Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is determined to derail Liverpool’s Premier League title celebrations this weekend, even though he once supported the Anfield club as a youngster.
Liverpool will be crowned English champions for a record-equalling 20th time if they avoid defeat against Spurs on Sunday. But Postecoglou is not prepared to play the part of a passive bystander in what could be a historic occasion for the home side. Despite his childhood admiration for Liverpool, the Tottenham boss made it clear that sentiment has no place in his competitive mindset.
“I’m an almost 60-year-old adult, I’ve gone past my boyhood crushes, so it’s got no impact whatsoever,” he said. “Yes, I supported Liverpool when I was younger, but that was 50-odd years ago. We’ve well and truly moved on since then.”
His message was simple Tottenham are not turning up at Anfield to be part of the backdrop. He wants his side to challenge the title favourites and leave with their pride intact, if not more.
“You want to go there and compete against a very good side and compete well,” he said. “It’s not just about getting through unscathed, you want to get through having played well against the top team.”
Tottenham, however, enter the clash in contrasting form. A loss on Sunday would be their 19th of the season, equalling their worst-ever tally in a Premier League campaign. That stat alone provides plenty of motivation for a team still trying to show consistency under their new manager.
Yet, the focus within the Spurs camp is not only on domestic matters. Next week, they face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals a chance to edge closer to a first major trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008. Balancing priorities between league pride and European ambition will be a key test for Postecoglou and his squad.
Adding to the challenge, Tottenham will be without their captain Son Heung-min due to a foot injury. That absence leaves a leadership void likely to be filled by Argentine defender Cristian Romero, who has recently been in the headlines for comments about a possible future move to La Liga.
Postecoglou played down any distraction this may have caused. “I haven’t read the report too closely, but it’s like me if you get asked a question, you have to answer it,” he said. “If you ask me about my future, you’d probably get some great headlines too, but it doesn’t change anything.”
He emphasized that the team must remain focused on the bigger picture. “What’s important right now isn’t Cristian Romero’s future or anyone else’s future. It’s that we have an unbelievable opportunity to do something special at this football club.”
For Tottenham, upsetting Liverpool’s title party could serve as a much-needed morale boost heading into the crucial European tie. And for Postecoglou, there would be no sweeter way to show just how far he’s come from his boyhood allegiances than by frustrating the club he once admired on their own turf.
