Ange Postecoglou says European progress a ‘significant step’ for Tottenham

By PA Sport Staff

Ange Postecoglou has backed his Tottenham squad to continue to shut out outside noise after they made a “significant step” in their quest to salvage this season.

Postecoglou masterminded a 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday to send Spurs through to the Europa League quarter-finals and keep their campaign alive.

An injury crisis during the winter saw Tottenham slip down the Premier League table and exits from both domestic cup competitions in February increased the pressure on Postecoglou, who had the tie with AZ billed as boom-or-bust.

Spurs responded with aplomb to set up a last-eight clash with Eintracht Frankfurt in April, but first travel across London to visit Fulham on Sunday and the Australian paid tribute to his under-fire squad.

“It’s always a challenge. The reality is you are never 100 per cent successful,” Postecoglou reflected when quizzed on outside noise.

“Young people today, unless they lock themselves away somewhere, it’s going to infiltrate their world one way or another, whether that’s through social media or interactions they have with others, but I’ve said all along, I’ve never sensed the playing group splintering or losing belief in what we’re doing.

“I haven’t sensed that. That’s important to me because I’ve said a few times, as a manager, especially through tough situations, it can be a very isolating existence where you feel like you are the only person in the boat rowing in one direction, but I never got that sense from the players.

“Even (Thursday), we knew the significance of the night, not from the point of view from anything other than wanting to progress because we feel there is a great opportunity in Europe, but if things didn’t go well, the noise would have been amplified to the nth degree.

“I felt they handled it really well. Even though it was 0-0, they were still in control, we scored one, stayed in control, scored another, stayed in control, even when they scored, we went up and scored a great goal.

“It’s a credit to them. Whilst it’s a quarter-final of a European competition, it’s not winning a trophy, but for this club, it hasn’t happened often so I still feel it’s a significant step, I feel.”

Postecoglou also launched into an impassioned defence of his methods against “cheap and very shallow” critics during a lengthy monologue in Friday’s press conference.

He added: “I love the fact there’s a massive challenge there, people are doubting me. I do love it. I also think some of it is just ridiculous beyond its nature of being anything other than cheap and very shallow. I’m not talking about critical analysis.

“You know who the greatest nemesis for any manager is in today’s world? He’s only come to the surface in the last five, six years, maybe 10 years? Mr Hindsight.

“There is such a massive Mr Hindsight. The Killers should do a song about him, I’d definitely buy it.

“Anyway mate, we should have had this offline. I’ve said too many things I’m going to regret tomorrow!”