Ange Postecoglou's clear purpose for choosing Tottenham over Celtic as he digs out media jab at future

Ange Postecoglou has come out swinging in his latest Tottenham press conference as he battles speculation surrounding his future.

Out of the domestic cups and marooned in lower mid-table in the Premier League, the pressure is on the boss who left Celtic in 2023 for North London. Postecoglou remains revered in Glasgow’s east end for winning five trophies out of a possible six domestically after a failed bid for 10 titles in a row but what comes after this season at Tottenham is a consistent talking point.

In his latest presser, he dug out at an article written in The Mirror by John Cross that stated “even if Tottenham pull off a miracle and win the Europa League, they have to make a change.” Motivation must come from within according to the Hoops favourite.

Former Celtic boss fires back at Tottenham critics

Postecoglou said to Football London when asked how much anger resides in the dressing room to prove to people Tottenham are a quality team: “I think that feeling exists, but not because of that. I don't think that's a healthy motivation to have because ultimately you can't win that contest.

“I just think we're in that position that the good stuff we may do is going to be turned into a glass half full rhetoric and from that perspective I don't think that can be a driver in what we want to do. The lads are really keen to bring success to the club, keep driving the principles of what we started this whole journey with, in terms of the football we want to play, really stick together as they have through the toughest of periods and hopefully we've worked our way into a position where we can make an impact on our season, a really disappointing season for us. I just think there's a real determination to take the opportunity that they've earned at this point.

“I don't think you're going to win that argument of convincing people, well I think John wrote that even if we win it, I'm gone anyway. That's not having a go at you, that's just saying the general sentiment of people. So if you're trying to use that as a motivation, you're not going to win that anyway. There's got to be more in it for us and for us what is the most important thing as a group is that we've been through a really tough time but we're still in a position where we can make an impact and you don't know how often you get those opportunities.

“We're in a quarter-final and I don't know how many times the club has been in a quarter-final in European competition. You don't want to let that slip you by or have the wrong mindset going into it. I think the players are handling it well in terms of how they're trying to embrace this challenge. They're going to face a top team but they have the capabilities to overcome that.”

Why he left Celtic for Tottenham

He continued his thoughts later in the presser by explaining the reasons that made him swap Celtic for Tottenham in the first place, a clear need for a rebuild at the highest level. Postecoglou added: “The only reason I mention John’s article, is because I think that is the general sentiment. I have said before, that is not what drives me. I came to this club with a clear purpose and vision of what the club needed and what I could offer. That is to change the way the team plays, to obviously rejuvenate the squad because it was a squad that was coming towards the end of a cycle and to bring success.

“As long as I’m in this position, that’s always my focus irrespective of whatever noise there is or what there may or not been in the future. I don’t see that, that should diminish my burning ambition, my desire and my determination to make that happen. Anything you achieve in life usually comes with a struggle. Certainly everything I have achieved in my life has come with a struggle from a professional perspective. This is just another struggle, but never through this struggle have I lost the will to fight for what I think is the right thing to do and I’ll continue to do that.”