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Ange Postecoglou has suggested the Champions League failures of Manchester United and Newcastle United prove the competition is not a "Willy Wonka golden ticket" to success and insisted Tottenham can continue their future development without a top-four finish.
Tottenham travel to Villa Park on Sunday aiming to move within two points of fourth-placed Aston Villa as qualification for Europe's premier club competition remains firmly in the balance.
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Although Tottenham have a game in hand, it may prove a pivotal weekend in the top-four race but Postecoglou played down the importance of Champions League football in making future progress, alluding to United and Newcastle's experiences this season after they were knocked out at the group stage.
While Manchester City and Arsenal remain competitive at the top of table and in Europe, both United and Newcastle failed to even qualify for the Europa League knockout rounds and sit below Tottenham in the table.
Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham side are in the hunt for a Champions League spot this season. Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images
Pushed on how vital Champions League football would be in developing his squad, Postecoglou replied: "It's not, actually. What's more important is that come the end of this year, we've got a team that's going to challenge the following year and keep growing.
"Right now, the most important thing is us, our identity and our football, because just getting into...mate, it's not a Willy Wonka golden ticket, you know? It just gets you a year in the Champions League. But if you don't build on that or grow from that, it is meaningless, I think anyway. Because we're not in it for participation.
"We're in it to win things. Yes, if we make Champions League this year it means we've progressed from last year. But has our football progressed? Are we a better team? Are we a stronger team? Are we going to improve in the summer to make sure that next year we are going to be even better?
"That's much more important to me. My target this year has always been to create a team that I hope will lay strong foundations for moving forward being a team that can win things. That's where it begins and ends. Logically if we've improved and make Champions League, it means we've had a decent year.
"But that isn't going to give me any comfort if we're not playing the football that I want to play and we haven't improved in the off-season to make sure we're ready for the next step.
"Your development is your development. If you keep getting stronger as a team, those kind of things don't even come into the equation. You should be there all the time. But if that's your goal and thinking that is some golden ticket to some endless riches, it is not the case. There's plenty of evidence even this year, you can see that's not the case."
Champions League qualification increases a club's revenues and generally enables them to attract better players but Postecoglou continued: "So there are a couple of teams who got into the Champions League this year from last year, had a good season -- does that guarantee anything the following season? No.
"I've said all along, I'm in no desperation to get something just for comfort or insurance. I'm here to create a team that wins things.
"For me, it defies logic -- I'm just not built that way -- to aim for anything other than the top. Now, it doesn't mean you are always going to get there but I'm not going to settle for anything other than that.
"If I fall short, well that's on me, OK? But I'm not going to sit here and try and create a scenario where we're happy with anything other than being the best. That's just the way I think."
Pedro Porro has recovered from a muscular problem and will be fit to face Villa but Richarlison is yet to return to full training due to a knee injury.
Source: espn.co.uk