When Ange Postecoglou was questioned about rumours of a potential return for Mauricio Pochettino and his job security, he showed upmost confidence in what he is doing and how he will do it.
He is not fazed by the rumours and will carry on with Tottenham Hotspur like he has been. Not only this but he says he is not disrespected by this news and wants to focus on the football that needs to be played.
"Mauricio, if he wants to come back one day I hope it happens for him. We all have dreams and aspirations. If that is what he wants. You're suggesting he is trying to put pressure on me?"
"Well I don't feel disrespected. I think if you ask Mauricio that question directly, you'd get a pretty clear answer as to what is his intent was. Again, nothing from me to sort of be consumed with. I'm more focused on trying to make sure we win tomorrow night."
Postecoglou's job at Tottenham Hotspur is almost certainly under pressure because of how they have underperformed this season. Coming from their last five results, they have two wins, two losses and one draw. Their most recent result was a 2-0 lost to Fulham out at Craven Cottage.
Currently sitting 14th in the Premier League, this lowly position is short of the usual Tottenham standard of pushing for Europe. They have been knocked out of both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, respectivley, by Aston Villa and Liverpool. Spurs only have the Europa League left to play for, facing Frankfurt in the Quarter Finals.
Coinciding with these results and the pressure which they caused, a rumour of popular former boss Mauricio Pochettino's return has arised. Whilst some would have been threatened by this, Ange has full confidence in his position and what he will create at Tottenham Hotspur.
Ange Postecoglou, however, wants to draw the attention to the game with Chelsea tonight:
"They're a talented squad, good manager. I still think they've had a positive season in terms of what they're trying to build. They've got some real talent in the attacking third. They obviously got hit by injuries as well and have had some key players missing which affects all clubs and that affected their consistency and results.
"We are not talking about the fans, that is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about the next challenge which is Chelsea. We understand the significance of the fixture. They are a good side, particularly at home. They are a tough team to beat. We are going to have to perform at our best to overcome them but it is a great challenge."
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Injury news
Possibly the reason for their results this season, Tottenham still have multiple injuries within the squad. Despite not being as bad as it was previously, there are still key players like Dominic Solanke, Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso.
Despite still having the injuries within the squad, Ange Postecoglou still believes that his squad can get a result at Stamford Bridge and begin to push on for the rest of the season. Despite not mentioning any returns for the Chelsea game, he hints at upcoming returns with positive news.
"There is a chance to play at the weekend, if he [Richarlison] keeps training as he has been. Kulusevski and Kevin will return in the next few weeks.
"Guys like Romero, Destiny, Tel and Wilson and all these guys that missed a lot of football recently all got good game time."
Despite key players still being injured, their are players that have recovered well from their injury and played over the international break. According to Ange, these added minutes will help revitalise their season and help with the push in both the Europa League and Premier League.
However, Postecoglou highlights his upmost confidence in his squad and no matter the players he fields, he believes they can go and get a result. This is evidenced in his faith in players like Dane Scarlett and other academy players. This is a highlight of his faith but also the injury crisis and this forceful reliance on academy players.
