It's six months since Ange Postecoglou told the soccer world he's always won a trophy in his second season managing a club - and there's hardly been a day since during Tottenham's struggles when he hasn't been reminded of it.

Yet if he's ever felt hostage to fortune over that assertion and secretly wished he'd never mentioned it, you'd never have known it by his defiant air on the eve of what shapes as a potential watershed night for both Spurs and their Australian boss.

"No, no extra pressure," insisted Postecoglou, when asked about the comments on the eve of the second leg of the Europa League last-16 tie which, if Spurs lose at home to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, will mean his second season will be trophy-free.

One-nil down after a dismal performance in the first leg in the Netherlands, the Australian was asked first-up in Wednesday's news conference if the game was 'win-or-bust' for him and his team.

"Yeah, there are not many professions in the world where you have to come in and answer questions like that is there?" he said, already sounding as if his patience was being tested.

"No, there isn't, but I am going to be polite and say we're focused on winning the game tomorrow night and need to put in a better performance than we did last Thursday."

A bit more levity was evidently needed, as another reporter then piped up: "Hi Ange, how are you?"

To which Postecoglou, demonstrating admirable levity, pretended to put on the translator headphones, as if puzzled by such a delicate enquiry about his well-being.

Fair play to Postecoglou for keeping things light, because the enquiries soon got back to his celebrated September comments, when he made the point that at Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic he'd been a second-season trophy winner.

Did he now have any regrets he'd said them?

"My view has always been when you're asked a question you answer it. I wasn't making anything up," he shrugged.

"I was asked a question, I answered that question. People have sort of used it for their own purposes in suggesting I was making a bold claim but I wasn't. I was stating a fact.

"If that doesn't happen this year then I cannot say that any more if I'm asked next year, can I? What was I supposed to say? 'I always win in the second year but here it won't happen'. Is that what people want to hear?

"I will always answer things the way I feel comfortable answering them. I'm really comfortable and proud of the fact that everywhere I have been I have won things. I think it's something where I wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't.

"Whether I win something in my second year here time will tell."

That time could be sooner rather than later if Spurs play as poorly as they did in the Netherlands, and Postecoglou will be looking for his players to embrace the pressure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

His big names could be back in unison at just the right time, with Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, James Maddison and Son Heung-min all set to start together for the first time since October.

"They are our four leaders and having the whole leadership group out there will definitely be beneficial," said Postecoglou.