Ange claims he was 'at odds with' Tottenham hierarchy over one decision that has paid off

Tottenham Hotspur picked up a win over Manchester United in the final of the UEFA Europa League last night, and manager Ange Postecoglou will be delighted that he decided to prioritise the competition over the Premier League. 

The Australian manager has revealed that he made a conscious decision to focus on the Europa League after the end of the January transfer window, and his decision did not go down well with the Tottenham hierarchy at the time. However, he has clearly vindicated the decision by winning the tournament and helping Tottenham secure Champions League football for the next season.

He said to Football London: “I think when we got to the end of January, the end of the transfer window, and assessed our situation, I just made a decision there and then that this was the trophy we were going to go for. And probably was at odds with what other people at the club believed at the time we should do.

“Again, that’s understandable. But I just really believed we could win this. And everything we’ve done since then, everything we’ve done in terms of games, the teams I’ve selected, has been about making sure that when these games came around, the Europa games, that we’re in the best possible condition to tackle them.

“That’s come at a cost, for sure, in the league. And I’ve got to take the responsibility for that. I just felt like the end-game of winning something was more important, and it was the only way I was going to do it.”

It has been a disappointing season for Tottenham in the Premier League, and they are 17th in the league table. However, it is unlikely to matter, especially with the way the season is finishing for them now. 

The Australian manager is under tremendous pressure, and it will be interesting to see if the UEFA Europa League win helps him hold onto his job beyond this season. There have been rumours that he could be replaced in the summer, and Tottenham have been linked with several managers over the last few weeks.

There is no doubt that Postecoglou has his flaws, and he needs to find a balanced approach in order for Tottenham to succeed in the Premier League. His overly attacking system has left his team exposed multiple times this season. However, he is the first manager to deliver a trophy for Tottenham in 17 years. It will be interesting to see if Daniel Levy is willing to give him another opportunity to turn things around in the league. Next season.