Speculation over my Tottenham future ‘doesn’t enter my head’ – Ange Postecoglou | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou will shut out talk about his future and focus on trying to salvage Tottenham’s season when they travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Spurs collapsed at Liverpool on Thursday night in a 4-0 defeat that cost them a place in the Carabao Cup final.

Tottenham were without 10 players for the midweek clash, with injury issues a familiar theme since December, but Postecoglou knows speculation over his job will intensify if they exit a second competition in quick succession.

Asked if he would still be in charge if they lost at Villa, Postecoglou replied: “Me personally? That doesn’t enter my head space.

“I get that’s obviously a massive topic of discussion because when things aren’t going well you look at the person who’s largely responsible for that and that’s me. It is what it is.

“You’ve got to get on with it. It doesn’t change the decisions I make, how I feel, how I work today or how determined I am to continue on this path.

“Right now the focus is on getting this group of players recovered for Sunday. It’s a big game and hopefully a positive result and then over the next couple of weeks we’ll get some significant players back, which I think will help.”

Richarlison joined a lengthy list of absentees on Thursday when he sustained a new calf issue, but Postecoglou revealed Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson are primed to return to training next week.

It is a different story for Micky van de Ven, who made his comeback against Elfsborg last month after a seven-week lay-off with a hamstring issue but is now in the “slow burner” category along with Cristian Romero.

Everyone is saying I’m making excuses about injuries and it’s kind of easy with the club not having won a trophy in a long time for people to pile on

Ange Postecoglou

“No, Micky probably is going to be a bit of a slow burner,” Postecoglou said.

“The ones who are definitely close are guys like Vicario, Destiny, Wilson, Madders, Brennan at a stretch. They should all be back by midweek next week in terms of training or the week after.”

Whether that will help Postecoglou or not remains to be seen, with scrutiny firmly on the Australian.

The 59-year-old has battled with a huge injury list since a fine 4-0 win at Manchester City on November 23 and, despite poor Premier League form, the cups remained a source of inspiration for a depleted squad, but one chance of silverware went on Thursday.

Postecoglou added: “We’re an easy mark at the moment. There’s inconsistency in our play, everyone is saying I’m making excuses about injuries and it’s kind of easy with the club not having won a trophy in a long time for people to pile on.

“It does feel like there’s very much an eagerness to take the club down for one reason or another when the opportunity exists.

“At the moment we’re giving them the opportunity after (Thursday) and with our league form, but that can’t chart our way forward. That can’t be our motivation to change people’s opinions.”

Only last week Postecoglou came under fire from Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens, who said he wouldn’t “make excuses” like the Spurs boss.

A “deeply embarrassed” Wellens subsequently retracted his comment before he tried to contract Postecoglou to apologise.

But Postecoglou said: “He’s had his five minutes, that’s good enough for me.”