Ange Postecoglou proclaimed he would certainly be about “for a little bit longer” after Tottenham secured a Europa League semi-final area with an excellent 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Spurs were back in the last-chance drinkery and up versus it at Deutsche Bank Park after a 1-1 pull in the initial leg last Thursday, yet created among their finest display screens under the Australian.
Dominic Solanke’s spot-kick 2 mins prior to half-time cleared up the connection and was won after vice-captains Cristian Romero and James Maddison integrated.
It was Solanke’s initial objective in 12 suits and despite the fact that Tottenham missed out on chances after the break, they very well hung on to gain a very first last-four area in this competitors because 1984.
Postecoglou had actually confessed to having “no idea” if he would certainly still remain in a work hereafter connection on Wednesday with Spurs down in 15th in the Premier League, yet can currently concentrate on a two-legged semi-final with Bodo/Glimt in May with the club on program to win its initial prize in 17 years.
“I said yesterday, I am the same manager today that I was yesterday so if people think us winning tonight makes me a better manager or whoever thinks I wasn’t doing a good job yesterday, (they) should be feeling the same way,” Postecoglou described.
“I don’t care, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? That’s much more important than what others may make of me.
“So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you’re going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer, mate, so let’s see how that goes.”
Postecoglou was gushing in his appreciation for a Spurs group, which shed Maddison prior to half-time after he took an excruciating strike in the 38th min from Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos to win a definitive fine.
Amid whistles from Frankfurt’s loud standing area, Solanke rolled his fine past Kaua prior to Romero, Mathys Tel and Rodrigo Bentancur went near securing Tottenham’s flow right into the last 4.
With no 2nd objective upcoming, Spurs needed to stand up to a battery of late Frankfurt stress, yet goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario continued to be undisturbed prior to the full time whistle was met huge parties on the touchline and from the 2,800 away followers.
Postecoglou included: “Super proud of the lads. Going away from home, a quarter-final against a very good side, you know you’re going to have to work really hard, be really disciplined and we needed to score.
“We had to show the quality we had as well. To a man I just thought they were outstanding.
“Look, we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We’re in the semi-final and will play a difficult opponent in the semi, but it’s not about my belief in the team.
“What’s more important is the belief the team has had because after a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff, they could have left me in a pretty vulnerable place in terms of them splintering, but I’ve never felt that (even) with all the noise around our season.
“They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here and that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back, that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me.
“Not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we’re doing. That is crucial when you’re having a difficult season, but there is also a season of opportunity there.”
