Tottenham Hotspur

Our Tottenham fan contributor Anna Howells gives her reaction to the Europa League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Tottenham have lost 17 Premier League matches in 2024-25, their most in a single season since the 2003-04 campaign (19). Ange Postecoglou is one of three managers to lose 17 or more games in a season, alongside Osvaldo Ardiles in 1993-94 (19) and Gerry Francis in 1996-97 (18).

Nottingham Forest have lost their past two Premier League matches, after winning three consecutive games beforehand. The Reds have only fallen to three defeats in a row once under Nuno Espirito Santo, doing so between February and March last season.

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Tottenham have a busy period after reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they will face Bodo/Glimt.

• Tottenham v Nottingham Forest (21 April)

• Liverpool v Tottenham (27 April)

• Tottenham v Bodo/Glimt (1 May)

• West Ham v Tottenham (4 May)

• Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham (8 May)

Leading up to the first leg, Ange Postecoglou and co host a Forest side battling for Champions League qualification and visit a Liverpool team who may be looking to wrap up the title in front of their own fans at Anfield.

A London derby at West Ham is sandwiched between the first leg and second leg against Bodo/Glimt.

Tottenham will also have to battle against the artificial pitch used by Bodo/Glimt. With the second leg being played on this pitch, it may present an even greater challenge for Postecoglou's players.

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Tottenham Hotspur are set to take on Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt in the semi-final of the Europa League.

The Norwegian club are second in the top-flight in Norway. They finished ninth in the Europa League table after having beat the likes of Besiktas and Porto, before conquering Olympiakos in the Round of 16 (4-2 on aggregate). Then they beat Italian club Lazio after penalties.

Bodo Glimt were in the second division less than eight years ago and have already beaten the likes of Jose Mourinho's AS Roma and Scottish giants Celtic during the 2021-22 season.

They are the first Norwegian side to reach a European men's semi-final, while they have won eight of their last ten two-legged European ties.

Speaking after his team's quarter-final penalty shootout win over Lazio, boss Kjetil Knutsen said: "I don't believe in miracles, I believe in our journey. Today, the magic was with us. We played an extraordinary match and we're incredibly proud to be in the semi-finals."

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Former Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about Spurs' win in Frankfurt which saw them through to the Europa League semi-finals:

"They were hard to beat and the way they dictated the game was really pleasing to watch and very reassuring for the rest of the season. It was a very well deserved win for Spurs.

"For Tottenham at this minute, everything is on the Europa League, and regarding Ange Postecoglou as well - a lot of noise has been made around him. But he's still in the race and there's still a chance of silverware.

"There is some frustration when you're not playing at the level you should be playing and when you don't get results. It's how you handle it. It takes a lot to put your frustration to one side and not point the finger at somebody else. When you're under pressure like the Spurs players and manager are, it's even harder. That's one of the main challenges - how can you they keep it altogether, in order to get something out of this really bad season?"

On the potential of an all-English final against Manchester United: "That would be terrific, for the simple reason that both teams have had such bad domestic seasons. They've been nowhere near it but they could end up in a final.

"When you talk about scenarios and drama, that would be something the media would love because it gives them something to talk about. Hopefully Tottenham will end up on the winning side."

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We asked for your thoughts after Tottenham's win over Eintracht Frankfurt, which sent Spurs through to the Europa League semi-finals.

Here are some of your comments:

Silvia: Haven't seen a performance like that since the Manchester City game! Tel and Udogie down the left were fantastic, as was Maddison before he went off, Romero leading from the back, Bergvall and Bentancur running midfield - all very proud of the guys.

JS: After everything the supporters have been through this season, at last a performance that we can be proud of from our team. Amazing effort from every single player... and the manager. A semi-final to look forward to.

Sam: Ange in. Give him a chance. Granted, we haven't played well in the league but we've had three good cup campaigns. The team clearly still plays for him and they clearly adapted their gameplan. We need a period of stability. Let's get behind the team.

Alan: Fantastic result, brilliant performance. Where has this been all season? This is what is so frustrating with this team! Dropped "Angeball", played the situation and won very well. Let's see what happens in the next game before breaking out the champagne.

Tim: A good display of what Spurs can achieve with a (mostly) fully fit team. It won't solve all the problems we have but will bring a badly needed morale boost to the squad. Will Ange get his "second season" trophy?

Dave: Where did that performance come from? Rode our luck towards the end but a proper gutsy display. I still have no faith in Ange. Seventeen league defeats is not all down to injuries and bad luck. The players are capable. We need a manager who is too.

William: On a night that was all about the result, Spurs gave us both a performance and result to be proud of. The spirit and resilience shown, particularly in the second half, bodes well for the coming rounds and a silver lining of our dismal league campaign is that Postecoglou can rest players to solely focusing on bringing the trophy back to N17!

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Ange Postecoglou, with his back against the wall, lives to fight another day.

We will never know whether Tottenham would have relieved him of his duties had they gone out of the Europa League on Thursday - but he was certainly under huge pressure heading into a game that was probably the biggest of his reign so far.

Victory buys the Australian some time - you can't see a scenario where Tottenham would sack him before the semi-final.

But while it keeps the wolves from the door for now, he is not out of the woods.

While Europa League success is a factor, it will not be the only consideration for Spurs when it comes to them deciding whether Postecoglou is head coach next season.

Their Premier League form, which has be extremely poor, will be taken into account, as will Postecoglou's connection with the supporters, which has been mixed to say the least.

With a win in Germany, Postecoglou has given himself a fighting chance, although this result alone is unlikely to be enough to keep his job safe in the longer term.

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Catch up with all of the reaction on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur secure their spots in the last four of this season's Europa League.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Tottenham and Manchester United have held talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over the signing of 22-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper Kaua Santos. (Bild - in German), external

Spurs are among a host of clubs tracking Dutch Lions' Gambian forward Gibril Sima, 17. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to TNT Sports: "You know what you are up against in an away leg. I couldn't be prouder of the lads. I think over two legs we deserved to go through.

"The whole team worked awfully hard and that is what you have to do away from in Europe and especially away from home.

"We were always a threat. Credit to the lads."

On James Maddison winning the penalty but getting injured: "Courage personified. He has been working so hard for this team. Tonight he copped a whack which he is a bit sore with but I'm sure he will take that knowing we have gone through.

"[I most liked the] togetherness of the lads. Fair to say there's been a bit of noise around the team but you wouldn't know it around the camp. Super proud of them.

"Our fans have been through a tough time this year. We understand their disappointment but hopefully this gives them something to look forward to.

"I am the same coach I was yesterday. My pleasure comes from seeing this group of players rewarded because they never lost belief. All the noise has been outside."

On saying he always wins a trophy in his second season: "People like to mock and ridicule and diminish my achievements. I'll just keep doing what I do."

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Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke, speaking to TNT Sports: "At home we were great, probably should have won it at home. We knew it would be difficult today. We got the job done."

On the penalty and scoring: "It was always going to be a penalty, don't know why it took so long. It has been a few games without one so to get one in a game like this is great.

"It has been something we have been looking forward to all season - being back in Europe. We always wanted to win it and we are a step closer now.

"We haven't had the best of seasons in the Premier League but ultimately we want to win trophies and we have a good chance in this competition this year. Hopefully we can go on and win it.

"Playing in semi-finals is what we dream of really, we want to play in big games."

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Tottenham have now won two of their past four quarter-final matches across major European competition - as many as across their prior 14 attempts between 1982 and 2013 (D6 L6).

Meanwhile, among Englishmen, only James Tavernier in 2021-22 (seven goals, two assists) and Bobby Zamora in 2009-10 (six goals, two assists) have been involved in more goals in a single Europa League season than Dominic Solanke this season (three goals, four assists).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Tottenham's performance

Come back to this page on Friday to find a selection of your replies

Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham are all involved in a busy evening of European football on Thursday and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

All kick-off times 20:00 BST unless stated

Europa League:

• Athletic Bilbao v Rangers (agg 0-0)

• Frankfurt v Tottenham (agg 1-1)

• Lazio v Bodo/Glimt (agg 0-2)

• Man Utd v Lyon (agg 2-2) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Conference League:

• Fiorentina v Celje (17:45 BST - agg 2-1)

• Jagiellonia v Real Betis (17:45 BST - agg 0-2)

• Chelsea v Legia Warsaw (agg 3-0)

• Rapid Vienna v Djurgarden (agg 1-0)

Follow all of the action and reaction

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We asked for your views on whether Spurs and Ange Postecoglou should prepare any differently for the make-or-break game against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Here are some of your comments:

Nantha: We must play with confidence from the start. Be sensible and more assertive with the ball passing too.

JS: If Tottenham have come this far, it is important to stick to his beliefs until the very end. As the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu's Art Of War says: "The best defence is a good offence." I want to see the best attacking football. Even so, the manager is afraid of loneliness. He is exposed to criticism from the media and fans, and forced to talk about his future, but since everything is uncertain, he cannot say it himself. At such times, all the Tottenham board of directors needs to do is back him. That alone gives the manager courage, and also becomes the driving force to do a good job. Why are they silent? If Tottenham and Ange end here, I think the board of directors, who remain silent, are also largely responsible, especially at such a psychologically tough time.

Sebastian: Our manager has to go at the end of the season. He cannot play the correct way to challenge for anything in the Premier League. The chairman should have already decided who he will attempt to bring in for next season.

Jon: I think the weaknesses for Spurs are obvious. They do not press or close down space for the opposition, making it far to easy to get passes into the box or shoot. If they can sort out this aspect they will improve massively, in my view. So much of our good attacking play was down the right via Dejan Kulusevski. We have missed him - his attitude and work-rate are usually excellent.

Robert: What better prep for this important game than Arsenal beating Real Madrid? Surely that result is all the inspiration Spurs need for them to win the Europa League.

Paul: Spurs only have one way to play. The Postecoglou way. That is lack of team organisational skills, team selection and tactical thought. So no don't change the way we play tonight - that will just confuse the players even more.

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

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Ange Postecoglou may not care what others think about him, but tonight his players need to know he cares about them.

As he prepares himself and his team for the biggest game of their season so far, the aim could not be clearer - win at all costs.

Needing to win suits us better than trying not to throw away a lead, because in that hunt for a winner, the strengths of 'Angeball' – the fast-paced, expansive, attacking play – can be executed to maximum effect.

With Son Heung-Min unavailable due to injury, it forces Ange to do something different from the start, which I hope he has the courage to take full advantage of.

Either way, it is not our attacking that concerns me, and – if I were Ange – my tactical focus in training in preparation for tonight would have been our out-of-possession play.

The Eintracht Frankfurt fans will make their stadium as hostile as possible, and Spurs need to be mentally prepared for that as much as anything else. They need to replace fear with focus, especially when they do not have the ball.

Above all else though, given the difficult season we have had, instilling confidence and care in his players should be the priority for Ange going into this game.

You cannot succeed if you are running scared. If you do not know your next move. If you do not care.

Ange's words and body language are more important now than ever. He needs to tell and show his players that they are in control of this story. That they cannot change what has happened, but they can influence what is to come. They can make history together.

That to dare – and to care - is to do.

What do you think? Should Spurs and Postecoglou prepare any differently to normal for a game of this magnitude? And if so, how?

Tell us here

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Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven insists the team still have "trust" in under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou.

The Spurs head coach has come under pressure before his side's crucial Europa League quarter-final second leg at Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday after suffering their 17th Premier League defeat of the season against Wolves at the weekend.

Asked how much the team want to win for Postecoglou, Van de Ven said: "We all still have the trust in the gaffer and still have trust in the way he's playing.

"We want to win the game of course for him, but also for us, also for the club and also for the fans.

"It hasn't been a really good season, but it's a big game for us and of course we want to achieve something special this season - and this is the best way to do it."

The Europa League provides Spurs with the opportunity to salvage silverware and a spot in next season's Champions League from an otherwise disappointing campaign.

The team will have to overcome a hostile atmosphere at Deutsche Bank Park if they are to turn the 1-1 aggregate scoreline into a victory.

"We also have some Premier League games to play but, if we want to win some silverware then it has to be the Europa League and we have to win this game to go to the next round," Van de Ven added.

"It is a big game for us but it is also a normal week - we have to play our best football and we have to play the way we want to play.

"We want to create as many chances as we did in the last game against them."

Tottenham will rebuff offers for left-back Destiny Udogie this summer despite links with several clubs, including Manchester City. (Florian Plettenberg), external

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Son Heung-min will miss the match on Thursday as he has "been battling with his foot problem for a few weeks" and after not training on Wednesday they decided to leave him out "to allow him to recuperate and see the best mode of recovery for him".

• Postecoglou added: "Look it's a blow but it's consistent with everything else that's happened this year, so it's just another challenge for us to overcome. The reason we left him out at the weekend was to give him time to recover because he's been struggling with this foot thing for a couple of weeks now, but he couldn't make it."

• The Spurs boss does not see the match "as salvaging the season", but as "an opportunity to do something special", adding: "You're at a point where you have got an opportunity to get to the semi-finals of a major competition. Obviously you know the challenge before you and that's the bit you're excited about."

• He added: "That has kind of been my message to the players. Irrespective of everything else that has happened this year, we're a game away from the final four of a major competition. We shouldn't take that for granted in terms of something that is a regular occurrence because it certainly hasn't been for this club, but we'll try to take advantage of that."

• On his position as Tottenham head coach: "I don't define my career or me as a person by what people think of me. I never have and never will. If you don't think I'm a good coach today then you are not going to think I'm a good coach tomorrow. Even if we win, mate, one game is not going to make a difference to that. If people think us winning tomorrow then all of a sudden I'm a better manager than what I am today, or losing tomorrow somehow makes me a worse manager, that is their burden, not mine."

• Postecoglou continued: "I couldn't care less, mate. I really couldn't care less. There's no burden on me, there is no anxiety on me. What I'm sitting here doing is thinking we've got a great opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament. Mate, I'm not going to let that slip by without fighting tooth and nail for it irrespective of what may come the day after."

• On Guglielmo Vicario and Cristian Romero after Sunday's match: "They were disappointed, but the thing about both of them is they don't shy away from that responsibility. They owned up to it, the mistakes were on them but once we reviewed it and put it to bed, they trained the next day with the mentality you expect them to as leaders and experienced players. I guess if they were going to make errors like that, it's better they did it on Sunday than tomorrow night."