Arne Slot reveals why he ‘HOPES’ Ange Postecoglou wins a trophy at Tottenham and calls himself a ‘big fan’ of under-fire boss – with Liverpool standing in Spurs’ way of Carabao Cup final

Tottenham have gained an unlikely fan in their fight to end a 17-year trophy drought – with Liverpool boss Arne Slot saying he thinks Ange Postecoglou winning silverware will be a victory for football.

Slot is a big admirer of Spurs’ Australian boss and reckons he is unfairly criticised for playing an expansive, attacking brand of football. And the Liverpool head coach, who was close to joining Tottenham two years ago, has spoken glowingly about Postecoglou.

‘Just be happy that we have managers like him that want to play this brand of football and that is why even I hope he wins something,’ said Slot, ahead of the league leaders travelling to north London on Sunday. They will also face off over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

‘Because when he starts to win something, people will start to get positive and then other managers will try to do the same. I always hope that the ones who play the most attacking football win trophies.

‘I really have to give them credit because if I look at Tottenham… I come from Holland but I watch a lot of Match of the Day and David Ginola, Paul Gascoigne, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart, they have always been a certain brand and a certain identity.

‘And I think Postecoglou gives them that completely, they are always a joy to watch. Sometimes results go against them but they are one of the teams who beat Manchester City, like us, but not every team beat them in the manner we did and Tottenham did.

Postecoglou asked ‘are you not entertained?’ after his side’s 4-3 win over Manchester United

Liverpool face Spurs on Sunday and over two legs in the Carabao Cup semis down the line 

‘Ange is doing great work there. I hope, hope, hope he wins a trophy… just not the League Cup! But I am completely a fan of his team for the Europa League. People always talk about trophies but, for me, his brand of football is so much more important.

‘If they could combine that with winning a trophy then it would be so good for football in general. So people stop talking about it being too attacking or whatever. How on earth can you play “too much” attacking football?!

‘If a manager plays such an attacking brand of football, please support him, because this is what we want. At least that is what I think. Only one team can win the league and only one team can win the FA Cup, but the others have to play football as well.’

Slot added reports at the time that Spurs had turned him down – instead of the other way around – were not true. ‘I was really happy that I stayed at Feyenoord,’ he added. The Reds will be without Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley but have a clean bill of health otherwise.