Tottenham win v Bodo/Glimt: UK newspapers blast Spurs after what happened
Tottenham beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals to put one foot in the final.
The Lilywhites eased into a three-goal lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (1 May) but the visitors pulled one back to set up a tense second leg.
Ange Postecoglou is under severe pressure to deliver the trophy after a dismal domestic season left him clinging on to his job.
Daniel Levy could still sack the beleaguered Australian even if he ends Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought with European success.
Tottenham continue ‘Jekyll-and-Hyde’ season
Postecoglou has preceded over one of the worst seasons in the North London club’s history, with a bottom five finish on the cards in the league.
However, European success could lift it into one of the best campaigns ever for the N17 outfit and potentially save his job.
The concession of a late goal has left Spurs with a job to do in the second leg in Norway rather than being a simple procession into the Bilbao showcase on 21 May.
The Independent accused the Lilywhites of “switching off, as a result of the gulf there had been until that point in this semi-final.”
The Telegraph claimed that “Postecoglou’s team left the door open for their Norwegian opponents to keep the club’s Jekyll-and-Hyde season on a knife edge.”
The Daily Mail stated that “songs of celebration faded into the night and the fears and doubts resurfaced as thoughts turned to next week’s second leg on the notorious plastic pitch of the Aspmyra Stadium.”
Meanwhile, The Athletic claimed that “a tie that was almost won is now a tie that must be won all over again.”
Postecoglou must deliver Europa League trophy
There is no other alternative, the 59-year-old has to bring the trophy back to North London if he is to have any chance of staying in the dugout next season.
If he fails, he will almost certainly be handed his marching orders but he may even lose his job even if he brings it back.
| Stats | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points |
| Postecoglou | 11 | 4 | 19 | 37 |
However, if that does happen, at least he can hold his head up high and he will have a permanent space in the history books at Spurs.
Levy may even have a change of heart in the post-success euphoria and keep the former Australia defender around to see if he can build on a trophy win.
Ultimately, a poor domestic season may determine Postecoglou’s fate but the ownership will have a much tougher task if he brings success to the Lilywhites for the first time since 2008.
Questions will remain over whether he is the right man to take the club to Premier League and Champions League success but he deserves to be given the chance if he can go all the way in Europe’s second-rate competition.