Ange Postecoglou press conference LIVE – Tottenham boss on Porro, Richarlison and Aston Villa

We’ve got a full transcript with everything the Tottenham boss just said which you can find right here or scroll down for some highlights.

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 as you say, 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.

OK, 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.

He’s outstanding but I thought he was from day one. He’s a World Cup winner. You don’t win World Cups as a starter, a contributor [unless you’re good]. He’s got great pedigree, he’s a great defender, great guy, very driven and motivated. Highly, highly competitive in everything he does and I love that. There’s nothing more you’d want in an athlete and he’s a great example for the other guys.

I don’t know about difficult decisions. They’re easy decisions. The good thing about Brennan is he’s contributing. Overall his year we’ve seen growth in him playing in a way that is different for him. They’re all there in front of me with the opportunity to start or not start.

I think he’s been really important. If we hadn’t brought him in there would have been far more of a burden on the other players, especially with Sonny away. We threw him straight in. He’s made an impact but I think he can get even better.

Everyone from last week is available. Pedro is good, he’s trained this week. Everyone else, including Richy, is still not training.

One member of the backroom staff has returned to the club in recent weeks to continue a near 15-year association for Spurs. You can find out more on that by heading here.

Bosse Andersson, the sporting director of Djurgarden, has spoken about his trip to Hotspur Way last week and his meetings with Daniel Levy, Johan Lange and Postecoglou. You can find what he had to say by heading right here.

The club are increasing their season ticket prices by 6% for the next campaign and have decided to stop new applications for senior concession season tickets from the following term. You can find our thoughts on those decisions by heading right here.

Ange Postecoglou will be with us shortly to discuss Spurs’ match at Villa Park this weekend.