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Postecoglou: Time will tell if I win a trophy in my second year (1:09)
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou says his “was stating facts” when he made comments about winning a trophy in the second season at his previous clubs. (1:09)
Mar 13, 2025, 07:33 PM ET
Tottenham Hotspur set up a Europa League quarterfinal matchup with Eintracht Frankfurt with a 3-2 aggregate win over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, with Ange Postecoglou saying afterwards it is “no coincidence” that his side are improving now they have some key players back from injury.
Two goas from winger Wilson Odobert either side of James Maddison‘s pinpoint finish secured victory for Postecoglou’s side in north London and kept their hopes of winning the club’s first trophy in 17 years alive.
An injury crisis that left them without a host of senior players including Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke has contributed to Spurs’ dismal Premier League campaign but with several of them having now returned, Postecoglou is eyeing a positive end to the season.
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur are hoping they will be able to deliver the third major European trophy in the club’s history come the end of the season. Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Asked whether the team felt more like themselves, Postecoglou told a post-match news conference: “Yeah, well it’s no coincidence. We’re getting some of our key players back and of course we are [looking like ourselves]. We’ve got guys who are getting decent recovery between games and we can change the team a fair bit. Don’t forget Sonny [Son Heung-Min] and Madders [James Maddison] didn’t start at the weekend.
“We can do these things that allow us to prepare the team properly. We did look more like ourselves but we’ve still got levels to go, because I still think players like Romero, Micky and Wilson and Dom and all these guys are still building their way up to match fitness and match sharpness.
“With the quarterfinal being three-and-a-half weeks away, there’s an opportunity for us to get these guys up to speed for that game.”
Odobert’s first season at Spurs has been blighted by injury but the French youngster belatedly made his mark with his first goals for the club to send them through at Alkmaar’s expense on Thursday.
The 20-year-old’s second goal from a counter-attack settled the home jitters after his mix-up with team mate Lucas Bergvall allowed AZ’s Peer Koopmeiners to level the aggregate score.
It was quite a night for the Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate who joined Spurs from Burnley in August but who suffered a serious hamstring injury in September that has sidelined him for much of the season.
“Super pleased for him as he’s worked awfully hard,” Postecoglou said.
“I was excited when we signed him. He’s just one of these players who has the ability to take people on, find space and is a great technician.
“He came to a new club this year, big club, a big move for him, and it just hasn’t worked out with no fault of his own because of his injury. It’s been frustrating for me not to be able to showcase him. I know how much he can develop and that’s just a starting point for him.”
Information from Reuters contributed to this report
