'He fights on' - National media give Ange Postecoglou sack verdict after crucial Europa League win

Ange Postecoglou has potentially saved his job at Tottenham following his side's 3-1 victory (3-2 on aggregate) against AZ Alkmaar to reach the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday.

The London club had to overcome a one-goal deficit following last week's narrow defeat in the Netherlands. 20-year-old Wilson Odobert scored twice and James Maddison was also on the scoresheet to secure the win on home soil.

Postecoglou was already under intense pressure and scrutiny due to Spurs' poor form in the Premier League this season. They are currently 13th in the standings with just 10 wins from 28 games so far.

Having also been knocked out of both domestic cups, Postecoglou's future hung in the balance and arguably depended on their progression in Europe. According to the national media, the manager has just about saved his job – for now.

The Guardian

"Ange Postecoglou can breathe again," said Ed Aarons. "The Spurs manager had been hoping that someone would step up to save their season and his salvation arrived in the shape of Wilson Odobert, with a little bit of help from James Maddison.

"When the England midfielder made it 2-0 early in the second half to add to Odobert’s well-taken first goal for the club, it looked like Postecoglou’s side were cruising to a last-eight showdown with Eintracht Frankfurt. This being Tottenham, however, things are never that simple and a mistake from Odobert allowed Peer Koopmeiners to level the scores on aggregate with 20 minutes to play to leave the home crowd fearing the worst.

"But Odobert kept Postecoglou’s hopes of ending the season with some silverware alive – and perhaps even saved his job – when the Frenchman swept home at the end of a flowing move instigated by Maddison to send Spurs into the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the first time since 2013."

The Telegraph

"For Tottenham Hotspur the season remains alive," said Jason Burt. "For Ange Postecoglou he fights on.

"The brutal reality is that it felt like it could – that it would –have been over for the head coach had they not overturned a first-leg deficit to win this Europa League tie and earn a place in the quarter-finals. Maybe not over right now but, almost certainly, at the end of this campaign. It still might be.

"But that claim from Postecoglou that he always wins a trophy in his second season is one he can still argue for. There is still that chance and the campaign goes on at least until deep into April."

Daily Mail

"Anxiety, brilliance, confusion," said Matt Barlow. "Perhaps not quite the complete A to Z of Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou but they made it through the alphabet as far as V is for victory thanks to Wilson Odobert's emergence as a goal hero.

"Odobert has spent most of his first season injured since his £25million move from Burnley last summer but conjured his first goals for the club as Spurs overcame a first leg deficit to see off the challenge of AZ Alkmaar. He levelled the tie in the first half, had a hand in the second scored by James Maddison and even played a part of the defensive mix-up which helped the Dutch back into it, via a goal by Peer Koopmeiners.

"But Odobert's final act was the decisive one, tapping the winning goal into an open net in the 73rd minute, after a fine sweeping move featuring an overlapping charge down the left and cross by Djed Spence and a flick by Dominic Solanke at the near post."

The Times

"Tottenham Hotspur were staring at extra time with a buoyant AZ Alkmaar when James Maddison let the ball roll across his body, sneaked between two red shirts and began the sequence that would send Spurs into the quarter-finals," said Tom Allnutt. "This was Maddison at his instinctive and inventive best, and how Ange Postecoglou needed him, just as Spurs appeared to be letting this tense and frenetic Europa League tie slip from their grasp.

"Instead Wilson Odobert tapped in his second goal to secure a 3-1 win for Spurs on the night (3-2 on aggregate) to ease the pressure on Postecoglou and book a meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt in the last eight.

"Postecoglou had bristled on Wednesday at the framing of this game as win-or-bust for the season and his future, but it was hard to see what would be left if his team failed here, given Tottenham sit 13th in the Premier League table, adrift of European qualification, and out of all the other cups."

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