Tottenham Hotspur’s current vacant managerial position has been linked with more names than Watford have had bosses in the last five years, but one man who keeps coming to the forefront of media attention is Ange Postecoglou.
The Celtic boss is reportedly a coach of notable interest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but supporters have been quick to take a swipe at the Australian as he doesn’t have a commanding name in the game. If only Spurs had tried going for a name in the past… Oh wait, they did with Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, and how did that work out for them?
Tottenham are heading into the 2023-24 season with no European football, a 15-year trophy drought and the likelihood of Harry Kane’s departure being greater than ever. Spurs is a club that does have a decent history but it doesn’t command the respect that the supporters believe it still has. They are not amongst England’s elite, as shown with many of their disjointed performances in the Premier League last term.
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The team has looked lost for many months and they are in desperate need of fresh ideas and, most importantly, leadership. That is exactly what Postecoglou has brought to Celtic Park at a time when they needed it most over the past two years. When he stepped through the doors of Paradise, the Hoops were dejected. Their ignorance in the transfer market had allowed rivals Rangers to strengthen in the background as Steven Gerrard’s side stormed to the 2020-21 title.
Celtic’s squad, which had been dominant for many years in Scotland, had its weaknesses exploited as soon as their neighbours were able to build a title-challenging side. It was feared that it would take the Bhoys a couple of years to get back into title contention, but Postecoglou’s instant impact was incredible.
His in-depth knowledge of the J1 League allowed him to bring some of Japan’s top talent to Glasgow, and each of them hit the ground running. Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have all been great influences for the Hoops in the past two years as Postecoglou has led them to back-to-back league and League Cup titles
For many football fans across the British Isles, Postecoglou was an unfamiliar coach due to his career beforehand taking place mostly in Australia and Japan. In his homeland he is revered, not just for his Asian Cup triumph in 2015 with the Socceroos, but for his vast success with various youth teams in the national set-up, along with his domestic experiences with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar.
Those who have tuned in to Celtic matches over the past 24 months will have seen that he loves his teams to play on the front foot, something Spurs teams have not been built on recently during various failed experiments with experienced and decorated managers.
Postecoglou likes to play attacking football, exciting football, something that Spurs supporters are crying out for after some of the dross they’ve witnessed in recent seasons.
The three years he spent with Yokohama F Marinos before joining Celtic provided him with expertise to shop in that market for players, and the league title win in 2019 is further evidence that his philosophy gets results.
Of course, stepping up to the Premier League is going to be a huge task for him, but his vision and principles can help him succeed at Tottenham, like they did at Celtic. He is an incredible professional too. Amidst the reports of the Spurs links he has drowned out the noise as his focus remains on winning the Scottish Cup with the Hoops against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday to deliver a fantastic domestic treble.
The fans adore him for what he has done these past two years, and it is worth remembering that many were sceptical about his appointment back in 2021 because of his lack of experience in Europe and of course not having the biggest profile.
Should he be the man entrusted to take over at Spurs, the same thing could happen with Tottenham fans. He won over the Celtic faithful and put the club back on top, and he could be just as much of a success in north London with some of the players he would have at his disposal. Postecoglou has thrived off proving people wrong since moving to Scotland and it is time for him to be given the recognition and respect he deserves.
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