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- 'We are behind the manager 100%' - Maddison backs Postecoglou ahead of Europa League clash
'We are behind the manager 100%' - Maddison backs Postecoglou ahead of Europa League clash
Tottenham welcome Bodo/Glimt to north London on Thursday, hoping to put one foot in the Europa League final.
James Maddison insisted that Tottenham's squad are "100%" behind manager Ange Postecoglou, adding that everyone at the club must take responsibility for an "unacceptable" league season.
Maddison captained Spurs against Liverpool on Sunday as they were beaten 5-1 by the Reds, a result that clinched the club their second Premier League title in five years.
It saw Spurs lose their 19th league game of the season, their joint-most defeats in a single top-flight campaign, along with the 1993-94 and 2003-04 terms.
To add further insult to injury, it was also Postecoglou's joint-heaviest defeat as Spurs boss, while it also guaranteed they would finish in the bottom half of the Premier League for the first time since 2007-08, when they ended up in 11th.
And as a senior figure in the changing room, Maddison is hoping to boost morale among the squad ahead of their biggest game of the season against Bodo/Glimt in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.
"You want to feel the hurt and be a little bit embarrassed about how Sunday went. Losing 5-1 in any game is embarrassing," Maddison said.
"Liverpool obviously won the Premier League on the day, and it was a negative day [for us] as a club.
"My job as a senior player is to almost not accept the fact that we were poor, and we cannot go forward like that because the league is important, and it gives you momentum for Europe, but also have the feeling of trying to put it to one side.
"We've got a lot of young players, we need positivity, and you want them to feel good and ready to go into Thursday. Trying to get a nice feel about the group is a balancing act."
Despite their struggles in the league, Spurs have fared better in Europe and are unbeaten in their last 19 home matches in European competitions (W15 D4), including qualifiers.
It's the longest ongoing run of any English side that has featured in Europe this season.
This is also their ninth major European semi-final and first since the 2018-19 Champions League against Ajax.
They have lost the first leg of their last two semi-finals (1-2 vs Hajduk Split in the 1983-84 UEFA Cup, 0-1 vs Ajax in 2019) but recovered each time to reach the final.
And extra pressure has been placed on their upcoming clash due to their results in the Premier League, with Postecoglou's role at the club questioned throughout the campaign.
While Maddison acknowledged Spurs' league form was unacceptable, he said that his team-mates were 100% behind their manager and will continue to be so.
"We are behind the manager 100%. I think he's a great man. We have had a poor season, especially in the league," Maddison said.
"We've been very good in Europe, but the league season has been unacceptable.
"He's my manager, he's my gaffer, and I respect him an awful amount.
"And listen, the narrative [of Postecoglou's position being under pressure] is something we players are trying to keep away from because it's not healthy.
"I just know that I come into work every day and see the lads listening and taking on the messages on how he wants us to play, and doing the best for this club.
"We are in a real good position in Europe, where we can still have a special season under his management.
"I will continue to do that until the day he isn't here. He's my manager and I respect him an awful amount and that will continue."