Ange Postecoglou has poured scorn over the notion that Tottenham Hotspur could have been relegated this season, dismissing the subject as nothing more than “hysteria” that was “framed around putting pressure on me and the club.”
Spurs had been in a downward spiral over the festive period, dropping as low as 15th in the Premier League table, with an injury crisis derailing their campaign. But a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday marked their third victory in a row as the north London club eye a positive end to the season.
Before their recent revival, there had been some talk that Spurs were relegation candidates, but Postecoglou dismissed the idea that they were ever at threat of going down when it was suggested to him that his side were now safe from the drop following Saturday’s win.
“It goes to show you how ridiculous a notion it was to start with,” Postecoglou told a news conference. “People saying we’re safe with 12 games to go, and people are actually talking about it. That’s the hysteria. And that’s all framed around putting pressure on me and the club. I get that, when you’re in that position you’ve got to accept that.
“For me, it was always about trying … We always had the [Aston] Villa FA Cup game as a marker for us. We’ve got to get to that space as best we could. We obviously didn’t get the outcomes we wanted during that time. But not through a lack of will or effort from the players. That was always my primary concern, to protect them and support them. Because they gave everything during that period. Now they’ve got some help, they’ve got some rest.
“Like I said, we’re not happy where we are in the league, obviously, it’s unacceptable. But we’ve got an opportunity to address that.”
A first-half brace from winger Brennan Johnson helped Spurs earn their victory at Portman Road. Johnson picked up a calf injury against Arsenal in mid-January but returned to the starting line-up on Saturday.
Spurs’ injury-hit side lost in the Carabao Cup semifinals to Liverpool and the FA Cup fourth round at Villa but still have plenty to play for, with a place in the quarterfinals of the Europa League their reward if they can beat AZ Alkmaar next month.
“We have always tried to believe,” Johnson said. “When we have all the players back, we won the last two Premier League games and that’s something we wanted to keep in mind. We played good football [against Ipswich] but also defended well.
“When we have these experienced players back we know how to get on to the ball. They beat us last time and that was in our heads because we didn’t want to lose today,” he added, referring to Spurs’ 2-1 home loss to Ipswich earlier this season.
Postecoglou was delighted to have the Wales international’s scoring touch back, especially with the club’s main striker Dominic Solanke still out injured.
“We were always a threat. Sonny [Son Heung-Min] was unplayable in that first half [and] so great to get Brennan back. He scores so many goals for us in those areas.
“He knows when to arrive at the right time. He’s really clinical. He has missed a lot of football. From our perspective, these last two weeks have given us a breather and reset our football. I’m pleased the boys have embraced it.”
Information from Reuters contributed to this report
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