Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has insisted that Newcastle United are a cautionary tale about the adverse effects of the demands of playing in the Champions League.
The north London club are sitting fourth in the Premier League table and are pushing hard to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
However, Postecoglou recently insisted that qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition should not be the be-all and end-all goal for Tottenham.
Spurs are set to face Newcastle on Saturday and Postecoglou believes that Saturday’s opponents could be the perfect cautionary tale about the adverse effects of being in the Champions League without being properly prepared for it.
He insisted that the club and the players need to be properly ready to meet the demands of playing in the Champions League as it will always have an impact on their domestic season.
Postecoglou said in a press conference: “I guess I gave that as an example of one of the reasons why I don’t think it should be the endpoint or some avenue you think will get you to be successful for a sustained period just because you have achieved that.
“Certainly there is a cautionary tale there that getting into the Champions League also means greater demands.
“Demands on players, demands on the squad and you have to be geared up for it or else it can affect all parts of your season.
“It has been tough on Newcastle this year because the progress last year was fantastic, the reward for that was the Champions League and this year for whatever reason it has made it a really challenging season on all fronts for them.”
Spurs are level on points with Aston Villa but have played a game more than the Midlands club.
