Ange Postecoglou hailed his Tottenham players after they “climbed the mountain” and reiterated his desire to stay after the club ended its 17-year trophy drought with a Europa League final victory over Manchester United.
It was far from a classic at San Mames, but Brennan Johnson’s scruffy 42nd-minute finish alongside Micky van de Ven’s miraculous flying goal-line clearance in the second half to deny Rasmus Hojlund proved the difference.
Success in Bilbao means Postecoglou has delivered on his Autumn promise of always winning silverware in his second season, but doubts remain over whether chairman Daniel Levy will allow the Australian to still be in charge next season following a torrid Premier League campaign.
“Relaxed is not the word because I would be disappointed if we couldn’t continue on this path, but it’s not a criticism,” Postecoglou explained.
“I understand why it would be difficult for a club like this to buy into one person’s vision. I remember even when I signed, the club and even Daniel said, ‘we went after winners, it didn’t work and now we’ve got Ange’, but mate, I’m a winner.
“I have been a serial winner my whole career. It’s what I have done more than anything else.
“Obviously the way things have gone in the league, people are right to be concerned about, but I don’t think that’s a true reflection of where it is at.
“We’ve got a really young group of players and you can talk to them about success and what it means, but until they feel it, it doesn’t become real.
“I’ve got no doubt that all those boys – having this feeling – will want it again. And to get it again they’re going to have to make similar sacrifices.
“They’ve climbed the mountain now. They know what it takes to get to where we are. I think that does, it accelerates the opportunities to build a team who can be successful and play at a high standard for years to come.
“As I said yesterday, I still feel there’s a lot of work to be done, I think that’s quite obvious, but not as much work as people may think.
“People can bang on about 20 league defeats and where we are, but they’re missing the point of what we’re trying to build, or what I’m trying to do anyway. I really feel that this can be a great platform for us to kick on.”
