Postecoglou pays the price

Frank in contention as Spurs wield axe

7 Jun 2025 - THE GUARDIAN / Sport

David Hytner

Tottenham have sacked Ange Postecoglou as their manager, describing it as “one of the toughest decisions we have had to make”, and are considering whether to replace him with Brentford’s Thomas Frank, who has a £10m release clause. Marco Silva of Fulham is also in the running.

Postecoglou led Spurs to Europa League glory on 21 May, beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao to end a 17-year trophy drought. It sparked delirium among fans, an outpouring of relief and the feeling among some of them that he deserved the chance to continue.

But the chair, Daniel Levy, and the rest of the board, having taken stock since the final game of the season against Brighton on 25 May, reached the unanimous conclusion that Postecoglou had to go based on performances in the Premier League over most of his two-year tenure.

Postecoglou won eight and drew two of his opening 10 games in the league, having arrived from Celtic with Spurs at a low ebb on the back of an eighth-placed finish in 2022-23. But his league record since showed 78 points from 66 matches – a detail that Spurs printed in the statement they issued at a little after 5pm to confirm Postecoglou’s departure.

The club also highlighted how the 17th-placed finish in this past season – with 38 points – was their worst of the Premier League era. Only once have they had a worse league record, in 1914-15.

As reported yesterday, Spurs have met with intermediaries to discuss a move for Frank, who has impressed with his stellar work at Brentford. The Dane took the reins in west London in October 2018 when they were in the Championship and got them promoted via the playoffs in 2020-21. He has established them in the top flight; they finished this past season 10th with 56 points.

Spurs admire the job that Silva has done at Fulham but Frank appears to be the No 1. target. Every player and member of staff at Brentford has a price. Tottenham must decide whether to pay the £10m. The club have also shown an interest in Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace – both appear out of reach.

Postecoglou will go down as a hero at Spurs because of Bilbao and he released an emotional statement shortly after his sacking, saying he was “forever connected” to his players and staff, not to mention the supporters. He said his overriding emotion was pride and that Bilbao would live with him for a lifetime.

“Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream,” Postecoglou said. “There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success.”

The Spurs statement acknowledged how Postecoglou had sought to return the club to a more attacking style while there was gratitude for the trophy he delivered, a line noting he was now “alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw” as managers who have triumphed in Europe.

It said: “At times there were extenuating circumstances [for the poor league form] – injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League 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. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.

“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future – he will always be welcome back at our home.”

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Postecoglou’s derring-do suited Spurs but not Levy

Australian changed the culture at club and delivered a trophy but injuries and awful league form led to his sacking

Whither Ange-ball? It is to Postecoglou’s credit that he rowed back on some of his fundamentals

7 Jun 2025 - THE GUARDIAN / Sport

David Hytner

Ange Postecoglou advanced his case to the last. And it was a measure not only of his ability to own the narrative, to master it, but his body of work at Tottenham that he was able to do so with such conviction.

The manager was charged with three tasks when he was given the job in June 2023. To overhaul the team’s playing style, essentially to make them more entertaining. To reboot the squad with an emphasis on youth. And to win. Actually, there was a fourth, which talked to pretty much everything. To reshape the culture around the club, unifying everyone behind a cause, an identity.

The way that Postecoglou told it and will continue to tell it as he processes how he has become the latest statistic of the Daniel Levy era is he delivered on the principle three. And, despite all the external negativity, he struck a telling blow at the very end in the battle to tick the final box.

Ange-ball was a breath of fresh air at Spurs, the counterpoint to the counterattacking of the previous three managers – José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte. The club’s fans want their team to play on the front foot, to take chances and there is no doubt that Postecoglou has the same vision. It is how he always looks to set up, with pace and aggression, the change showcased to wide eyes from his first match. The difference to what had been before was radical.

Postecoglou bought into the selection policy, the bets on players with high ceilings for improvement, even if he knew that moving on a good number of experienced ones, starting with Harry Kane, was a risk. In a sense the approach has represented Levy going back to what he has long believed in. A part of Postecoglou’s legacy is the successful promotion of a host of young signings – including Micky van de Ven, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Brennan Johnson. You can also include Destiny Udogie, who was new to the squad when Postecoglou arrived and also Pape Sarr, who had not played much.

The most robust pillar of Postecoglou’s legacy is, of course, what he and the team achieved in the Europa League, beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao to draw a thick line under the club’s 17-year trophy drought. It was so much more than Postecoglou making good on his “I always win things in my second season” comment.

The triumph brought a mass outpouring of emotion among supporters who have been mocked without mercy by their rivals in London and beyond. For those that made it to Bilbao, in particular, it was the night that will live for ever in their hearts. It has lifted a weight from the club, breaking a cycle that had almost become selfperpetuating, providing a riposte to the pundits who, as Postecoglou would have it, are quick to lead the pile-ons; to all of those who do.

Elite-level football is about the do-or-die moments. One result really can change perceptions, how a club feels about itself. Thanks to Postecoglou, Spurs can call themselves winners. They have even kicked down the backdoor into the Champions League. So, how has Levy made this decision, one that has triggered the inevitable backlash? Trust him to sack a manager who has actually won. It is because Levy does not like winners. It is not who Spurs are, mate.

Here is the thing. When Levy weighed up the case against Postecoglou, he found that – weirdly, uniquely – it also carried an irresistible strength. The chair loved Bilbao. He is grateful to Postecoglou for it. But what Levy wants is more than a onepunch knockout. Consider the line in his programme notes from the last game of the season against Brighton.

“The Europa League is one trophy – our clear ambition as a club has always been long-term, sustained success … competing for top honours every year,” he wrote.

For the majority of his tenure, Postecoglou sung from the same hymn sheet. He said that a cup victory would not be a “panacea”. Consistency in the Premier League was the priority. Do that and the rest would take care of itself. He changed his tune from around the turn of the year, a shift born out of circumstance – specifically an injury-hit squad being unable to fight on multiple fronts.

Postecoglou would put everything on the Europa League, coming to rest and rotate for it; an all-or-nothing gamble, which he felt paid off handsomely. And yet – as even he admitted – not everyone at the club was happy with the strategy.

In the final analysis, Levy was unable to look beyond the league form and the sample size was huge. After Postecoglou made a thrilling start to his tenure, winning eight and drawing two of 10 league matches, his record in the competition read: P66 W23 D9 L34 Pts 78. Do the sums and it is 45 points per 38 games, the length of a season. This time out, Spurs collected just 38 points to limp home in 17th. Only once in their history have they had a worse record – in 1914-15 when they won eight and drew 12 of 38 matches.

In the Europa League knockout rounds, Postecoglou’s team beat AZ, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodø/glimt and the worst version of United since 1973-74 according to league statistics. In the cold light of day, Levy concluded that the run could not make up for the consistent vulnerability in the league.

He looked past Postecoglou’s assertion that 17th was a false position because of the bet on Europe; it was unacceptable, a failure to balance the demands. How could Levy be confident that Postecoglou would manage better in a Champions League season? Furthermore, were the injuries not a consequence of his full-throttle approach?

Whither Ange-ball? It was to Postecoglou’s credit that he rowed back on some of his fundamentals – most notably in the Europa League. One of the defining images of his tenure was in the early weeks against Chelsea when, despite two red cards, he ordered all of his remaining outfield players to hold a defensive line on halfway. That seems like a long time ago, as did the giddy praise for such derring-do. Equally, we did not see much of the fast and incisive stuff in his closing months.

“Are you not entertained?” Postecoglou once memorably asked, channelling his inner Gladiator. Yes, Ange, we were. The English game has lost a compelling character.

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‘I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not a clown and I never will be, mate’

6 June 2023

Spurs make Celtic’s Postecoglou the first Australian to manage in the Premier League. Chairman Daniel Levy hails his “positive mentality and fast, attacking style of play.”

Oct 2023

Postecoglou wins manager of the month for the third month in a row after an unbeaten start, breaking the record for most points won by a Premier League manager in their first nine games (23).

Feb 2024

Named manager of the year at the London Football Awards.

May 2024

But the momentum slides: Spurs finish fifth, qualifying for the Europa League. Reflecting on the season Postecoglou says: “One of the primary reasons I was brought in was to change the football and I think most would agree that it has. I think I have a good handle now, having gone through good times and the adversity, of what it’s going to take to get to the next step. I’m pretty confident we’ll see our football on a more consistent basis.”

Sep 2024

The new season starts with just one win in four. Postecoglou stays defiant, returning to his pre-season prediction that “usually in my second season I win things”, and doubling down: “I’ll correct myself – I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year. And I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

Dec 2024

After a grim run of results and form, and fierce criticism of his refusal to alter his style, Postecoglou hits back in a press conference. “There is some stuff out there which I find just offensive. I don’t know … I’m up here with a silly accent and maybe I don’t take things as seriously as people want. But that’s all right. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”

May 2025

After a season beset by injuries, Spurs end up with their worst-ever Premier League finish of 17th, one place above the relegation zone. There is mounting pressure on Postecoglou, but there is also a Europa League final still to come… On the eve of the game he clashes with a reporter whose paper referred to him as “teetering between hero and clown”: “I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not a clown and I never will be, mate.”

21 May

Spurs win it, beating Manchester United 1-0 to lift their first trophy in 17 years and seal Champions League football. A jubilant Levy addresses players, staff and their families: “I want to thank Ange and all the coaching staff, all the players, you guys have gone down in history … This is a magnificent achievement for the club.”

6 June

Levy sacks him.