Why Daniel Levy and Tottenham fans must be patient with Ange Postecoglou
Neither Jose Mourinho nor Antonio Conte brought much positivity to Spurs and their styles were often dull.
In time, Postecoglou promises to get Spurs back to playing full-throttle, exhilarating football, much more in tune with the club’s rich traditions.
At previous clubs, it was not uncommon to hear Postecoglou berating his players for daring to play the ball backwards, and he will demand Spurs get back on the front foot at all times.
Front foot: Ange Postecoglou’s methods have worked everywhere
Explaining his ethos, Postecoglou has said: “I always say to coaches, ‘If you had a game this weekend that would determine whether you had a coaching career or not, how would you play?’ — I’d go for it all out and try to win that game by as many goals as possible.”
At Celtic, Postecoglou played a 4-3-3 with inverted full-backs overloading the midfield and two wide men staying high and coming inside, or providing crosses for the centre-forward and midfield runners.
He demands his teams play out from the back, and their energy and movement is relentless.
“We never stop,” became a mantra for his time in charge at Celtic and his side were searingly intense. As soon as there was a stoppage for a throw-in or goal-kick, Postecoglou would demand the ball was returned to play immediately.
Insofar as there are reasons to be concerned, Postecoglou has acknowledged that it often takes his teams six months to a year to “bed in” and says “rocky” starts are to be expected wherever he goes. Levy and supporters must be patient, though his four-year contract is an encouraging show of faith.
During his first season at Parkhead, Celtic’s relentlessness caused them to run out of steam by 60 or 70 minutes and they suffered a succession of muscle injuries, which Postecoglou claims happens at all his clubs in year one.
Domestically, it hardly mattered, with Celtic usually wrapping up most wins inside the hour, but they were caught out in the Champions League last season, matching Real Madrid and Leipzig in the first hour of three of their four group games before wilting.
Celtic struggled in Europe and, excluding qualifiers, Postecoglou won only three of 14 games in the Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues.
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Given the competitiveness of the Premier League, there is a question over whether his methods can scale up, but he will be helped by Spurs’s lack of European football next season.
After nearly four seasons under counter-punching managers, the transition to Postecoglou’s possession-based style promises to be particularly gruelling for players who survive the summer cull.
Postecoglou’s record suggests he can get Spurs back to not only winning but winning in style, but no one should expect an overnight transformation.
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