Tottenham face their greatest challenge yet under Ange Postecoglou, as they aim to recover the 1-0 deficit against AZ Alkmaar, in Thursday’s Europa League round of 16 clash.
The stakes could not be higher for Tottenham, as they desperately seek to end their 17-year trophy drought, in what has so far been an extremely underwhelming season.
Sunday’s 2-2 draw to Bournemouth led to contrasting reactions from the frustrated fan base. However, Tottenham’s ability to claw back a crucial point from 2-0 down, may provide the belief to emulate such a mindset, if they are to gain qualification to the Europa League quarter-finals.
The consensus surrounding Tottenham is that the return fixture against AZ Alkmaar may be the final opportunity for Postecoglou to revive and likely save his managerial status.
Guglielmo Vicario admits Tottenham are under ‘pressure’
Vicario was open to the fact that Tottenham are facing “pressure”, in their quest to reach the Europa League quarter-finals, for the first time since 2013, insisting that: “The importance of the game is massive.”
Vicario recently returned from a long-term injury that he picked up against Manchester City in November. A stage of his career he stated was: “A different perspective of my life that I have never faced before.”
Upon returning to the first-team squad, his side found themselves in a very different situation, sitting 13th in the Premier League table, having also been knocked out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Despite Vicario’s emphasis on the significance of the task at hand, he was quick to support Postecoglou, providing his full backing of the Spurs boss: “We are fully behind Ange.”
The Italian also addressed criticism surrounding rumours that the squad have lost devotion to play for one another, adding: “We’re going to do this test all together as a family.”
The last time Tottenham made it to a European quarter-final, they made history
The prospect of qualification will certainly divert the attention away from what has otherwise been a miserable campaign.
The latter stages of European competition is unfamiliar territory for Spurs, the last time they made it to the final eight was during their glorious and truly dramatic run to the Champions League final in 2019, where they ultimately fell short.
If they were to qualify, they may be set to face Ajax, if the Dutch side can overturn their 2-1 disadvantage over Eintracht Frankfurt.
This will set up a repeat of the memorable clash between the two sides when Tottenham came from behind to progress on away goals in the 2019 semi-final stage.
Aside from this iconic run six years ago. Tottenham’s record past the group stages in European competition has been generally poor, with many squad members playing in such a game for the first time in their careers.
Here are Tottenham’s previous six UEFA Europa League finishes
| Season | 2020/21 | 2016/17 | 2015/16 | 2014/15 | 2013/14 | 2012/13 |
| Stage of Europa League reached | RO16 | RO32 | RO16 | RO32 | RO16 | QF |
There will also be added incentive for the Tottenham manager to do so, given the bold claims he made back in September when he stated on Sky Sports: “I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year.”
Without a doubt, the challenge ahead of Tottenham can not be overlooked, in what feels to be a defining game for the club, which looks set to undergo many changes in the near future.
With Arsenal through to the last eight of the Champions League, Tottenham will aim to repeat the feat of their North London rivals. Otherwise, their season will be deemed nothing short of a calamity.
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