Ange Postecoglou hailed the contributions of his experienced players after Tottenham secured a crucial 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim in the Europa League.
The result moves Spurs closer to a knockout-stage spot, with progression guaranteed if they defeat Elfsborg at home next Thursday.
Despite dealing with a heavily depleted squad, which sees 14 players unavailable, including 10 due to injuries – Postecoglou’s side managed to grind out a win in Germany.
The match ended with five teenagers on the pitch for Spurs, among them debutant Callum Olusesi.
Tottenham got off to a flying start with Maddison finding the net just four minutes in. Son added two more goals, one in each half, sandwiching a strike from Hoffenheim’s Antonin Stach.
Late drama ensued when David Mokba headed home for the hosts, but Spurs held firm to claim all three points.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Postecoglou lauded the leadership of his senior players, saying: “Sonny was brilliant. I thought the senior boys today – Benny [Ben Davies], Madders, Rodri [Rodrigo Bentancur], Sonny—they all really stood up.
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“We needed them to. Playing away in Europe, with such a young and inexperienced team, you need your leaders to stand up, and they did tonight.
“We wanted to be a bit more aggressive, and I think that’s when Madders is at his best. In the context of the game, we knew if we could score early and put some pressure on them, it would allow us to get a real good foothold in the game. He was good all night – he got a bit tired in the second half but caused them problems throughout.
“It’s not easy to win away in Europe. Credit to the boys, I thought we were outstanding in the first half, played really well. We looked a bit tired in the second half, but we hung on, and Sonny scored a great goal to give us that extra buffer. We had the schoolboys out there at the end, and it was a great victory.”
A top-eight finish in the Europa League standings would allow Spurs to bypass the play-offs for the knockouts, avoiding an additional two fixtures in an already packed schedule.
For Postecoglou, the chance to earn a rare midweek break is a significant motivator for his injury-hit squad.
“I just told them to enjoy it,” Postecoglou added. “Irrespective of the situation we’re in, winning away in Europe is a significant victory for us. It gives us a great foothold in getting into those top eight spots, which will give us a week off, which is almost as good as getting through.
“We’ve got a home game [against Elfsborg], and it’s a great position to be in. We want to finish top eight—it gives us an extra week of respite from the schedule we’ve had, and we’re probably going to need it.”
