Postecoglou criticises Tottenham’s status among elite clubs
Ange Postecoglou has delivered a scathing verdict on Tottenham, declaring the north London outfit cannot genuinely be considered among English football’s elite, reports BritPanorama.
Speaking to The Overlap, the Australian was unsparing in his criticism of his former employers following Thomas Frank’s dismissal on Wednesday. Postecoglou stated, “Tottenham as a club will say ‘we’re one of the big boys’ and the reality is I don’t think they are in terms of my experience over the last two years.”
The former Spurs manager highlighted a stark contrast in transfer spending between Tottenham and their rivals, noting, “When Arsenal need players, they spend £100million on Declan Rice. I don’t see Tottenham doing that. Not just in my history, pre-dating me.”
Frank’s departure came after Tottenham suffered a 2-1 loss to Newcastle, leaving the club languishing in 16th position with a mere 29 points from 26 matches. Postecoglou questioned what objectives had been set for Frank upon his arrival and what direction the club itself was pursuing, stating: “At the start of the year, they said to compete on all fronts. Well, the club hasn’t competed on all fronts for a very long time and the most influential person at the club for the last 20 years [Daniel Levy] is also going.”
Postecoglou suggested that such sweeping changes would lead to turbulence, remarking, “So if you’re going to do such a major pivot, then you’ve got to understand there’s going to be some instability there.” He described Tottenham as a “curious club,” referencing the stream of high-profile managers who have come and gone without delivering silverware.
Indeed, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, and Mauricio Pochettino all took charge at the club in recent years, yet none achieved sustained success. Postecoglou commented, “If you look at the list of names, there isn’t really a common theme there in what they are trying to do,” acknowledging that Spurs traditionally valued a particular style of football.
Postecoglou was adamant that Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich in 2023 created a void that proved impossible to address. He expressed confidence, stating, “If I had had Harry in that first year, I’m convinced we would have finished in that Champions League spot. Even him leaving, you cannot plug that hole. It’s impossible.”
The Australian believes Kane’s contributions during Pochettino’s tenure have been underestimated. During Postecoglou’s last season at Spurs, the club recorded their lowest Premier League points total in history, finishing 17th. However, they salvaged their season by lifting the Europa League trophy, securing passage to the Champions League, a bittersweet achievement considering his subsequent dismissal from Nottingham Forest after just 39 days in charge in October.
These reflections from Postecoglou underscore a sense of disillusionment with Tottenham’s recent trajectory and amplify the challenges facing the club as it contemplates its next steps.
