Ange Postecoglou has insisted that he "couldn't care less" about rumours that he could be sacked by Tottenham Hotspur, even if they manage to win the Europa League this season.
The 59-year-old's future in North London has been under the microscope for some time, largely as a result of a miserable Premier League campaign with Spurs in danger of finishing as low as 17th in the table.
Tottenham were condemned to a 4-2 defeat at Wolves last weekend - their 17th league loss of the season - and they currently sit 15th in the table, 11 points behind the top eight with only six games left to play.
Spurs' season and the position of Postecoglou in the dugout will likely hinge on getting the better of Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt at the Deutsche Bank Park in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday - both teams played out a 1-1 draw in last week's first leg.
However, recent reports have claimed that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has already made the decision behind the scenes to part ways with Postecoglou, regardless of whether the Greek-Australian steers the club to Europa League glory, which would seal Champions League qualification for next season.
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Postecoglou focused on the Europa League, not sack speculation
Asked at his pre-match press conference if he had any idea about what the future holds for him at Spurs, Postecoglou said: "Do I know? No, I've got no idea. It's not something I need to think about, I don't think. I've never thought about those kind of things in terms of what's important.
"What's important is we have a game tomorrow night that's a massive opportunity for this group of players, for us as a team, for this football club to get to closer to achieving what everyone wants to achieve.
"I think anything else other than that, and particularly in terms of me, I don't have much thought process that thinks about life or my career or what I'm doing in that way.
"What I do know is we have an opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament and that's where my focus is."
Asked if ongoing speculation over his future has weighed heavily on him, Postecoglou said: "No, not at all mate, because I don't define my career and me as a person by what people think about me. I never have. Never will.
"If you don't think I'm a good coach today, you won't think I'm a good coach tomorrow, even if we win mate.
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Ange focused on "fighting tooth and nail" to end season on a high
"One game isn't going to make a difference to that. You either think I'm capable of doing the job now or you don't. That's where I sit with these things.
"If people think that us winning tomorrow all of a sudden makes me a better manager than what I am today, or us losing tomorrow somehow makes me a worse manager, I guess that's their burden, not mine.
"I don't think that way and I don't think most people think that way. Or I'd like to think they don't, in terms of their own sort of self-esteem and who they are as people.
"I couldn't care less. Really. I couldn't care less. There's no burden on me, there's no anxiety on me. What I'm sitting here doing is thinking we've got a great opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament.
"Mate, I'm not going to let that slip by without fighting tooth and nail for it irrespective of what may come the day after."
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Tottenham eyeing up first trophy in 17 years
Postecoglou is aiming to guide Tottenham into the last four of the Europa League for the first time since they won the UEFA Cup in 1984, while the last trophy Spurs won was the EFL Cup in 2008.
"You're at a point where you have got an opportunity to get to the semi-finals of a major competition," Postecoglou added. "Obviously you know the challenge before you and that's the bit you're excited about.
"I don't think it is about salvaging anything and you know these opportunities don't come around very often even if you're having a good season, so why not take it? That has kind of been the message to the players.
"Irrespective of everything else that has happened this year, we're a game away from the final four of a major competition and we shouldn't take that for granted in terms of something that is a regular occurrence because it certainly hasn't been for this club, but we'll try to take advantage of that."
Meanwhile, Postecoglou has confirmed that Son Heung-min will be unavailable for Thursday's clash with Frankfurt in Germany due to injury.
Oliver Thomas
