Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma has thanked manager Ange Postecoglou for protecting the squad amid their disappointing season, describing him like “a dad or uncle for us”.
Spurs are 17th in the Premier League table with one game remaining and have suffered 25 defeats across all competitions – their joint-highest since the 1991-92 season.
They have an opportunity to salvage their season with the Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday, and Mali midfielder Bissouma says the relationship between the players and the manager has remained strong throughout the season.
“It’s never changed, never changed. We have a good relationship,” Bissouma, 28, said of Postecoglou.
“He’s like a dad or uncle for us. He’s always trying to make us understand what he really wants.
“For us, he’s Ange, he’s him. He’s got his idea. He’s trying to help us every time. He’s always protecting us.”
Bissouma added that Postecoglou’s style was difficult to grasp at the beginning of his tenure in 2023, but he said the Australian has never put any blame on the players.
Injuries have plagued Tottenham’s season but they were boosted by the return of captain Son Heung-min in Friday’s defeat by Aston Villa.
They beat AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt to set up the European final against fellow Premier League strugglers United.
Bissouma was briefly suspended by Spurs at the beginning of the season after footage appeared to show the midfielder inhaling laughing gas, an incident which he said he did not want to talk about but is “still learning” from.
“Of course there’s more to come [from me]. We are always here for learning, I’m still learning,” he said.
“This season has been hard for me because I didn’t play much.
“The only thing I know is you have to work hard and never give up and be ready when your team needs you. That’s what I’m always trying to do.
“We know what we have to do. We have to win this cup because for us it’s really important.
“As a player, it’s not coming every season. For the club, for the fans, it’s something special.”
