Mauricio Pochettino ‘ready for Tottenham return’ after Postecoglou sack news
Ange Postecoglou has been smiling through the pain after a horrible season at Tottenham.
Spurs only have the Europa League left to play for, and given the manager has doubled down on his expectation of winning a trophy in his second season in charge, the pressure is on.
Tottenham have to come back from 1-0 down against AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their round of 16 tie on Thursday (13 March) if they are to continue their European run.
However, with the pressure building on Postecoglou, if his side is knocked out then Daniel Levy may well choose to change things in North London.
Mauricio Pochettino wants to return to Tottenham
The struggles at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season have left plenty of questions being asked of Postecoglou, with many suggestions that if his side doesn’t win the Europa League, he will be let go.
The Australian’s side were well beaten in the first leg of their game against AZ Alkmaar and on Thursday, a minimum of two goals are needed if they are to progress.
| Team | Possession | Shots | Shots on target |
| Tottenham | 62% | 7 | 1 |
| AZ Alkmaar | 38% | 12 | 5 |
There have been some suggestions that should Tottenham lose the game, Levy could be forced to make a change in management.
If a change is made in North London though, supporters may be pleased to hear that the door is open for Mauricio Pochettino, despite his current commitments.
When asked live on talkSPORT (13 March, 4:45pm) if he thought about a return to North London before taking the USA national team job, Pochettino admitted: “To be honest, the day that I left the club I was thinking one day to come back.
“It’s not that I was thinking that before the offer from the USA national team, I was thinking to come back. The day I left, I was thinking I’d love, I would love one day to come back to Tottenham because I said in the past I felt empty when I left and it’s like an unfinished job and that is why it’s a feeling. It’s a feeling, it’s a dream.
“I don’t know how I can explain or describe, but I think for sure it’s a club that is always going to be special for me and I would like one day to have the possibility again to arrive in a situation that we were but to finish in a different way.”
Tottenham have to beat AZ Alkmaar
Levy has gone through a fair number of bosses in recent years, although there was collective disappointment among supporters when Pochettino was sacked in 2019.
The Lilywhites had lost the Champions League final under the 53-year-old and were sitting 14th in the Premier League when he was let go.
However, it did feel as though there was a chance of something being achieved in North London and given Postecoglou is being excused for sitting mid-table and nowhere near Champions League football, it does suggest Levy didn’t have to be so hasty.
That being said, if Spurs don’t progress in the Europa League then there has to be questions asked about whether Postecoglou is the man for the job.
Unfortunately, if the Australian was sacked, with Pochettino in the USA national team job, there is no possibility of this happening now.
However, with things looking bleak in North London, hearing that a manager they regard so highly is open to a return one day must fill supporters with some hope.