Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham in ‘hell of a fight’ but have quality to stay up

Spurs are 17th and only one point above the relegation zone after a run of two league wins in 22 fixtures.

Postecoglou, who was dismissed last June despite guiding the club to a first trophy in 17 years with Europa League success, feels his old team have what it takes to turn things around in their remaining seven matches.

“I still have a really strong attachment to the club,” Postecoglou told Gerard Whateley on Australian broadcaster SEN 1116.

“It was two years and they were by no means easy years, but we invested a lot into them. Second last game we won a European trophy, which was an incredible high.

“The connection there will be there forever. To watch them struggle has not been easy and it’s not the way I thought it would go. They’re in a hell of a fight, relegation is massive for any club but for Tottenham, it’s a pretty big deal.

“They have some fighting to do and they have the quality to get out. They need a circuit-breaker, for sure.”

With no fixture until April 12, Tottenham players and staff have been given time off during the first week of the March international break.

However, former Spurs midfielders Tim Sherwood and Gus Poyet have put forward their services in recent days to help the club if current interim head coach Igor Tudor departs after a run of five defeats in seven.

Tudor is mourning the death of his father Mario on Sunday and that has added another layer of complexity to a situation which the club are eager to handle with sensitivity.

There has been heightened speculation around ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi in recent days, but the Press Association understands the Italian is unlikely to accept a role mid-season after his February dismissal from Marseille, and is expected to wait until the summer to assess his options.

Reports in France continue to link former Monaco head coach Adi Hutter to the Tottenham job.