Neville feels sick ahead of Tottenham v Man United after what Postecoglou said
Gary Neville is feeling nervous after Ange Postecoglou’s admission ahead of the UEFA Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United.
Postecoglou has had a difficult season at Tottenham, decimated by injuries, Premier League disappointment and countless defeats that Spurs supporters would rather forget.
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Given the circumstances, facing United in the Europa League final at the Estadio de San Mamés on Wednesday (21 May) seems like a miracle.
The final will be important for the future of Tottenham and Postecoglou, and the 59-year-old’s claim ahead of the showdown in Bilbao has left former Manchester United defender Neville feeling unsettled.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou has a chance to win the Europa League with Tottenham (Credit: Imago)
Neville feeling nervous after Postecoglou’s second season remark
The Europa League final will not only clarify the next steps for Postecoglou but also the extent to which Tottenham can prepare for the new season.
A victory in the final and subsequent qualification for the UEFA Champions League would give Spurs the financial boost to invest in the club this summer.
Premier League MP W D L Pts
17. Tottenham 37 11 5 21 38
Tottenham have disappointed in the Premier League
However, if silverware does not decorate the cabinets of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Lilywhites will lose vital freedom to act in the transfer window, as well as a trophy.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast (18 May), Neville stated that as a former Man United player and current fan, he felt sick ahead of the final on Wednesday.
“Ange, many say that no matter what happens, he may not stay at Spurs. He said earlier in the season that he would win silverware in his second season, and he’s on the brink of doing so,” Neville said.
“It’s huge on Wednesday, and I said the moment those two teams went through that I have a sick feeling about it. I won’t look forward to it, to be honest with you, from the point of view of a United fan.”
Neville has spoken out ahead of Tottenham v Manchester United
Tottenham must invest for next season
If Tottenham do qualify for the Champions League, Daniel Levy must invest this summer.
However, while European football guarantees more time and resources to invest, Tottenham must still find a way to strengthen the team this summer.
Whether that means being smart in selling players and collecting a fee, or promoting a couple of academy talents to the first team, the North London club must have a clear plan of action going forward.
Thus, if Postecoglou’s time in North London is coming to an end, or even in the unlikely event that the 59-year-old continues with Tottenham, he or his replacement must not be set up to fa
il next season.
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Spurs are on course for a historically poor Premier League campaign, which goes a long way to explaining the “negative” view of their season which has so frustrated Postecoglou, and the question ahead of Thursday’s first leg in north London is whether his side can raise their levels in Europe.
The return of Spurs’ injured players has done little to improve their performances in the league, though they did enough to relegate sorry Southampton on Sunday, and their record of 16 defeats in 31 matches this term has left Postecoglou under intense pressure and fearing for his job.
Spurs have increasingly looked like a team less than the sum of its parts and prone to demonstrating the worst flaws of Postecoglou’s high-risk approach – a lack of control, openness and difficulty in creating chances – without any of the upsides.
Spurs, though, have long since written off the top-flight and Postecoglou can take comfort from the fact that Europe has so often offered unconvincing teams a respite from a difficult league season.
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There are plenty of examples of clubs who have saved themselves for European matches, including Spurs on their own run to the Champions League final in 2019, when they came through games against Barcelona, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax, only to lose heartbreakingly to Liverpool in Madrid.
Spurs have increasingly looked like a team less than the sum of its parts and prone to demonstrating the worst flaws of Postecoglou’s high-risk approach
That year, Mauricio Pochettino’s side limped over the finish line in the Premier League, winning only two of their final 12 top-flight matches.
There is even a case that Spurs do not need to dramatically improve to win the Europa League, just raise their intensity in bursts when it really matters.
Again, there are countless sides who have gone all the way in Europe without ever seeming to play especially well; Real Madrid are the most obvious example in the Champions League – at least before Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, which has added even more pressure to Spurs on Thursday.
English clubs tend to have a financial advantage over practically every opponent in the Europa League – a dynamic true of Spurs and Frankfurt – and Premier League teams who take the competition seriously usually do well, going right back to Fulham in 2010 and Middlesbrough in 2006.
In their last-16 second leg against AZ Alkmaar, Spurs demonstrated that they could win comfortably, without producing a complete performance. They were middling for periods of the game, notably at 2-0, but managed to step it up with a brilliant third goal, which stands as the best example of ‘Ange-ball’ this season.
If they stay in the game against Frankfurt, and then turn up the tempo in devastating spells, as they so often did in Postecoglou’s first season in charge, it may be enough to get them through and past Bodo/Glimt or Lazio in the semi-finals, too.
Frankfurt, who sit third in the Bundesliga, should pose a significantly sterner challenge than AZ, particularly at their deafening home ground next week – increasing the urgency for Spurs to get a result at home.
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Action Images via Reuters
They also have history in this competition, having won the Europa League under Oliver Glasner in 2022. The Crystal Palace boss, who has said he will visit his former club on the eve of the match, was the latest coach to be linked with Postecoglou’s job on Wednesday, perhaps explaining the Australian’s mood.
Frankfurt are likely to set up to frustrate Spurs and will be happy to counter-punch in north London, a strategy which has proven effective at stopping Postecoglou’s side in the past.
The Spurs head coach is unlikely to spring many surprises in his XI but faces a choice between Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert on the right of the front three. Odobert’s dribbling and unpredictability can help to unlock tight defences and he scored twice in the decider against AZ in a standout display.
Johnson, though, is Spurs’ top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions this season, and Postecoglou suggested that he’s 12has always been first choice in the position. Micky van de Ven will return at centre-back, leaving Postecoglou with nearly his strongest XI available, barring Dejan Kulusevski (foot).
