Postecoglou reacts as new Van de Ven concern raised ahead of Tottenham v Man United
Ange Postecoglou continues to come under pressure as Tottenham prepares to face Manchester United in the Europa League final.
Tottenham could win their first trophy in 17 years when they face Manchester United at the Estadio de San Mamés on Wednesday (21 May).
However, concerns have been raised after Postecoglou’s side were defeated for the 21st time in the Premier League this season against Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Now, with his job and Spurs’ season on the line, the 59-year-old may be faced with a new issue ahead of the final.
Postecoglou addresses Van de Ven’s minutes
The Tottenham manager rested several key players against Villa in the hope of avoiding more injuries to his already sparse team.
Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie all failed to appear in their defeat against Unai Emery’s side. However, concern has arisen on whether these players will be match fit in time for the final.
| 2024/25 | Appearances | Yellow Cards | Minutes |
| van de Ven | 20 | 4 | 1.522′ |
Speaking after the game, Postecoglou was asked if he is “concerned” about their limited playing time, to which he replied: “Yeah, but they are available.
“They are available. For us, there’s no point bringing them here; they weren’t going to play today.
“They stayed at home, they did a really strong [training] session and come Wednesday, knock on wood, they are all available, and that’s the most important thing.
“That’s the primary thing. When those guys play, that back four with Vic in goal, our chances of success significantly improve.”
Tottenham will need to improve for Europa League final
While several key players were rested, Tottenham’s performance against Villa did not inspire much hope for the Europa League final.
Understandably, the players were keen to avoid injury given the magnitude of the game ahead. However, there was a lack of urgency about how they approached the game.
Archie Gray, who faced criticism for Villa’s second goal, highlighted that Spurs need to improve defensively ahead of the final.
However, with Van de Ven, Romero and Udogie all expected to start against United, the Lilywhites may have enough stability at the back to bring the Europa League trophy to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In fact, all eyes will be on Tottenham skipper Son Heung-min, who put on another disappointing performance for Spurs.
The South Korean has the opportunity to further cement himself as a club legend by leading his team to glory, and it would be a shame if the opportunity were to pass him by.