Ange Postecoglou admits ‘until I’m told to stop’ amid Tottenham sack pressure
Ange Postecoglou has responded to suggestions he is losing the will to go on amid growing pressure on his job at Tottenham.
Tottenham suffered their 16th defeat of the season in a 1-0 defeat to London rivals Chelsea, in a match which saw fans of the club boo their players off the pitch.
The 59-year-old felt antagonised by the Spurs supporters for his decision to take Lucas Bergvall off in place for Pape Sarr, with the substitute later having a goal ruled out by VAR.
Prior to knowing the strike would later be chalked off, the under-pressure Australian appeared to cup his ear to his travelling fans, in which he has now admitted was a “mistake”.
His side sit 14th in the Premier League table with little to play for domestically between now and the end of the season. However the Tottenham coach has claimed that incidents such as these do not affect him and that he will continue to fight at Tottenham until his last day at the club.
Chelsea defeat increases pressure on Postecoglou
Speaking at his pre-match press conference prior to their game against Southampton on Sunday [6 April], Postecoglou replied to a question suggesting his demeanour was low and said: “Look mate, I’m fine, I’m fine.
“These things with the fans after the game happens. I don’t get affected by that, I’ve been fighting my whole career and I will continue to fight until I’m told to stop.
“I still believe we have a massive opportunity for ourselves this year [Europa League] and I’m not going to let that just slip away, whether that’s down to internal or external pressure.”
Will Postecoglou be at Tottenham next season?
Football Insider verdict
Tottenham‘s defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge marked one of the worst nights during Postecoglou’s time in charge.
Despite welcoming the club’s first choice centre-back partnership in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven back into the starting eleven alongside making some tweaks in attacking personnel, it was more of the same for Spurs who were ultimately flattered by the scoreline.
The visitors shared equal possession with Chelsea throughout the game, but failed to create any clear cut opportunities, ending the match with just two shots on target.
| Tottenham stats vs Chelsea |
| Possession – 50% |
| Total shots – 8 |
| On target – 2 |
| Off target – 3 |
Couple this with the reaction of the fans during and after the game, it appears the majority would like to see Postecoglou leave the club.
His gesture towards them for Sarr’s disallowed goal embodies a man who is under extreme pressure and perhaps knows his days at the club are numbered, despite what he says in his press conferences.
With not long left until the end of the season, it looks as if Postecoglou will be afforded the remaining games before any decision is made over his future, but barring a major uplift in form and Europa League glory it seems highly unlikely his Spurs career will stretch to a third season.