Tottenham Hotspur head coach, Ange Postcoglou, faced many questions after reaching the Europa League final with a 2-0 victory in Bodo / Glimt.
The Spurs seized the control of the night in the second half in Norway. The first Dominic Solanke slipped from the head of Cristian Romero by Mathys Tel’s Corner. Then, Pedro Porro made sure of the victory with a deep cross which struck the rear post and rebounded in the net to make it a global score of 5-1 in equality and pulled Tottenham in the final against Manchester United in Bilbao later this month.
Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold was one of those who asked the questions to Postoglou after the match. Here is a full transcription of the press conference at the Aspmyra stadium.
It was as if the players were perfectly glued to the plan tonight?
The players were exceptional. They were well prepared this evening, the staff did an excellent job to make sure that the boys were really clear about what we had to do. They did it perfectly. It has been well chronic in the past few days, it is a difficult place to pass, they have a really imposing home record, not only with victories, but with objectives, I thought that guys took care very well to do it very well, as they did throughout this European campaign, in particular the stages with direct elimination, and their credit, I thought they had done a remarkable job.
Do you have to be proud to reach a European final yourself?
I guess yes, this is an excellent opportunity. It is my fourth year in European football, many people have been in European football for longer than me, they have not reached a final. So you understand that this is something you need to appreciate. And I will certainly do that. I didn’t really think about it, because obviously the accent is put on this evening. Most importantly, really really happy for players and staff, and in particular our supporters. There were a few hundred here this evening which, I am sure, I will remember this night. And thousands of time at home. We gave them real hope and something to dream, that we can do something special this year. “”
You and United have both after the difficult seasons …
It will upset a lot of people, isn’t it! The debate is now raging, the last one is that none of us can get a trophy if we win, they will just take a team photo because we are not worthy. I mean, who cares if we struggled in the league? Why is it important? If it is so easy to reach a final, then why don’t everyone end up in the first three? This is a distinct thing. It has nothing to do with the shape of the league. We understand that our league form was not great.
We understand the difficulties we have had. Many of them are because of the situation in which we have been. But how it decreases the realization of going to a final. As I said, this club and others finished first, second or third of the Premier League, and did not make finals. Why should this be reduced? I do not care about who has trouble and who is not. I think we and Manchester United have won the right to be there. I think we have probably beaten teams that will be in the Champions League next year, on our way to get there. So, impatiently, it should be an excellent game.
Do you like to attack football, but that looked like a victory built on discipline and pragmatism?
I love winning. This is what I did all my career. People refer it, that’s good. But I like to win, and I like the way boys, as I said, clearly understood what we had to do tonight. The main thing for us was not to allow them to get a rhythm in their game. They like to play at a quick pace, because they use the surface, they take advantage of the uncertain opposition. But I thought our press was just exceptional. We have never really allowed them to enter our half with a kind of own possession. It is a credit to the boys that they understood what was the task this evening, and we always had the quality to score the goals we made.
United has constantly declared that this competition will not save its season, it would save the Tottenham season or is it different?
Why do I care what Man United think? Why is it relevant to me. Ask Manchester United Director why he said this. I said it’s important.
To reformulate, what does that mean for the Tottenham season?
GOOD,. To be fair, you know better than me. You have followed this club longer than me. What do you think that a trophy would do for this club?
I think it would be massive.
Exactly. It’s exactly true. So the question answers itself, it does not only need me … but what is going on now is that people fear that. That it could happen and see how we can demolish it and decrease it in a way by saying that it was a bad season and we do not deserve it where we do not deserve this.
Or in a way by comparing us to Man United. Maybe if we had the success of Man United, I might have a different view. But I got into this role, you know better than me, I could have been seated here exactly at the same time in fifth position and I can guarantee that the comment around me `well, it’s great but this club needs to win something ”.
This is exactly what everyone would say. So of course, it’s massive. Of course, it is because you have to caress it against what this club has gone through in the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have crossed.
Man United had their own trip to continue. Maybe if they spend 15 years without winning something, they will also change their point of view on things.
United has a talent for winning trophies in recent years, when you see the kind of professionalism and resilience that your team has shown in these big games outside, do you see that they are mentally ready for this final?
A final is a unique autonomous game, it is a little different from everything you do in the accumulation. But if you talk about resilience and adversity, this group of players had it in bucket loads this year and we have always found a way to manage it. We have lost players, key players and yet they have always found a way to stay together and believe in what we do. This gives me the conviction that the challenge we have to try to overcome a difficult opponent in a massive game that I know that the guys have in them to get up.
You used to watch big games in English and European finals with your father, what would a team do you in one?
There will be a time when I think about it all, but I have friends with whom I probably reserves tickets for Bilbao. For all useful purposes, I will be on the sidelines, but almost with the impostor syndrome that I should be in the stands with them because this is where it comes. It is my fourth year in European football and I had the chance to lead a team in a European final.
This is something on which I will look back, but I prefer to look back with tenderness with a positive memory during the day. But yes, not only my father, but my family, my wife who was here today encouraging with the external end. The merit and two boys during a school evening that I promised a trip to Bilbao. There are so many people you know who take the blows and feel it more than me. I am sure they are proud of me tonight, but more importantly, I am just happy to be able to give them back for all their sacrifices.
