‘Historic and notable success’: Ange wins top gong as Spurs stars’ Aussie support ramps up

Accolades keep coming for Ange Postecoglou as the Australian received the John Duncan Award from the League Managers Association for winning the Europa League with Tottenham.

The award, named for Duncan who spent 30 years managing across the various tiers of English football after an esteemed playing career that included scoring 53 goals in 103 appearances for Spurs, is to recognise those who have achieved historic and notable success for their club in the season just gone.

Postecoglou guiding Tottenham to their first European trophy in 41 years, and their first piece of silverware in 17 years no doubt fits the bill.

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The award is not limited to just one recipient, however, with five managers praised for their outstanding achievements.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who led the Eagles to FA Cup glory and their first ever major trophy in their 120-year history, was recognised.

So too was Newcastle manager Eddie Howe after the Magpies ended a 70-year trophy drought when they won the League Cup.

Chelsea women’s manager Sonia Bompastor received the award as the Blues became the first Women’s Super League team to be unbeaten across a 22-game season as they won the league for the sixth successive season.

Renée Slegers also was celebrated for winning the Women’s Champions League with an Arsenal team that featured Matildas Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross.

The acknowledgment for Postecoglou as his future at Tottenham remains clouded.

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Football.London’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold reported over night that Spurs chair Daniel Levy is unlikely to issue a verdict this week on whether the Australian will stay in charge.

It was reported that no meeting took place between Postecoglou and the club before he jetted off on his end of season holiday earlier this week.

The 59-year-old is at the halfway mark of the four-year contract he signed when he joined Tottenham from Scottish giants Celtic.

Several of his star players have made their feelings clear about the manager in recent days.

Centre back Cristian Romero, who wore the captain’s arm band in the Europa League final as skipper Son Heung-min started on the bench, also has two years to run on his current contract but has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid.

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That would be a huge blow for Spurs as the Argentine World Cup winner was named player of the tournament in the Europa League, but his social media activity has spelled out his intentions.

“WINNERS!!! We achieved what we wanted this season as a group, and that’s what matters and….my name is part of the history of this beautiful club @spursofficial,” Romero wrote.

“I want to thank you all for the love and support every day despite everything, but I have no doubt that staying together led us to success. We must continue; this is the path.”

That last line comes after Romero reposted a tweet that said “Oh no, he is clearly signal that he would leave if Levy sack Ange, unfortunately the only two who has ambitions.”

He later deleted the repost, but the point was made.

Postecoglou invested heavily in teenagers Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray in the season gone, and when asked about the manager at teammate James Maddison’s charity golf day, the pair were emphatic that there is no need for change.

“A hundred per cent [he should stay], I think he’s done a great job,” Bergvall told Sky Sports. “It’s not been easy for any of us, especially because of all the injuries, but as he said, he always wins things in his second year and that’s true.”

When Gray was asked if Postecoglou should get a third season, he said: “Yes, definitely. It’s been a great season this year and it’s been a roller coaster of a season as well, not just at the end.

“We’ve obviously had some really tough times and we stuck together. He’s big on things like family and I think the main thing that helped us get to the final and win the final is our morals of what we’re like as a team.

“Like I said, family is our main thing. We believe in each other and it’s like brothers going out there on the pitch in the final and we just fought for each other.”

Maddison too issued a strong show of support, making it obvious to Levy that the playing group are backing Postecoglou.

“Yeah [he should stay], he’s been brilliant, man, like, even at the start of the season, saying: ‘I don’t usually win things, I always win things’. It’s one of them. We knew that would create a big uproar in the media with you like never shutting up about it, but never once did I stop believing that he meant that,” Maddison said.

“The season three line was iconic as well and he’s got them in the locker, the motivational mic drop moments.”

He added: “Managers and clubs, you don’t need a bigger example than Tottenham, can go long periods without winning trophies, 17 years, but he’s a man who’s always had success and he’s a man who I think his biggest strength is his self-belief in what he does, and that feeds off into us and that’s been installed into us in Europe this year.

“All the away games and even the ones early in the group stages and the round of 16 we had a really bad performance away at AZ Alkmaar and he went heavy on us because you just know he’s a winner and then we turned it around second leg and we’re in the quarters, and every step we got closer and closer and we believed more and more, and now we’re winners and no one can ever take that away from us.”

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