Postecoglou's Spurs Face Crunch Matches as Season Slips Away

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou's season hangs in the balance as the team faces crucial matches in the Europa League. Can they salvage glory and save his job?

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou acknowledged that some things have gone “disastrously wrong” during his reign, and he's now relying on the Europa League to salvage the season. With the team 16th in the Premier League, Postecoglou's job is under threat.

A loss to Liverpool on Sunday would match Tottenham's record number of top-flight defeats in a season. Meanwhile, Liverpool needs just a draw to secure the title, putting further pressure on Postecoglou, whose future hinges on success in the Europa League.

“So, time will tell whether what I've tried to do over the last two years gets us to crack that stone. If not, maybe I haven't, but you won't know that and you won't know how much I've had an impact until we get to that place.

“What it says is, if you keep doing the right thing, the impact it has is unseen because you won't break it with the 101st blow unless you've done a lot of things which, to the naked eye, seems like you're doing nothing or maybe the wrong thing. But the stonecutter knows you need to keep doing it because it'll come.”

Tottenham hosts Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final first leg, with the team's season hanging by a thread. The Spurs haven't won a major trophy since the 2008 League Cup.

“I talk to the players a lot about the Stonecutter's creed,” Postecoglou said. “Only the 101st blow cracks the rock, but no one sees the other 100 blows. And they think it's the last one that does it. It's not.” Postecoglou shared this story to illustrate that breakthroughs often come after prolonged effort, and the precise moment of success can be unpredictable.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou had earlier boasted that he always wins a trophy in his second season in charge, and despite the team's struggles, they still have a chance to back up his claim. “I'm trying to change the perception of the club,” Postecoglou said. “I think there is this narrative of trying to set this club up for some sort of fall, consistently and there is no allowance for any kind of building of foundations for something a bit different than before.”

The latest team news from Ange ahead of Sunday's trip to Anfield 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/7vJpu7L8zx

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 25, 2025

Postecoglou aims to prove his doubters wrong, acknowledging the challenges of building a new foundation at the club. “The one thing you do know is you know what doesn't work here,” he said. “Yes, I'm trying to do things very differently.”