Ange Postecoglou has dismissed speculation linking him with the Liverpool managerial job and said he is only just getting started at Tottenham.
Rumours circulated this week that the 58-year-old may be on Liverpool’s shortlist to replace Jurgen Klopp, who announced last month that he would end his nine-year tenure at Anfield when the season finishes.
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Postecoglou only took charge of Spurs last summer but has impressed in his first season at the club, overcoming the departure of talismanic forward Harry Kane to guide Spurs into fourth place after 24 games, just seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Asked about the reports he could be among the contenders to succeed Klopp, Postecoglou told a news conference on Friday: “‘I may be on a shortlist. 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.
“Do I take it as a compliment? It depends. If it’s 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.”
Pushed on whether he felt he had just started his work at Spurs, Postecoglou continued: “Well, I am. Not just feel — 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 windows. I think we’ve had two positive campaigns, a decent campaign so far, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
Postecoglou, who signed a four-year contract with Tottenham when he took charge, was then asked whether there was any doubt he would be at the club next season.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he replied.
“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 question 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.”
Postecoglou said that Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro will miss Saturday’s Premier League home game against Wolves through injury while Fraser Forster fractured a foot in training and is expected to be sidelined “conservatively” for around two months.