Ange Postecoglou says he does not know whether he will remain Tottenham Hotspur head coach beyond the end of the season.
The Australian’s position is under mounting uncertainty following a disappointing domestic season that leaves the club 15th in the Premier League, while they were eliminated from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Spurs face Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on Thursday night (20:00 BST) in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final which is evenly poised at 1-1.
Defeat would heap further doubt on Postecoglou’s future.
When asked whether he knew what would happen regarding his position this season, Postecoglou said: “No – no idea. We have a game tomorrow night, but it’s not something I need to think about. I’ve never thought about those things in terms of what is important.
“What is important is the game that’s a massive opportunity for this group of players and this football club to get closer to achieving what everyone wants to achieve.
“Anything other than that, particularly in terms of me, I don’t really have much thought process that thinks about my career or what I’m doing in that way.”
Postecoglou’s side have lost 17 Premier League games out of 32 this season.
Only the current bottom three clubs – Southampton (26 defeats), Leicester (22) and Ipswich (19) – have lost more.
Asked whether the speculation over his future was taking a toll on his mental wellbeing, Postecoglou said: “No, not at all. I don’t define my career or me as a person about what people think about me. I never have, I never will.
“Whether I’m a good coach – one game isn’t going to make a difference to that. If people think us winning tomorrow suddenly makes me a better manager than what I am today, or if losing tomorrow somehow makes me a worse manager, I guess that’s their burden not mine. I just don’t think that way in terms of my self-esteem.
“I couldn’t care less, I really couldn’t care less. There’s no burden on me, or anxiety on me.
“What I’m doing is thinking we have a great opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament. I’m not going to let that slip by without a fight, irrespective of what may come the day after.”
Tottenham will be without captain Son Heung-min for the quarter-final because of a foot injury.
