Ange Postecoglou thinks 8/10 Tottenham star was 'really good' against Bodo/Glimt

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou ha singled one of his players out for praise after Thursday night’s Europa League semi-final first leg win over Bodo/Glimt. Spurs take a commanding lead into the second leg after racing to a two-goal lead in the first half, with Brennan Johnson scoring with less than two minutes on the clock and James Maddison adding a second.

Dominic Solanke tucked away a penalty in the second half, and while Bodo/Glimt got one back late on, the Norwegian side don’t look particularly capable of doing serious damage as the battle to reach Bilbao continues this coming Thursday.

Tottenham boss Postecoglou was asked after the game whether he took Richarlison off through injury, with the Brazilian, who scored an 8/10 in our player ratings, ducking out at half-time. But Postecoglou says the change was to protect the forward.

“I knew he wouldn’t last the 90 minutes in that position because there are more demands on you, so I made the change at half-time, but I thought he was really good in the first half,” he told Tottenham’s media channel.

He added in his press conference: “Richarlison wasn't injured, it was just a tactical thing. He did a great job for us in the first half, exactly what we needed him to do, but we thought the game would open up in the second half and we got Mathys on for that. Dom and Madders… Madders felt a tweak in his knee, but it doesn't sound like it's anything serious, and Dom something similar in his quad, but both of them didn't feel it was anything too significant, but thought it was wise just to take them off at that point.”

Maddison and Solanke both limped off, and while neither injury looks serious, Postecoglou will surely rest both players in the Premier League this weekend given the European games are a clear priority at this stage.

Tottenham only need to avoid losing and by more than one goal in the return leg to reach the final in Bilbao on May 21, where they look likely to face Manchester United after the Red Devils’s surprise win over Athletic Club on Thursday night. But Postecoglou has suffered a heavy defeat at Bodo/Glimt in the past with Celtic, and he know it is a tough place to go, and indeed a tough surface to play on.

“Look it is on artificial grass but it’s still a game of football,” he added. “I’ve been there, played there with Celtic, I know the experience and what is important for us is we need to replicate what we did today. Irrespective of the surface, if we’re as disciplined and as organised as we were today, with and without the ball, it won’t matter what the surface is, I think it will make it really difficult for us to be stopped.” Spurs can secure Champions League qualification by winning the Europa League, and that could be important in saving Postecoglou’s job given his and Tottenham’s struggles in the league.