Tottenham Hotspur are getting closer to having to make a definitive statement on manager Ange Postecoglou, who may have done just enough to rescue his job by leading Spurs to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League Final.
There are legitimate reasons for and against firing Postecoglou, whose record during the league season was truly appalling. But Postecoglou was able to effectively rally the troops and back up his talk before the big game, navigating a litany of severe injuries in the process.
According to Football.London's Tottenham beat reporter Alasdair Gold, Postecoglou currently has the full backing of the locker room at the club. It's an important piece of information, because amidst all the uncertainty on the manager's future, a united dressing room could be the tipping point that leads to Big Ange keeping his job.
Tottenham need to decide soon
Tottenham are hurting themselves in the transfer market with a slow start because there is no real clarity on their manager situation. Whereas Europa League losers Manchester United have brought in one of the Premier League's best players in Matheus Cunha, Spurs don't currently have any concrete links in the summer market and won't be able to make serious inroads without a clear definition of their next manager.
So the sooner Spurs figure things out with Postecoglou, the better. And if key players like Cristian Romero are willing to tie their futures to Postecoglou, a dressing room united under Big Ange's rule could be enough to swing the difference if the margin is close. Now, the impending addition of Fabio Paratici as sporting director could complicate things for Postecoglou, but at least hiring Paratici solves the answer of a slow transfer approach.
Postecoglou may have grated fans and media with his press conferences, but unlike predecessor Antonio Conte, he never once threw his players under the bus and often took the heat with his comments as a means of deflecting criticism away from young players.
So it's understandable that Tottenham players have a close bond with Postecoglou, especially after achieving something bigger than themselves with a Europa League trophy, which is much more than what can be said about some of the managers that have come before Big Ange.
Time is ticking for Tottenham to make their final choice, but if the players have any sort of weight in a decision that appears to be the tight one, Postecoglou may be more likely than not to keep his job, including with a possible Paratici reunion.