Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is under intense pressure to save his Hotspur Way job and could find himself on the brink if he is unable to steer his side to an FA Cup victory over Aston Villa in the aftermath of missing out on booking a place in a Wembley final, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
The Greek-Australian tactician succeeded in securing fresh firepower in the final hours of the winter transfer window, with Mathys Tel joining from Bayern Munich on an initial loan which includes an option to buy for £45million, but a worrying run of form continued with a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool on Thursday.
Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk deprived Tottenham of the chance to face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final next month, while the second leg thumping at Anfield means the north Londoners will head to Aston Villa on Sunday having suffered seven losses from their last 13 matches in all competitions.
FA Cup Loss Could be Critical for Postecoglou
Uncertainty over whether Greek-Australian tactician will stay in job
Postecoglou's position will come under the microscope if Tottenham are knocked out of two cup competitions in a matter of days, according to GMS sources, while the manner of the defeat to Liverpool has led to there being uncertainty over whether he will be given the opportunity to see out the rest of the season.
The 59-year-old has been adamant that he will lead Spurs to silverware this term, thanks to his record at previous clubs showing that he is successful in his second campaign in charge, but his hopes of ending the north Londoners' lengthy wait to add to the trophy cabinet are dwindling following the Carabao Cup semi-final hammering on Merseyside.
GMS sources have been informed that influential figures at Tottenham remain fully behind Postecoglou, with Levy's willingness to dip into the transfer market in the final hours of the winter window highlighting his support, but being beaten by Aston Villa could leave his future at the helm in jeopardy.
Tel was not the only late addition to Spurs' squad, with central defender Kevin Danso's move to Wolverhampton Wanderers being hijacked thanks to negotiating a loan deal which includes an obligation to become permanent, while goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky sealed a switch from Slavia Prague last month.
Missing out on a Carabao Cup final meeting with Newcastle has sparked fresh scrutiny over what went wrong for Tottenham and how they can recover ahead of their trip to the Midlands to face Aston Villa, while GMS sources have learned that another convincing defeat would result in Postecoglou's position coming under threat.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Ange Postecoglou has won 39 of his 79 matches at the Tottenham Hotspur helm, but he has also suffered 29 defeats along the way
Postecoglou Wanting to Work Closely with Tel
Frenchman completed deadline day move to north London
GMS sources have been told that Postecoglou wants to be handed enough time to get the best out of deadline day recruit Tel after personally stressing how crucial the Frenchman is to his long-term plans and Tottenham's wider commitment to developing elite up-and-coming talent.
The former Celtic chief made a phone call to the 19-year-old to convince him to make the eleventh-hour switch from Bayern Munich, having initially snubbed the chance to embark on a fresh challenge with the north Londoners, and is desperate to continue being backed by Levy and other key decision-makers.
Postecoglou hoped the acquisition of Tel would prove to be a defining moment after being forced to contend with an injury crisis for large spells of the campaign, GMS sources understand, while he has stressed the fact that key men being unavailable has left him with an uphill battle to achieve the initial aims for the season.
Spurs' all-time leading goalscorer Harry Kane convinced his Bayern Munich teammate to head to the capital when the opportunity arose, GMS sources recently revealed, and he could be in line to make his first start since the switch in the FA Cup fourth round tie with Aston Villa due to Richarlison picking up an injury in midweek.
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