Ange Postecoglou launched a defiant defence of his Tottenham Hotspur side after guiding them to the Europa League final with a 2-0 victory over Bodo/Glimt in Arctic Norway on Thursday night, brushing aside criticism of their league form as Spurs remain on course to end a 17-year trophy drought.
Second-half goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro sealed a 5-1 aggregate win for the North London club and set up a mouth-watering all-English final against Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21.
Tottenham’s last piece of silverware came in the 2008 League Cup, and their progress to only a second European final in four decades has come in spite of a turbulent Premier League campaign which sees them languishing in 16th.
The Australian manager, however, dismissed suggestions that the Europa League run is a smokescreen for domestic failings, and said reaching the final was a significant achievement in its own right.
“It’s going to upset a lot of people, isn’t it?” Postecoglou said, bristling in his post-match press conference. “The latest thing now is that neither of us [Spurs or United] should get a trophy if we win, we’ll just get a team photo because apparently we’re not worthy.
“Who cares if we’re struggling in the league? Why is that even relevant? If it’s so easy to get to a final, why doesn’t everyone who finishes in the top three manage it?”
The Spurs manager, who has faced growing scrutiny over his future amid their domestic slump, referenced the club’s long-standing struggles in major competitions.
“Of course it’s massive. Frame it against what this club and these supporters have been through over the last 15, 20 years. We’ve given them something real to hope for. That matters,” Postecoglou added.
The semi-final, played under freezing conditions in the Arctic Circle, proved to be a challenge for Spurs, but Bodo/Glimt’s fairytale run finally came to an end. The Norwegian champions, from a town with a population of just 55,000, were undone by Tottenham’s quality and experience.
“We should congratulate Tottenham for a good plan,” said Bodo coach Kjetil Knutsen. “They took away our tempo, and we never really got into the match. They had the energy and the power – they wanted it more.”
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s opponents in the final, Manchester United, completed a commanding 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Bilbao with a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford, thanks in large part to a Mason Mount double and goals from Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, United manager Ruben Amorim admitted the Red Devils’ vulnerabilities remain evident.
“We have many weaknesses, but we’re fighting,” said Amorim. “If you look at both games, we deserve to be in the final.”
The May 21 final offers both clubs a route to salvage their seasons. Like Tottenham, United have struggled in the Premier League and sit just one point ahead in 15th.
“We’re struggling, both of us,” Amorim said. “But in a final, everything is different. It’s all or nothing now.”
Tottenham have already beaten United three times this season, but Postecoglou isn’t reading too much into past results.
“What matters now is May 21,” he said. “We’ve earned the right to be there. And we plan to make it count.”
