Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach.
The Australian coach signs a four-year contract in north London to become the club’s fifth boss in four years.
He joins following a sensational season in Scotland as he secured the treble with Celtic.
The 57-year-old now has a major task on his hands to turn the ship around at Spurs following yet another turbulent campaign.
Last season saw the north London outfit miss out on European football completely as they ended up 8th.
Postecoglou inherits a talented yet dysfunctional playing squad which he must reshape and a fanbase left disillusioned by a lack of direction.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as our new Head Coach on a four-year contract 🤍
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2023
📰 Table Of Contents
Attacking football
For several years now, Tottenham fans have been yearning to watch their side live up to the club’s motto of ‘To Dare Is To Do’.
Spurs’ last three appointments of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte have all played pragmatic, defensive-minded football.
The team’s way of playing has been heavily criticised for being very dull to watch and the club’s supporters have grown tired.
But with Ange Postecoglou, you are getting a coach who is strongly committed to playing attacking, front-foot football.
Traits of Postecoglou teams tend to play with high-intensity, high possession and play high up the pitch.
Anyone who has seen a Postecoglou side play knows that they are a joy to watch with his Celtic team particularly catching the eye.
Celtic netted 114 goals in 38 league matches last season which fell just short of their 107-year SPFL record of 116.
The Australian coach will now have attacking talents at his disposal in the form of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison.
Spurs and Postecoglou will need time, but if all goes to plan, a Postecoglou-Spurs team could be one of the most exciting teams to watch.
Reconnecting the fans
Postecoglou arrived at Celtic Park with major question marks over his suitability for the job, but after two sensational seasons, he leaves the Scottish giants as a legend.
Celtic fans initially questioned who on earth their club had appointed but Ange swiftly got them on board with his exciting brand of football and his charming personality.
Rangers looked all set for a spell of dominance in Scotland but Postecoglou quickly tilted the balance of power back in Celtic’s favour.
The Aussie was absolutely adored at Celtic Park and the reaction from the supporters to his departure tells you everything you need to know – this was no ordinary fan-manager bond.
He now arrives at another major club who are in a similar predicament to that of how he found Celtic.
A fanbase left disillusioned by the direction of the club and desperate for a figure to reunite them.
Tottenham haven’t had that since Mauricio Pochettino left the club but with Postecoglou, they now have a head coach who knows how to get his club’s supporters on board.
Getting the best out of players
(Photo by Richard Washbrooke/News Images) 2JW3J9C Son Heung-Min #7 of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, United Kingdom, 3rd September 2022
(Photo by Richard Washbrooke/News Images) (Alamy Stock Photo)
Heading into last season, many predicted that Tottenham would be in and around the top of the table.
Following a strong start to the campaign, that looked like it would be the case but things quickly deteriorated.
Conte’s methods eventually proved to be unsustainable as the team ran out of steam and confidence.
Many of Spurs’ key players produced very underwhelming seasons with the likes of Son, Kulusevski and Bissouma all underperforming.
This Tottenham squad is certainly in need of a reshape but at the same time, it is still packed full of talented players.
Postecoglou is now tasked with once again coaching the best out of some of Tottenham’s top talents.
Under Mourinho, Nuno and Conte, that very much felt like it was something which they all neglected.
Bryan Gil under Conte is a great example of this, as many times the Italian sang the praises of the winger, but never actually worked with him to unlock his potential.
Many of these players have been missing a coach who is actually willing to live up to his job title and help them improve.
Now, they have a manager who has a track record of getting the best out of players by actually working with them on the training pitch.
He has won everywhere he has been having won league titles in three different countries and with Australia – having to significantly improve each team in the process.
Long-term project
Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Picture Credit : © Mark Pain / Alamy Live News 2GMKE1Y London, UK. 19 September 2021 – Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea – The Premier League
Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy during the Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Picture Credit : © Mark Pain / Alamy Live News (Alamy Stock Photo)
Postecoglou has been handed a four-year contract at Tottenham – showing their long-term commitment to him.
Once again looking at the appointments of Mourinho and Conte, they very much felt like the club trying for a quick fix.
But with managers like those, you need to significantly back them and do so quickly.
Spurs were unable and unwilling to do that and eventually both projects came crashing down.
It is now very clear that they are trying to pivot back to building a more sustainable, long-term project.
To do so, it was key that they brought in a man who ticked all the boxes above and importantly, a manager who actually wants to be there.
At 57, whilst he may be a bit older than what Spurs had been looking for, Postecoglou without a doubt fits the mould of the ideal Tottenham manager.
There will remain question marks over his CV, but Postecoglou has won at every level at which he has been and over a career spanning 27 years, he has had to patiently work his way up to the top level.
And that is why he is now more than deserving of becoming the Premier League’s first-ever Australian coach.
Read more here:
Real Madrid set to table first offer for Tottenham star Harry Kane
Tensions elevate between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain after second transfer conflict
