. The Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday has been trailed for a good while as a kind of personal D-day. There have been questions about whether the Tottenham manager will even reach it – specifically after dismal Premier League defeats by Everton (away) and Leicester (home).
Postecoglou’s job security has been a major talking point as his team have slid to 14th in the table and the first thing to say is that the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, has sacked managers who have been in better positions. The lack of a compelling, available alternative – internally or externally – has helped Postecoglou.
Postecoglou battles on to Anfield, boosted by progress into the Europa League last 16 and the critical league win at Brentford on Sunday, and it is always going to be an emotional occasion for a guy who was in thrall to Liverpool as he grew up in Australia; a devotee of their great teams of the late 70s and early 80s. Spurs are 1-0 up from the first leg and for a romantic like Postecoglou, there is a script to be written.
This is the bit where reality intrudes. In the red corner are the outstanding team of the season so far, chasing four trophies; settled, pretty much all of their players in good physical condition. The Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, has a theory that his squad are getting stronger rather than feeling the fatigue, based on how they are growing under his leadership, understanding him and his methods with exponential levels of clarity.
Winning, of course, breeds confidence. It generates momentum. And a word, too, for Slot’s expert rotation of his admittedly rich playing resources; the courage of his convictions. At Southampton in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup, the tie had threatened to turn when the home team scored on 59 minutes to cut …
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