After ending Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought, Postecoglou still faces scrutiny over Premier League disaster.
The Europa League trophy glinted under the Hotel Carlton’s lights in Bilbao, but as the clock crept past 3am, no one inside Tottenham’s private celebration room wanted the party to end. Seventeen years without silverware and over four decades without a European triumph had finally been broken. Spurs players, many still in full kit, danced, drank and basked in the joy of a rare, resplendent night.
Son Heung-min, the club captain, wore the bruises of victory – an accidental headbutt against the hefty 15kg trophy left a cut across his forehead. “Very heavy,” he grinned, the wound almost a badge of honour. The players, staff, and families had waited too long for a moment like this. A DJ played, champagne flowed, and even a musician from the Tottenham stadium took to the mic.
But amid the haze of glory, an unmistakable tension lingered: was this a final high for Ange Postecoglou, the manager who delivered what so many before him failed to? Or was it the first step of something more?
Postecoglou, who joined the celebrations with his family, had reason to feel vindicated. After the North London derby loss last September, he reminded everyone that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club. At the time, it felt like a rallying cry – or perhaps, to his critics, a hostage to fortune. Now, in Bilbao, it was prophecy fulfilled.
And yet, questions loom. The Europa League triumph was historic – beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final a powerful statement. But Tottenham’s domestic form has been nothing short of dreadful. They’ve already suffered 21 league defeats – a club record in a 38-game season. One more loss in Sunday’s closer against Brighton would equal their all-time worst league campaign from 1934-35, despite that being over 42 matches.
Champions League qualification has been secured thanks to the Europa win, but the Premier League collapse can’t be ignored – and Daniel Levy rarely ignores the numbers.
The chairman must now decide if one night of euphoria justifies a season of struggle. While the fans sing Postecoglou’s name with passion, and the manager has said he wants to stay, Levy’s silence speaks volumes.
When asked post-match, players danced carefully around the issue. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and defender Micky van de Ven deflected the question, preferring to savour the night. Match-winner Brennan Johnson, who struck his 18th goal of the season, offered a poetic nod: “If there’s ever a time for a mic drop, it’s now,” suggesting that if Postecoglou walked, he’d do so a legend.
Only Son came close to urging the club to keep him. “He won the trophy. Nobody else did it,” he said pointedly. “It’s not up to me or the players. But we just have to look at the facts.”
The fans, too, made their view known. Hours before kick-off, chants of “Ange Postecoglou” echoed through the narrow streets around San Mamés. And after the final whistle, as the players and manager faced the Spurs faithful in a sea of white, the chorus erupted again. He is their hero now – only Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw had previously brought European silverware to Spurs.
Still, as the confetti fades and the open-top bus rolls through North London on Friday evening, one question will hang above it all: did Postecoglou save his job – or simply seal his legacy?
