At many points this season, Ange Postecoglou was the second-most hated man at Tottenham Hotspur after only Chairman Daniel Levy, who has won this award pretty much every year in recent memory.
But even if Postecoglou gets the can this summer, Tottenham supporters will be eternal grateful to him for delivering them the Europa League title - their first trophy of any kind in nearly 20 years. He delivered on what he said he would do, and as grating as some of his press conferences could be, his willingness to fight for himself, the players, and the club was refreshing after the Antonio Conte era.
Postecoglou's latest press conference quote is one of his greatest, because it is a heartwarming, impassioned defense of a star player who was maligned only but a few weeks ago. It is a recruitment pitch from a man whose own future hangs in the balance, and it is one that Tottenham should take seriously this summer.
Ange Postecoglou is pushing Tottenham to keep one of their best players
Here's what Postecoglou said about Tottenham star center back Cristian Romero, who has been the subject of intense transfer speculation already, via The Spurs Express, “I think Romero is absolutely important to keep at this football club. You just saw the way he's been in recent games and he hasn't been entirely fit with his toe. The lads respect him highly and he makes them walk taller. For me it's a no brainer with players like him. If he goes who do you replace him with? There aren't a lot of players out there like him. It's very important to keep him and for the long term.”
If Cristian Romero was more out than in and a target for criticism from Tottenham fans about a month ago at the time of an interview stating he was eyeing a LaLiga move, that narrative has almost completely shifted after several big-game performances in the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodo Glimt, and then Manchester United in the Final.
Romero was so good and so important throughout the Europa League, in fact, that the Argentinian star was named the best player of the tournament, officially. That award cemented Romero's value and influence to Tottenham, and this Postecoglou quote is a lovely reminder of his importance to the team.
Tottenham should be less likely to sell Romero, and even if Postecoglou's own future is away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025, perhaps these comments will linger in the minds of Daniel Levy and the next sporting director and manager of the club.
Spurs clearly do need players like Romero who can rise to the occasion in big games, show leadership skills, and fight for the team, even when they are the subject of negativity in the media and fanbase. Romero didn't make the wisest decision with his interview, but if we go by the adage that actions speak louder than words, Romero has pierced the grooves of our brain like a jackhammer with his weekly displays in must-win Europa League matches.
If Romero stays at Tottenham this summer in spite of serious transfer interest from Madrid and elsewhere, then Postecoglou is owed a second thank you - both for the Europa Leauge title and for pushing Romero and Tottenham to continue what has been a very beneficial relationship to this point.