Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has revealed he is not interested in speculation linking him with the Liverpool job.
The Reds are on the lookout for a successor to Jurgen Klopp, who will leave Anfield at the end of the 2023/24 season.
90min revealed earlier this week that Liverpool have drawn up a shortlist of seven managers, comprising a mix of serious contenders as well as outsiders. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is currently their top candidate, but Postecoglou – a boyhood Liverpool fan – also features on the list.
In a press conference on Friday, Postecoglou was asked about links to Liverpool and whether he would take the job.
“I may be on a shortlist, [but] I don’t think I want to say anything about that because I don’t think that’s ever going to enter my brain space for what are my priorities in life and profession right now,” Postecoglou said.
It was then put to the Spurs boss he might not be interested in leaving the club given he only arrived last summer and is ‘just getting started’, replying: “Well, I am. I don’t just feel [like it] – I am. I’ve only been here seven months, so that’s self-explanatory.
“I’ve been at pains to say we’ve still got a long way to go in terms of the football we want to play, team we want to be, squad we want to have. We’ve had two positive [transfer] windows. I think we’ve had two positive campaigns, a decent campaign so far, but we’ve got a long way to go.
Postecoglou was next asked if there was any doubt he would be at Tottenham next season, retorting: “That’s what I’m talking about. That’s the funny space when we talk about managers.
“When we’re not going well, then there’s questioning about whether we’re going to be here. When you’re potentially going OK there’s still questioning about whether you’re going to be here. The reality of it is: most of it is out of our hands. I’m never worried about that.
“I’ve got a history of 26 years of management where you can see pretty clearly what I do. I rely on that as my explanation as to where my thought processes are. Right now it’s about finishing the season strongly with Tottenham and making sure we’re trying to establish a really strong foundation for who we want to be in the years to come.
“That can only happen if I’m totally focused on what these last 14 games can bring for us.
“If [the links to Liverpool] is just people throwing up names, then who cares? Like, seriously? But, at the end of the day, if I’m doing a good job then hopefully people will acknowledge that, in one form or another – whatever that form is. But so-called ‘chat’, that’s of no interest to me.”
What we know
- Liverpool eyeing successor to Jurgen Klopp ahead of departure at end of season
- Ange Postecoglou features on seven-manager shortlist with Xabi Alonso the leading contender
- Tottenham head coach has discussed links with Reds job.