Ange Postecoglou was sacked despite winning the Europa League for Tottenham – but one Premier League coach was not surprised by the decision taken by Daniel Levy
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had no choice but to sack Ange Postecoglou because his tactical philosophy left the team way too vulnerable. That’s the opinion of a rival Premier League coach, who feels that the Australian’s approach was simply too gung-ho for the top flight.
Postecoglou was dismissed on Friday evening, not long after ending the club’s 17-year wait for silverware by winning the Europa League. Levy’s decision was long expected, but has proven to be extremely unpopular with the club’s fans, and the players, who are understood to be angry with the dismissal.
It was Tottenham’s dreadful performances in the Premier League that did for Postecoglou, who could only lead them to 17th place this season. That is Spurs’ worst league finish since 1977, when they were relegated, while 22 league defeats is the club’s joint-most ever and their most ever in a 38-game league season.
Postecoglou lasted two years in the role, but ultimately it was his unflinching belief in an attacking philosophy which proved to be his downfall. They scored 64 goals, giving them the seventh-best attack in the Premier League, but their 65 conceded was the fifth-worst tally in the division.
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“You can see what their ideas are very clearly,” an anonymous coach at a rival Premier League club told The Athletic. “They play with a lot of players in their front line, they’re good at the high press, where they score a lot of goals. But when their full-backs are both up, leaving big spaces down the sides, you can kill them.”
Spurs said in a statement: “Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.
“However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games.”
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It added: “Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.
“It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude.”
Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Burnley’s Scott Parker have all been linked with the vacancy. Meanwhile, former Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino has also been mentioned, although a return for the United States coach would appear unlikely.
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