“I always win things in my second year.”
Eight months on, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou remains on course to deliver on his bold promise.
His claim came after September’s 1-0 home defeat to north London rivals Arsenal – one of the 21 club-record losses in the Premier League this season.
In September, after a defeat to Arsenal, Ange Postecoglou claimed he always wins things in his second season. With Spurs in the Europa League final, will the bold prediction pay off or come back to haunt him?
Friday’s 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa leaves them a dismal 17th in the table, while it was the 25th time they had been beaten in all competitions this season – the joint-highest in a single campaign in their history (level with 1991/92).
But bizarrely, this season might still be deemed a success.
The Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao offers Postecoglou the chance to not only make good on his silverware guarantee but end Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought and secure Champions League qualification.
That achievement juxtaposed with Spurs’ worst Premier League campaign would present the club’s hierarchy with a real conundrum over Postecoglou’s future.
“It would give [Tottenham chairman] Daniel Levy probably one of the biggest decisions of his life, because would you keep him? Or would you sack him?”, ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy (left) will have a decision to make on Ange Postecoglou’s future
“Part of you is looking at the Premier League form and going, ‘How can I keep him?’ because it’s been diabolical.
“But if he wins a European trophy – and these Spurs fans have been crying out for a trophy for so long – I think it would make it really difficult to sack him from that perspective.
“If they win a cup, that’s like hero status.”
Van de Ven: Everybody’s stayed behind Ange
The Essential Football Podcast team debate whether Manchester United or Tottenham will have had a better season than Arsenal if they win the Europa League
But such is Postecoglou’s knife-edge predicament, he could so easily become a villain.
The noise around the 59-year-old, though, has been shut out by his players on their road to the final.
Spurs defender Micky van de Ven told Sky Sports: “Everybody in the media were doubting us, and were doubting the manager, but inside here everybody kept believing, everybody knew the quality we had, and everybody stayed behind the gaffer.
“I think that’s made us a really tight group, and hopefully we can end this season strongly and perfectly with lifting a trophy.”
Redknapp believes Europa League glory would make up for their abysmal Premier League season.
“There’s an argument to say they’d rather win a cup than finish fifth, and I agree with that,” he said.
“And we all go, ‘It’s wrong’ but I don’t look back and say ‘Remember that year we came fifth, it was brilliant’, you look back and think, ‘I won a trophy’ – that’s the best time of your life.
“For Tottenham, this is an opportunity to change the narrative and the history of the club.
“If they win a cup this year, we will forget about that league position, it will be irrelevant because all the celebration will be off the back of that.”
‘Photos of us on the stadium walls if we win’
Flav and Flex pick a Tottenham and Man Utd combined XI ahead of the Europa League final
Glory in Bilbao would be Spurs’ first European silverware in 41 years – and the prospect of such an historic achievement is not lost on goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
He told Sky Sports: “I don’t know how many times during a career this [a European final] can happen, so it’s a big opportunity for us players and for everyone involved in this football club, for the fans.
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario says he wants to create history for the fans by winning the Europa League final against Manchester United
“We have this desire to bring the trophy here because for us it would mean we’d be in the history of this football club, we’d be on the photos of the wall inside the stadium, so it’s something we’ll look forward to try to do.”
The club’s all-time top goalscorer, Harry Kane, is already on those walls despite not winning silverware at the club. But he recently broke his trophy duck at Bayern Munich, tasting Bundesliga success.
Harry Kane lifts the Bundesliga title at Bayern Munich to claim his first major honour
There have also been trophy droughts ended by several clubs across Europe this season – Crystal Palace won the FA Cup to secure their first ever major trophy, Newcastle’s Carabao Cup success ended 56 years without silverware, and Bologna lifted the Coppa Italia to end their 51-year wait.
Tottenham can now become the next club to end their trophy hoodoo.
Van de Ven said: “Everybody talks about Spurs winning trophies or not, but you say that’s a ‘Spursy’ thing. It’s also a big thing to change that, but the most important part is that we are the guys that can change everything for this club and the long drought for no trophy.”
Can Spurs avoid another final-hurdle failure?
Spurs captain Heung-Min Son is aiming to win his first trophy at the club after 2019 Champions League final heartbreak
The Dutchman’s mention of the ‘Spursy’ tag will send shivers up the spine of Tottenham fans.
There have been several near misses since that 2008 Carling Cup win: three League Cup final defeats, a runners-up Premier League finish and a Champions League final loss in 2019.
For Sky Sports’ Roy Keane, these agonising final-hurdle failures are what give his former club Manchester United the edge in Spain.
Roy Keane thinks Man Utd’s history in big-game finals will give them the edge over Spurs on Wednesday
“I think the history of Man Utd carries a little bit of weight,” he said. “If you look at the league performances, then there’s not much between them, they’ve both been desperate, but I just think come the crunch, United’s history in finals and even winning a few cups in the last few years you’d like to think they have a bit more knowledge around the big game more than Spurs.
“I’m not sitting here confident Man Utd are going to win, but I think that might just edge it for them.”
Defeat to Man Utd would feel even more ‘Spursy’ considering their strong recent record against the Red Devils.
Postecoglou’s side have beaten them three times this season, while Tottenham are undefeated in their last six games in all competitions against Man Utd.
Watch highlights from the last time Tottenham and Man Utd met in early February
“This is the past. We cannot look back at the past,” insisted Vicario.
So what type of final is the Italian expecting at the San Mames?
“It’s about a game of details, of moments,” he said. “It will be a very tight game, so it’s about understanding and trying to not make mistakes, because the team that has the right mindset and the right discipline to make less mistakes than the other will lift this trophy.
“It’s a game to be focused for 90 minutes or 120 minutes, whatever it takes to lift the trophy.”
Redknapp has called it a “50/50” game as Postecoglou’s high-wire act all comes to its conclusion on Wednesday night.
It really is Bilbao or bust for the Australian.
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season
From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: How to watch Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals tonight
The Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The Thunder defeated the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs after a drawn-out battle that took seven games. The Timberwolves defeated the Warriors in five games, making it to the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row. The Thunder and Timberwolves tied in their regular-season series 2-2.The first game of the Western Conference Finals series will tip off at 8:30 p.m. tonight at Paycom Center, and you can catch this game on ESPN. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Timberwolves vs. Thunder series.How to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder:Dates: Series begins May 20, 2025AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTime: 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 1)TV channel: ESPNStreaming: DirecTV, Sling, Fubo and moreNBA Western Conference […]
Kurt Busch headlines 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class as first-ballot honoree
Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kurt Busch earned a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection with stats that show him as one of the sport’s greats.Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick — all three former NASCAR Cup drivers — will comprise the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class."I've been through a lot, and to have this is a nice icing on the cake so to speak, from how my career finished in the car versus where we are today, it’s a nice feeling," said Busch, who has not raced in NASCAR since July 2022 when concussions sidelined him."It’s fun to reflect back on all the different moments now."A panel of 48 voters plus one combined vote from fan online voting determined the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The two top vote-getters […]
Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs: A breakup is for the best
TORONTO — Players ambled in and out of the dressing room at the Maple Leafs practice facility on Tuesday, packing up sticks and equipment on the unofficial last day of the 2024-25 season.For Mitch Marner, it might have been for the last time as a Leaf.Marner didn’t make any declarations about his future two days after the Leafs’ season came to an end once again in Game 7, but he continued to signal what’s been increasingly obvious: his Leafs career very well might be over.AdvertisementMarner spoke in the past tense about his nine years playing in Toronto, for his hometown team, when asked about his pending free agency.“I’ve always loved my time here. I’ve loved being here,” he said, just under 10 years after he first became a Maple Leaf at the 2015 draft, which took place at the Florida […]
A.J. Brown: Eagles ‘for sure’ have to worry about Cowboys after George Pickens deal
<!--> Earlier this month, the Dallas Cowboys made a move to upgrade their pass-catching corps, acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. And the trade caught the attention of a member of the Cowboys' bitter NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles."I like that [the Pickens] trade. I ain't gonna lie. We're going to have to worry about them [the Cowboys], for sure," Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown said at a public fan discussion. "We're going to have to worry about them. No, I like the trade. I do like the trade. I like the competition. I like George Pickens. I like CeeDee Lamb. And that collab, it's going to be exciting to watch because all that does is bring the best out of us."So, if we know how they coming, we are going to have to step […]
Manchester City plan Kevin De Bruyne statue outside the Etihad
Manchester City have confirmed a statue of midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has been commissioned for outside the Etihad Stadium.Tuesday marked De Bruyne’s final City home game as he prepares to leave the club this summer, with the 33-year-old playing the opening 70 minutes of his side’s 3-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.AdvertisementHe was honoured on the Etihad pitch with a tribute video and presentation at full time, and City also announced a statue would be built to celebrate his 10 years at the club“It means I will always be part of this club,” De Bruyne said. “Whenever I come back with family and friends, I will be able to see myself so I will always be here.”De Bruyne follows his former City team-mates Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva in being honoured with a statue outside the Etihad, alongside […]
Patrocinadora pede rescisão de contrato com o Corinthians por divergência em cláusulas
Empresa pediu rescisão de contrato com o Timão (Foto: Divulgação/Corinthians) O Corinthians terá um patrocinador a menos para si, ao menos por enquanto. De acordo com o GE, a Appgas decidiu pela rescisão de contrato para associar a sua marca ao clube e presença no uniforme corintiano. Insatisfação A empresa, um aplicativo para a comercialização de gás de cozinha, foi quem requisitou à diretoria corintiana o fim do vínculo, que era válido até o final do ano. A justificativa apresentada para encerrar o acordo foi que esta ‘não estava satisfeita com alguns termos do contrato’, os quais não foram revelados. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE O contrato da companhia e o Timão foi assinado em fevereiro, com a Appgas tendo sua marca estampada no tórax da camisa, além de ativações em dias de jogos a serem feitas e presença nas placas de publicidade […]
Related
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: How to watch Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals tonight
The Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The Thunder defeated the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs after a drawn-out battle that took seven games. The Timberwolves defeated the Warriors in five games, making it to the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row. The Thunder and Timberwolves tied in their regular-season series 2-2.The first game of the Western Conference Finals series will tip off at 8:30 p.m. tonight at Paycom Center, and you can catch this game on ESPN. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Timberwolves vs. Thunder series.How to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder:Dates: Series begins May 20, 2025AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTime: 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 1)TV channel: ESPNStreaming: DirecTV, Sling, Fubo and moreNBA Western Conference […]
Kurt Busch headlines 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class as first-ballot honoree
Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kurt Busch earned a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection with stats that show him as one of the sport’s greats.Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick — all three former NASCAR Cup drivers — will comprise the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class."I've been through a lot, and to have this is a nice icing on the cake so to speak, from how my career finished in the car versus where we are today, it’s a nice feeling," said Busch, who has not raced in NASCAR since July 2022 when concussions sidelined him."It’s fun to reflect back on all the different moments now."A panel of 48 voters plus one combined vote from fan online voting determined the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The two top vote-getters […]
Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs: A breakup is for the best
TORONTO — Players ambled in and out of the dressing room at the Maple Leafs practice facility on Tuesday, packing up sticks and equipment on the unofficial last day of the 2024-25 season.For Mitch Marner, it might have been for the last time as a Leaf.Marner didn’t make any declarations about his future two days after the Leafs’ season came to an end once again in Game 7, but he continued to signal what’s been increasingly obvious: his Leafs career very well might be over.AdvertisementMarner spoke in the past tense about his nine years playing in Toronto, for his hometown team, when asked about his pending free agency.“I’ve always loved my time here. I’ve loved being here,” he said, just under 10 years after he first became a Maple Leaf at the 2015 draft, which took place at the Florida […]
A.J. Brown: Eagles ‘for sure’ have to worry about Cowboys after George Pickens deal
<!--> Earlier this month, the Dallas Cowboys made a move to upgrade their pass-catching corps, acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. And the trade caught the attention of a member of the Cowboys' bitter NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles."I like that [the Pickens] trade. I ain't gonna lie. We're going to have to worry about them [the Cowboys], for sure," Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown said at a public fan discussion. "We're going to have to worry about them. No, I like the trade. I do like the trade. I like the competition. I like George Pickens. I like CeeDee Lamb. And that collab, it's going to be exciting to watch because all that does is bring the best out of us."So, if we know how they coming, we are going to have to step […]
Manchester City plan Kevin De Bruyne statue outside the Etihad
Manchester City have confirmed a statue of midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has been commissioned for outside the Etihad Stadium.Tuesday marked De Bruyne’s final City home game as he prepares to leave the club this summer, with the 33-year-old playing the opening 70 minutes of his side’s 3-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.AdvertisementHe was honoured on the Etihad pitch with a tribute video and presentation at full time, and City also announced a statue would be built to celebrate his 10 years at the club“It means I will always be part of this club,” De Bruyne said. “Whenever I come back with family and friends, I will be able to see myself so I will always be here.”De Bruyne follows his former City team-mates Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva in being honoured with a statue outside the Etihad, alongside […]
Patrocinadora pede rescisão de contrato com o Corinthians por divergência em cláusulas
Empresa pediu rescisão de contrato com o Timão (Foto: Divulgação/Corinthians) O Corinthians terá um patrocinador a menos para si, ao menos por enquanto. De acordo com o GE, a Appgas decidiu pela rescisão de contrato para associar a sua marca ao clube e presença no uniforme corintiano. Insatisfação A empresa, um aplicativo para a comercialização de gás de cozinha, foi quem requisitou à diretoria corintiana o fim do vínculo, que era válido até o final do ano. A justificativa apresentada para encerrar o acordo foi que esta ‘não estava satisfeita com alguns termos do contrato’, os quais não foram revelados. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE O contrato da companhia e o Timão foi assinado em fevereiro, com a Appgas tendo sua marca estampada no tórax da camisa, além de ativações em dias de jogos a serem feitas e presença nas placas de publicidade […]
Be the first to leave a comment