest defender Harry Toffolo produced a spectacular overhead goal line clearance to keep out Dejan Kulusevski’s header shortly after the hour mark.

Substitute Spurs defender Kevin Danso let fly from range but it did not trouble Matz Sels.

Postecoglou brought on former Forest winger Brennan Johnson and forward Dominic Solanke with a quarter of the match to go.

Sels produced a superb fingertip save low down to his right from a Richarlison header with about 10 minutes to go as Tottenham upped the pressure.

The Brazilian did get on the scoresheet in the 87th minute, powering a header home from a Pedro Porro cross but the visitors held on.

Forest are two-time European champions but have not played in the continent’s top club competition since the 1980/81 season.

Spurs’ 18th defeat of a miserable Premier League season leaves them just two places above the relegation zone.

But Postecoglou still has a chance to win silverware in his second season at the club.

Spurs face Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the Europa League next month, with the winner of the competition guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League.

Fifth-placed Manchester City host Villa on Tuesday.

Ange Postecoglou saved his job after Spurs’ huge win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday — but one Premier League legend believes the Tottenham board could face a familiar dilemma.

Had Spurs lost in Germany, the Australian manager’s two-year stint at the helm of the North London club would have almost certainly come to an end.

Tottenham have endured a horror run in the Premier League, sitting 15th and only two points ahead of West Ham in 17th place.

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However, there’s optimism on the horizon with a semi final clash against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt looming, a match-up Spurs will go in to as heavy favourites.

Should they progress, an all-English Europa League final could follow, with Manchester United facing Spanish outfit Athletic Club on the other side of the draw.

But even if Spurs break a 17-year trophy drought, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Tottenham powerbrokers will have to make a similar decision to Manchester United’ bosses, who ultimately sacked Erik ten Hag.

The Dutch manager retained his job after winning the FA Cup, with the club’s new owners putting their faith in him during a time of instability.

Fast forward nine games into the current Premier League season and he was sacked.

“After saving Tottenham Hotspur’s season with a brilliant win in Germany, he should embrace it as the turning point of the season and, possibly, an entire reign,” Carragher wrote in a column for The Telegraph.

“Had he lost, Postecoglou would have done well to make it to the next Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on Monday night. Now he can see a path to keeping his job.

“Now Postecoglou has to make it count. It may yet become a ‘Champions League or bust’ shootout with Ruben Amorim if it is an all English Europa League final, but there is no doubt which manager’s position is most perilous.

“Amorim is sure to get a chance to rebuild United over the summer whatever happens. Postecoglou is still not safe.

“That will surely change if Spurs go on to win their first major trophy for 17 years. In that situation, Daniel Levy and his board will have the same massive dilemma as Manchester United when Erik ten Hag won the FA Cup a year ago.

“After Ten Hag’s United defeated Manchester City at Wembley, the United board made an emotional rather than logical decision. They were rightly criticised. All the evidence pointed to the downturn over the previous eight months continuing.”

Carragher went on to explain that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy may have to “choose between his head and heart” when making the final call on Postecoglou’s reign.

Instead of opting to stick with the man who potentially brought a title to North London, he will have to decide if Spurs will improve under their current manager.

Speaking following Spurs’ Europa League victory, Postecoglou responded to the criticisms of his tenure.

“I don’t care, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? That’s much is more important than what others may make of me,” he said.

“So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you’re going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer, so let’s see how that goes.”

Postecoglou also highlighted his side’s injury issues, which have seen their squad ravaged at different stages throughout the season.

Carragher was of the belief that sentiment is being directed at the Tottenham hierarchy.

“That is sure to be his message between now and the end of this season, most likely directed towards those who will decide his fate,” he wrote.

“Postecoglou’s claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season is yet to be proven incorrect, too.”