Ange Postecoglou has delivered the greatest triumph of his career, clutching a potentially job-saving lifeline by steering beleaguered Tottenham Hotspur to Europa League glory in Spain.
The trailblazer became the first Australian manager to win a trophy in a major European club competition as Spurs beat fellow Premier League strugglers Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao for their first trophy in 17 years.
A scrappy first-half goal from Brennan Johnson was ultimately enough to give Tottenham victory in a poor-quality match during which they had to survive a wave of late pressure from Ruben Amorim’s United.
But, will the victory be enough to save Postecoglou’s job?
As a beaming Postecoglou celebrated the victory at the San Mames Stadium, the only question that remained was whether victory, which guarantees Champions League football for Spurs next season, would be enough to save the 59-year-old from the sack.
It’s said he is already doomed, regardless of the result. If so, what a glorious way for “Big Ange” to make what matchwinner Johnson called a glorious “mike drop” exit — with Tottenham’s first European trophy for 41 years.
But Postecoglou chose this moment of glory to declare his intent: “I do [want to stay]. I don’t feel like I’ve completed the job here.”
“The moment I accepted the role, I had one thing in my head, and that is to win something — and we’ve done that now. I want to build on it,” he said.
Goalscorer Johnson paid tribute to Postecoglou, saying: “He’s done his job. He says he wins in his second year and he has — and if there’s ever a time for a mike drop, it’s now.”
But referring to his now-celebrated early season observation that he always wins a trophy in his second season, Postecoglou reflected: “It wasn’t me boasting. It was me just making a declaration — and I believed it.”
Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson celebrates after winning against Manchester United. Source: AP / Jose Breton
“I know our league form’s been terrible [finishing 17th], nowhere near good enough and unacceptable, but us finishing third wasn’t going to change his football club. The only thing that was going to change this football club is us winning something, and when I said that, that was my intent,” Postecoglou said.
“If I fell short. I was happy to cop it, but I believed it inside me. That was my ambition. I wanted it stated — and I was prepared to wear it if it didn’t happen.”
It did happen — and his players wanted to remind everyone about Postecoglou’s quote as they carried around a banner proclaiming it. There’s no question they’re 100 per cent behind Postecoglou and his Australian staff, Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo and Mile Jedinak.
