Ange Postecoglou believes there is a negative agenda surrounding Tottenham, suggesting even Europa League glory will not be good enough for the club's critics.

Spurs, who are 14th in the Premier League table and eight points off the top 10, are gearing up for a season-defining quarter-final showdown with former winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

Postecoglou has come under intense criticism this season, with reports suggesting his future may hinge on Europa League success.

Doing so would salvage something from Tottenham's campaign as it would represent their first silverware since the 2007-08 EFL Cup, while also securing continental football next term.

Postecoglou's side warmed up for Thursday's first leg with a 3-1 victory over Southampton last weekend, though he was questioned about Brennan Johnson being denied a hat-trick.

The Wales international had scored twice at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the hosts were awarded a penalty in stoppage time, but Mathys Tel ultimately stepped up and scored instead.

And Postecoglou says the situation epitomises the current consensus around Tottenham, of which he feels positives are constantly turned into negatives.

"I just think we're in that position now where even the good stuff we do is going to be turned into a glass half-empty rhetoric," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

"We scored, we won. It's incredible, literally turning gold into c*** when it's Tottenham. If we're 2-1 up, and we get a penalty late on, I want our best penalty taker to take it.

"The one slight against this club is that it hasn't been a winner. The winners' mentality in the last minute is to score. We scored and somehow, in this alternate universe, everything Tottenham does is negative.

"I just think you can't win the argument of convincing people. Even if we win [the Europa League], I am gone anyway. That's just the general sentiment of the people."

Tottenham are appearing in the last eight of a European competition for the first time since reaching the Champions League final six years ago.

While Spurs' fans have not had much to cheer about of late, Postecoglou has urged them to get behind the team, believing it will be crucial to their chances of success.

"It's hugely important," the head coach added. "With every European game, the atmosphere makes a big impact.

"It's a big part of European football. A lot of teams that have success in Europe are on the back of a really strong home atmosphere. We hope it's the same for us [on Thursday]."