Making ready for a match that may very well be a defining one in his Tottenham reign, there is not any trace of trepidation from Ange Postecoglou as he seems to be ahead to entering into the Liverpool’s fearsome Anfield den with a spot in a Wembley Cup ultimate on the road.
Holding on a 1-0 lead going into Thursday’s League Cup semi-final second leg, Postecoglou had extra harm dangerous information to narrate as he revealed key defender Micky van de Ven would not be match for the tie.
That does not bode nicely in a match that shapes as crucial for Postecoglou after Spurs’ latest travails.
Reserving a spot at Wembley and the prospect of his first trophy for a silverware-starved membership would symbolize a doubtlessly job-protecting evening for the Australian.
Defeat, although, would solely heap the strain additional on a person who would then be reliant on a serious Europa League or FA Cup run to deflect from Spurs’ present Premier League woes which see them languishing in 14th place.
But the 59-year-old nonetheless sounded in upbeat temper as he instructed soaraway Liverpool, the league leaders, had simply as a lot strain on them in such a giant sport. Spurs, he reckoned, had been able to “go for it”.
“It is a massive event for everybody. It is a semi-final. I do not suppose Liverpool can be any much less anxious than us. It is a massive sport for each golf equipment,” Postecoglou stated on the eve of the match on Wednesday.
“You recognise that, you embrace that, however finally if you wish to achieve success, these are the video games you need to be concerned in, so there is not any level having any trepidation about it as a result of the choice is you will be watching two different groups taking part in on the TV and also you’re sitting at house on a sofa and wishing you had been.
“So we’ll be there, we have an opportunity – and we’ll go for it.”
And would needing to guard a first-leg lead make any distinction to the way in which Spurs, so typically attack-minded underneath Postecoglou, approached the tie.
“It relies upon what you suppose our philosophy is,” stated Postecoglou.
“My philosophy is to attempt to win video games of soccer. If individuals have not understood my philosophy after 26 years of administration, I do not suppose something I say now will change that.”
Spurs’ new recruits from the switch window, Austrian defender Kevin Danso and Bayern Munich loanee striker Mathys Tel are each out there to be plunged into high-profile debuts.
“Kevin will play. Whether or not he begins or not, we are going to take a look as a result of we have now one other sport in three days,” stated Postecoglou, who was fast to stress the signings hadn’t been made as panic buys within the face of the staff’s ongoing harm disaster.
“We would not be signing 19 and 20-year-olds reactively. If it was reactive, I’d be signing 35-year-olds. The character of the gamers we have now signed reveals they don’t seem to be nearly now. They’re about us persevering with to construct.”
Liverpool even have a key absentee by way of harm with supervisor Arne Slot revealing Trent Alexander-Arnold was nonetheless fighting a thigh harm.
“He left the pitch with a little bit of a ache in his leg at Bournemouth. He’s already again on the pitch with the rehab coach so let’s have a look at how lengthy it’s going to take,” stated the Dutchman.
