Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou wants same 'mentality' when Spurs face AZ Alkmaar

Following a draw against Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou praised the team's fighting spirit and hopes they can carry that momentum into Thursday's Europa League match against AZ Alkmaar. Tottenham will host the Dutch team in North London, seeking to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg, aiming for a strong comeback.

This match comes after Tottenham's 2-2 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, where they came back from two goals down. Postecoglou said in an interview with Sky Sports: "We faced a huge challenge when we were 0-2 down. Today's game was very chaotic, but the players showed real character. It would have been easy for us to lose confidence at 0-2 with the atmosphere at home, but they fought hard and got back into the game."

Postecoglou added: "Today's game was a different kind of struggle for us. Bournemouth pressed well, and we were sometimes very sloppy in possession, which allowed them to suppress us. It's different from Thursday's game, but we stuck to it." The draw ended Tottenham's two-game losing streak in all competitions, after a 0-1 league defeat to Manchester City, followed by the loss to AZ Alkmaar.

In addition to the positivity shown in the face of adversity, Postecoglou also welcomed back three important players from long-term injuries, which is crucial for the team at a critical moment. Forward Dominic Solanke and defender Cristian Romero made their first Premier League starts since early January. Center-back Micky van de Ven, who had been out for two months, also received a warm welcome from Tottenham fans when he came on as a substitute in the second half.

Postecoglou also said: "There is definitely a tension. We are welcoming back some players who have been out for a long time. We have been eager to have Cristian Romero back, but his first pass showed that he hasn't played for three months. Some of it is just anxiety and tension, and we need to control those emotions. I think Micky van de Ven, Dominic, and Romero are all excellent players, and we have hardly had them all at the same time this year. Seeing them on the pitch gives the team some encouragement."

Tottenham Hotspur's positivity has been lacking this season, but they still have a chance to win a European trophy. After losing 1-0 to Arsenal in the North London derby in September, Postecoglou said: "I always win something in my second year." Since then, Tottenham have been eliminated from the League Cup and FA Cup, and are 36 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Europa League offers Postecoglou a final opportunity to achieve this goal, as the club seeks its first trophy since 2008. Tottenham performed well in the Europa League group stage, qualifying in fourth place, but after losing 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar, they need to put in more effort to reach the quarter-finals. They only had one shot on target in the game in the Netherlands and need to improve their performance significantly to advance.

However, Tottenham Hotspur have a strong home record in the competition this season, winning three and drawing one, and keeping three clean sheets. Postecoglou said: "I'm not going to preach on the altar, people are free to express their feelings. They certainly helped their team in the away game against Alkmaar, and we hope that we can create the same hostility for our opponents in Thursday's game."