Micky van de Ven claims Tottenham players are “still positive” about delivering Ange Postecoglou’s manifesto - despite missing out on the Champions League.
Postecoglou’s post-match tirade about the mentality of a bizarre night when some Spurs fans seemed happy to lose - because it damaged Arsenal ’s chances of winning the title - generated an undercurrent of intrigue. After the Spurs manager’s frustration boiled over, including one terse exchange with a fan behind the dugouts, Van de Ven insisted the players were “still trusting of what the gaffer wants.”
But the feelgood factor built up by Big Ange’s first season is in danger of evaporating after his coruscating remarks on Tuesday night following the 2-0 defeat by Manchester City.
Clearly needled by the conflict of interests around him, Postecoglou raged: “The last 48 hours have revealed that the foundations are fairly fragile. It just means I've got to go back to the drawing board with some things. It’s outside (the club), inside, everywhere. It's been an interesting exercise.
“I probably misread the situation as to what I think is important in your endeavour to become a winning team, but that's ok. That's why I'm here. Maybe I'm out of step, but I just don't care, I just want to win. ‘I want to be successful at this football club, it's why I was brought in. So what other people, how they want to feel, and what their priorities are, are of zero interest to me.
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“I know what's important to build a winning team, that's what I need to concentrate on. I can't dictate what people do. They are allowed to express themselves any way they want. But when we've got late winners in games it's because the crowd's helped us. I already know what I want to do, it's just I've got to make some adjustments to how I do it.”
Van de Ven, one of the shining lights of Postecoglou’s first season in north London, insisted the players’ approach was unaffected by the naked tribalism of fans wanting to deny Arsenal the title at all costs.
He said: “We just wanted to win the game. We just wanted to play our football and our best game. We didn’t really feel like a strange feeling. We just played the game and focused on the game. We are not really focusing on the stands.”
Tottenham couldn't land the win that would've taken the top four battle to the final day (Getty Images) Tottenham still need a point at rock-bottom Sheffield United to guarantee a fifth-place finish - when they were five points clear at the top last October.
But the riches of a top-four place have gone to Aston Villa, and Van de Ven said: “Let’s end the season strong, of course. but we want to be a top team. We have to build on something.
“Of course you are disappointed. Of course you want to play Champions League. Hopefully we can do some good stuff in Europa League next year and we can reach the Champions League next year. We are still positive. We are still trusting in what the gaffer wants. We want to win at Sheffield United and hopefully next year we can do some good things.”
Arsenal could have been in the box seat, going into the final day of the title race, if skipper Heung-min Son had buried a late chance to equalise against City. The big Dutchman shrugged: “Of course. But that’s ‘what if’ and it didn’t happen.”
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