Ange Postecoglou basks in Frankfurt triumph: ‘You’re going to have to put up with me for a bit longer’

Dominic Solanke’s 43rd-minute penalty earned Spurs a 2-1 aggregate win over Eintracht Frankfurt

Ange Postecoglou declared he would be around “for a little bit longer” after Tottenham clinched a Europa League semi-final spot with a superb 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Spurs were back in the last-chance saloon and up against it at Deutsche Bank Park after a 1-1 draw in the first leg last Thursday, but produced one of their best displays under the Australian.

Dominic Solanke’s spot-kick two minutes before half-time settled the tie and was won after vice-captains Cristian Romero and James Maddison combined.

It was Solanke’s first goal in 12 matches and even though Tottenham missed opportunities after the break, they admirably held on to earn a first last-four spot in this competition since 1984.

Postecoglou had admitted to having “no idea” if he would still be in a job after this tie on Wednesday with Spurs down in 15th in the Premier League, but can now focus on a two-legged semi-final with Bodo/Glimt in May with the club on course to win its first trophy in 17 years.

“I said yesterday, I am the same manager today that I was yesterday so if people think us winning tonight makes me a better manager or whoever thinks I wasn’t doing a good job yesterday, (they) should be feeling the same way,” Postecoglou explained.

“I don’t care, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? That’s much more important than what others may make of me.

“So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you’re going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer, mate, so let’s see how that goes.”

Postecoglou was effusive in his praise for a Spurs team, which lost Maddison before half-time after he took a painful blow in the 38th minute from Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos to win a decisive penalty.

Amid whistles from Frankfurt’s noisy standing section, Solanke rolled his penalty past Kaua before Romero, Mathys Tel and Rodrigo Bentancur went close to sealing Tottenham’s passage into the last four.

With no second goal forthcoming, Spurs had to withstand a barrage of late Frankfurt pressure, but goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remained untroubled before the full-time whistle was met with big celebrations on the touchline and from the 2,800 away fans.

Postecoglou added: “Super proud of the lads. Going away from home, a quarter-final against a very good side, you know you’re going to have to work really hard, be really disciplined and we needed to score.

Dominic Solanke’s first-half spot-kick sent Tottenham through to the last four (PA Wire)

“We had to show the quality we had as well. To a man I just thought they were outstanding.

“Look, we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We’re in the semi-final and will play a difficult opponent in the semi, but it’s not about my belief in the team.

“What’s more important is the belief the team has had because after a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff, they could have left me in a pretty vulnerable place in terms of them splintering, but I’ve never felt that (even) with all the noise around our season.

“They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here and that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back, that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me.

“Not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we’re doing. That is crucial when you’re having a difficult season, but there is also a season of opportunity there.”