A Spursy Move

Managers in football are always judged on results and success. This could mean different things for different clubs. For some, it's to avoid relegation and stay in the top flight division of their respective league. However, on most occassions, success is based on trophies won and finishing in the top 3 or 4. One manager who got the sack was Tottenham Hotspur's Ange Postecoglou. This has come despite the club winning a trophy for the first time in 17 years.

The famous phrase, "the game is about glory" echoes around the magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before every game as a call to arms and the club's mission statement.

They were the words of the legendary Danny Blanchflower, who captained Spurs to the league and FA Cup Double in 1961, the charismatic figure who epitomised the stylish image the club wished to portray.

Ange Postecoglou, the Australian manager who led Spurs to the first glory they have enjoyed in 17 years by winning the Europa League, has discovered in the most brutal manner that this message carries a hollow ring in the hands of chairman Daniel Levy.

Postecoglou followed that time-honoured Spurs mantra, fulfilling a promise to win a trophy in his second season. His reward for grabbing the glory was the sack.

In the statement confirming Postecoglou's dismissal after two seasons, Spurs revealed the new reality by saying: "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."

In other words, head not heart. Glory and emotion are welcome but are not the currency that carry most weight at Tottenham Hotspur these days.

Glory and emotion, at least under Levy, aren't enough for Spurs anymore; even though his only previous brush with success during his time as chairman was winning the League Cup with Juande Ramos as manager in 2008.

Postecoglou, justifiably, reflected on his work with "pride". In a statement he said: "The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime."

When history tells the tale of Postecoglou's time at Spurs, it will remember the historic night in Bilbao when Manchester United were overcome in a manner his critics claimed was beyond him - organised, disciplined, tactically sound, victorious.

It will also recall a dreadful Premier League season and a 17th-place finish, with 22 defeats and only 11 victories but Postecoglou's real legacy will be becoming only the third Spurs manager to win a European trophy after the great Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

Postecoglou had his flaws, such as his stubborn refusal to change his high-line, high-risk strategy, even when it was being exposed in his first season; but the Europa League showed he could do it differently, especially when a crippling injury list thinned out.

Many Spurs fans will feel it's right to sack Postecoglou but others will believe his success earned him the right to a third season, an opportunity to build on the emotional scenes witnessed in Bilbao, then on the streets around Tottenham at the Europa League homecoming.

The Premier League placing will be, 'Exhibit A' in the case against Postecoglou but it's a reflection of the cold state of the game these days when securing a club's first silverware in 17 years sees you out of a job.

Comparisons will be made with Manchester United's ill-fated and expensive decision to keep Erik ten Hag last summer after they won the FA Cup, only to sack him in Octobe. They had also won silverware under his predecessors, Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal.

Former England striker and BBC pundit, Alan Shearer, made his feelings clear on X when he posted: "What a stupid game football is!"

Ex-Celtic striker, Chris Sutton, told BBC Sport: "I would love to know the thought process behind the decision to get rid of him. Is it saying the finance of the Premier League is the be-all and end-all? So finishing fourth or fifth in the Premier League and not winning a trophy is what matters."

"It is like they are morphing into Arsenal under Arsene Wenger at the end, if that's what is important. But money over glory sums up the owner, Daniel Levy, doesn't it? Nothing surprises me in football any more, so Postecoglou is better off out of it really - and maybe they can go back to being mediocre old Tottenham again now."

Sutton added: "To get someone in who wins them silverware, then straightaway get rid of him, that sums up modern football, doesn't it? It's absolutely bonkers."

Levy was basking in the glory Postecoglou brought him but this didn't stop him taking a decision which he insisted couldn't be shaped by emotion. The pressure and scrutiny will now switch back to Levy, who has followed his long track record of sacking managers who did not win trophies by sacking the one who did.

The decision has proved highly divisive, especially with regard to what comes next for the club. Previously, Spurs have moved quickly in this regard: Jose Mourinho was appointed just days after Mauricio Pochettino was removed from his post.

The strongest links so far seem to be to Brentford manager, Thomas Frank but is he the right man to lead the club to more silverware and also improve upon their league campaign? Spurs fans were asked a range of questions following Postecoglou's exit and the message to Daniel Levy was emphatic.

Of the 3 683 respondents, a whopping 65% said sacking Postecoglou was the wrong decision. Meanwhile, 21% disagreed, saying it was definitely the right choice while 14% were not sure.

An overwhelming 84% said that the decision had taken too long, however, with plenty of criticism directed at the board in recent weeks. Waiting this long to remove Postecoglou and appoint a successor has seen Spurs fail to complete any action so far in the transfer market, while the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have already got players through the door.

Then comes to who will replace Postecoglou. The people's favourite is former Spurs boss Pochettino with 34% of the vote - though he has ruled himself out of the running- as he gears up to lead the United States of America to next summer's World Cup.

Frank is the next choice among fans, gathering 17% of the popular vote. Crystal Palace boss, Oliver Glasner, picked up 9% while former Barcelona boss, Xavi, clocked in at 7%. Bournemouth boss, Andoni Iraola, has previously been linked, but only got 4% of the vote, the same as ex-England head coach Gareth Southgate.

Tottenham players are reportedly threatening a revolt after Ange Postecoglou’s exit. Just over a fortnight after ending Tottenham Hotspur’s 17-year trophy drought with a dramatic Europa League triumph, the axe has fallen on Australian coach Ange Postecoglou’s two year stint with the Premier League club.

While Postecoglou made good on his promise that he always wins trophies in his second season when Tottenham proved triumphant in Bilboa against Manchester United 16 days ago, the drought-breaking victory was not enough to save his job.

According to a report from The UK Telegraph, it could just be the start of the drama which the publication claiming Postecologou’s exit, "has angered a number of players," with sources adding that, "some want to leave the club" and that the Australian’s replacement, "will face a huge task to repair the dressing-room damage."

"The players are so angry about what has happened and how it has been handled. The next manager is going to inherit a difficult situation," one source is quoted to have told the Telegraph.

A disastrous season in the Premier League, with the club recording its lowest ever finish of 17th when losing 22 of 38 matches, placed the Australian coach under immense pressure amid sustained speculation about his tenure at Tottenham.

A spate of injuries in his second season proved critical, a point acknowledged by the club, with Spurs unable to follow up a promising first-season campaign under Postecoglou when finishing 5th.

The style employed by the Aussie coach was repeatedly criticised, with a purported refusal to switch from an all-out attacking philosophy ultimately prompting Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, to bring an end to what had been a topsy-turvy few months for the club.

British media outlets began reporting that Postecoglou, who previously enjoyed success with Scottish premier league club, Celtic, had been fired shortly before 16:00 London time on Friday night. The news was confirmed about an hour later.

Australian media outlets have blasted Tottenham’s decision to sack Ange Postecoglou as a, "big mistake," saying he had consistently shown himself to be a winner. Postecoglou, one of Australia’s most successful managerial exports, steered Spurs to their first European prize in 41 years and secured a place in next season’s Champions League.

He also oversaw their worst domestic season since they were relegated from the top flight in 1976-77, which ultimately cost him his job.

The Sydney Morning Herald branded chairman Daniel Levy’s decision, "cold-hearted" and one the club, "will almost certainly live to regret, regardless of whether his replacement is a success or not. There will now always be an unanswerable ‘what if’ about the possibilities that lay within a third season at Spurs for Postecoglou," the SMH said.

"And there appears to be no hope that whoever comes in next will get what he needs to satisfy Levy, who seems to be prioritising higher finishes on the Premier League table than the idea of actually winning things."

In a column for The Australian newspaper, former Socceroo and West Ham star, Robbie Slater, branded Postecoglou’s firing, "a big mistake." "Levy has left himself in a really, really difficult position now. He’s already not liked by the Spurs fans and now he’s taking a massive gamble here," he wrote. “Ange had promised ‘season three is always better than season two’. Good luck with that Spurs."

Former Tottenham defender, Ramon Vega, who played four years with Spurs, called the decision to sack Postecoglou, "unbelievable."

He argued that regardless of how poor Tottenham’s league form was under Postecoglou, the injuries he had to contend with made it, "impossible to be successful" and that the Australian did incredibly well to guide the team to Europa League glory.

Now? Well, he believes Spurs are "degrading winning a trophy," which is ironic given the focus on winning silverware for so long.

"We are now in a place where a trophy is not valid at all whatsoever. The principles and the disciplines are not valued in the same way," Vega told Sky Sports News. "What kind of inspiration or example can you bring to the future and the young talented players? Do you not want to win trophies anymore?"

"In football, results count. And they won a trophy. It’s unbelievable."

"The only excuse that they can come out with, is that the second season saw them have unbelievable injuries where inexperienced young talent - and Ange had to reinvent the squad because there was no backing there. 80 per cent of the men’s squad was out - when you’re top centre-halves are out for 25 per cent of the season, it’s impossible to be successful, with all the competition flying into it.

"And they still won a trophy? The league situation, there’s an excuse.” Vega then went on to question what kind of situation the next manager will walk into given the support, especially in the locker room, for Postecoglou."

"The question is here: where do Tottenham want to go with their manager? Why are they now sacking someone where they can bring stability into the whole club?” he asked“The fans - 250 000 people went to the parade, when is the next time they will do that? They aren’t talking about 17th in the league, they won a trophy!"

"We are degrading winning a trophy here. Ange had a big personality clash with the main guys in the board. Both parties were not getting on together."

While plenty of people were surprised by the decision, former Spurs boss, Harry Redknapp, wasn't one of them. He pointed to the silence from Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy as an indication that Postecoglou’s time was up, even before that was confirmed.

"I thought it was a certainty, doesn’t shock me at all," Redknapp told talkSPORT. "Daniel has had two weeks after the cup final to come out and stop the speculation, from day one after they won that cup he never came out and said a word. I knew then for sure he was finished, so it’s not a shock in any shape or form to me."

Despite that, Redknapp still conceded it was a "harsh" decision to sack Postecoglou but added Levy may have learned from Manchester United’s experience with Erik ten Hag. "It’s harsh, it’s a difficult one," Redknapp said. "They were atrocious this season, let’s be honest. The league form, fourth from bottom, they had a shocker, they won the cup, sometimes you get a bit of luck with the draw."

“But overall I suppose Daniel has looked at it and is thinking, hang on, Man United kept ten Hag last year after winning a cup and they went out and bought some players under his leadership and then suddenly they sack him?"

"Were they going to take that chance with Ange? Bringing four or five new players and suddenly things haven’t improved in the league by Christmas, then they have to sack him and are stuck with the players he brought in." He looks a good guy and I’d have liked to have seen him given more of a chance but it was never going to happen once Daniel didn’t come out and support him."

Meanwhile, former England Striker Chris Sutton had plenty to say on BBC, describing the decision as “absolute bonkers” and declaring it “sums up modern football”.

“I’m not a Tottenham fan but, from the outside, the reason Ange Postecoglou was employed was because they wanted to win a trophy and, if they couldn’t do that, they wanted to watch an entertaining team - and I think he has ticked both boxes,” Sutton said.

“I am not saying it has been brilliant this season because I understand the Premier League has been a disappointment - but he has won a major European trophy and that is a huge achievement - their first trophy since the 2008 League Cup and their first European trophy since the Uefa Cup in 1984. He has done something no other manager has done there in 41 years, since Keith Burkinshaw.

"To get someone in who wins them silverware, then straight away get rid of him, that sums up modern football, doesn’t it? It’s absolute bonkers."

Like Vega, Sutton also questioned what sort of message the move sends to a Tottenham fan base that hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent years but flocked to the streets of north London after Postecoglou’s Europa League win.

"Look at the teams who have won trophies this season - Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Spurs, the sides who have won trophies - their supporters have had some of the best times of their whole lives this season," Sutton added.

"Tottenham are a club which has been ridiculed - they have had the whole ‘Spursy’ thing thrown at them for years, and Postecoglou has gone in and changed all that in many ways, and now they treat him like this."

In the end, as much as it may hurt Postecoglou to be denied a chance to build on the Europa League success and momentum it created, Sutton said the Australian is, "better off out of it."

"I would love to know the thought process behind the decision to get rid of him," said Sutton.

"Basically it is saying the finance of the Premier League is the be all and end all, is it? So finishing fourth or fifth in the Premier League and not winning a trophy is what matters - it is like they are morphing into Arsenal under Arsene Wenger at the end, if that’s what is important."

"But money over glory sums up the owner, Daniel Levy, doesn’t it? Nothing surprises me in football anymore, so Ange Postecoglou is better off out of it really - and maybe they can go back to being mediocre old Tottenham again now.”

Former Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, was asked about Postecoglou’s exit ahead of England’s game against Andorra and had quite a pragmatic response to it all. "That is the job," he simply said, almost with a resignation to the brutal reality of the business."

It's not a surprising response given Tuchel himself was sacked just three months after Chelsea’s new owners completed their takeover of the club. "I feel for every manager and have huge sympathy for them in these moments. I was in the same spot and it feels horrible," he added.

"It shows it is not only about titles, you can survive without titles. If there is slight disbelief and the trust is not there anymore, then sometimes it is not enough to win a trophy. He is a huge character and said he would deliver the trophy. This is part of the job, we are responsible for the results and development of the team."

Meanwhile, current Tottenham players have taken to social media to thank Postecoglou. Spurs captain, Son Heung-min, dubbed Postecoglou a, "legend" who, "changed the trajectory of this club."

“You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did,” Son posted on Instagram. “You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it’s had in decades. We will have those memories for life."

"You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It’s been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close. I am a better player and a better person because of you. Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate."

Tottenham striker, Richarlison, said: "Mister, massive thanks for helping me out and believing in me during one of the trickiest periods of my career and my life. “Everyone who loves the Spurs will remember that Big Ange always bags trophies in his second season. We’ve made history! Cheers and good luck on your journey! I’ll always be rooting for you."

Defender, Pedro Porro, meanwhile, wrote: "Thank you for everything, boss. For mentoring me early on, helping me settle into the club, and trusting me out on the pitch. I’ll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows. Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club’s history and for that, you’ll always be celebrated. Wishing you all the very best, boss."

Micky van de Ven credited Postecoglou for showing faith in him from day one. "Gaffer, thankyou for everything!" he wrote. "Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club. Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us. Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it. All the best."

Tottenham goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, echoed similar sentiments, calling Postecoglou, "not only a top manager" but "an incredible person." He wrote on Instagram: "Boss, I just want to say a massive thank you for everything you have done for me and for all of us. From that very first call, right from the beginning, you always showed so much belief in me. Giving me the opportunity to be part of the leadership group… those moments, and many others, will stay with me forever You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I’ll always look up to. What we achieved TOGETHER will stay in the history books. Wishing you nothing but success as I know you will go on to achieve more and more. Thank you, Boss. Forever grateful, Vic."

Lucas Bergvall wrote: “Thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for bringing this club a European trophy and memories to last a lifetime for us and every Spurs fan around the world. Wishing you all the best.”

Dominic Solanke wished Postecoglou, "all the best in your next adventure" and added he, "won’t ever forget" the conversation he had with the Australian before he signed. "Thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club, thank you for bringing us a wonderful trophy," he wrote.

This move was probably done as a potential foresight into what could happen like what occured with Erik ten Hag. However, on the other hand, Postecoglou delivered a trophy, something that hasn't been done in over a decade and a half. As a result, he should've been given a chance to further his career at Tottenham. I'm sure he'll find another coaching gig very soon.