Ange Postecoglou is aiming to utilize the ‘Stonecutter’s Credo’ to help Tottenham Hotspur salvage a season that has been described as “disastrously wrong” by securing victory in the Europa League.
Currently, Postecoglou is under pressure to save his job as Tottenham sits in 16th place in the Premier League ahead of their match against Liverpool on Monday morning (AEST).
A defeat at Anfield would equal Tottenham's record for the most losses in a single top-flight season, totaling 19. Liverpool, on the other hand, requires only a draw to clinch the league title, putting further pressure on Postecoglou, whose only hope of retaining his position lies in the Europa League.
Tottenham, who have not won a major trophy since the 2008 League Cup, will host Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the semi-final on Thursday.
In light of a challenging season, Postecoglou referenced the ‘Stonecutter’s Credo,’ originally articulated by Danish-American writer Jacob Riis over a century ago, to illustrate the importance of perseverance in achieving breakthroughs.
“I talk to the players a lot about the Stonecutter’s creed,” Postecoglou stated. “Only the 101st blow cracks the rock, but no one sees the other 100 blows. And they think it’s the last one that does it. It’s not.”
He emphasized that the impact of consistent effort may not be immediately visible, stating, “If you keep doing the right thing, the impact it has is unseen because you won’t break it with the 101st blow unless you’ve done a lot of things which, to the naked eye, seems like you’re doing nothing or maybe the wrong thing.”
Despite Tottenham's recent loss to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, a victory in the Europa League quarter-finals has kept Postecoglou's hopes alive. He concluded his press conference with a light-hearted remark, suggesting that he would be around for a while longer.
Some fans interpreted his comment as a dig, but Postecoglou clarified that it was not directed at them, adding, “It wasn’t directed to the fans, and there was a bit of irony there.”
Postecoglou, who previously claimed that he always wins a trophy in his second season, acknowledged the team's poor form but noted that they still have a chance to fulfill this expectation.
“I’m trying to change the perception of the club,” he remarked. “Yes, I’m trying to do things very differently. It hasn’t all worked out, for sure - some of it has gone disastrously wrong, I accept that - but I said from the start, we need to chart a different course if we are ever going to break the cycle that this club has been in.”
He concluded by expressing optimism about the team's current position, stating, “Bizarrely, we’re still in that position where we can do that.”
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