Despite being under pressure to retain his job, Ange Postecoglou insisted he is a “winner” who wants to keep building after Tottenham beatManchester United1-0 to claim the Europa League, the club’s first piece of silverware since 2008.
And while Brennan Johnson’s 42nd-minute strike sealed Spurs’ first continental trophy in 41 years, Ruben Amorim stated he would quit as United head coach if the club’s executive and supporters no longer believed in him.
For Postecoglou the triumph was vindication amid a poor Premier League campaign that has Spurs in 17th position on the back of 21 losses, leading to much scrutiny of the Australian’s position. “All I’ve done in my career is win,” he said. “Even Daniel [Levy, Spurs’ chairman] said: ‘We’ve gone for winners [in the past] and now we have Ange.’ Mate, I’m a winner.
“We’re still building this team. We need to add some experience to it. I’m the manager of the football club, that decision is not in my hands. All I care about is this thing [his medal]. There are no meetings planned – no one has said anything to me.
“All I know is I’m going to go back to my hotel room, open a bottle of scotch, have a couple of quiet ones and prepare for a big parade on Friday. I don’t feel like I’ve completed the job yet, we’re still building. The moment I took the job, I wanted to win something. We’ve done that. It’s the toughest thing I’ve ever done.
“The moment I accepted the role [as manager] I had one thing in my head, and that was to win something,” Postecoglou added. “More than anything else I had that in my head, and we’ve done that now so I want to build on it. I am super proud – this is one for the true believers. I’m still taking it all in. I know what it means for this football club. The longer it goes, the harder it is to break that cycle.
“I could sense the nerves in everyone at the club and until you take that monkey off your back, you never understand what it feels like.
“We have a young group and I hope by tasting this, the players feel different about themselves and what it means to them is unbelievable. I’ve always felt knockout football is different to league football and when you’re in that situation it comes down to good organisation, having a real gameplan and moments and you can minimise moments by having a strong foundation.”
In September Postecoglou declared he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club: “I always win things in my second season. Of this he said: “People misinterpreted me. It was not me boasting, just me making a declaration and I believed it. I had this thing inside me more than anything else. I know our league form has been unacceptable, but coming third was not going to change this football club, winning a trophy would, that was my ambition and I was prepared to wear it if it did not happen. People kept reminding me of it because we were getting closer but I’m happy with that.”
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When Amorim took charge of United in early November they were seven points from a Champions League qualifying berth; with one game of the season remaining they are 27 points adrift. Amorim was asked what confidence he has that he can turn United around. “I have nothing to show to the fans, so in this moment it is a little bit of faith,” the Portuguese admitted. “Let’s see. I am always open, if the board and fans feel I am not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation, but I will not quit. I am really confident in my job. And as you see I will not change nothing in the way I do things.”
This is only the second time in 35 years United have not qualified for European, the previous time being Louis van Gaal’s opening season of 2014-15. If they had won the final Amorim’s team would have played Champions League football next season, which would have been worth approximately £100m
“We have two plans for the market and we have to understand it is tough for a club like ours not to be in the Champions League,” the manager said.