Next Manager Watch

[Oh Teddy Teddy]

I didn't ask that but it makes my point as he developed 3 years at Southampton before making the next step up and the same goes for Wanyama

Ange for me would need a better job like a mid table PL job or a high level European team first

Hate to break it to you

 

[gaffers]

How good is it gonna be to have a manager who actually encourages us rather than denigrates us?

Who wants to entertain us rather than endure what’s meant to be our leisure time?

Who works with the players and the fans rather than puts himself in direct opposition to them?

Had it up to here with "serial winners" who play awful football to win and then don't. Of being told to trust managers despite their failings because they won things with our rivals and maybe they'll be kind enough to bestow upon us some of their angel dust. I am sick of taking my medicine (read: appointing "winners" to play bad football) because it's what we need when there's no evidence it's actually helping.

You know what might help? Some positivity. God knows it's been a while. And if it doesn't work, well, the current way wasn't working either, was it?

What I'm saying is my manager comes from a land down under, where beer does flow and men chunder.

Worked for other clubs.

 

[RuskyM]

I mean, let's compare these.

“I said to the players that we had 60,000 in tonight and I’m sure a lot of them walked in with some problems in their life. For this 95 minutes we made them forget that and feel good and that’s something special.”

A few days later, Postecoglou was asked to expand on his words in his next pre-match press conference at Lennoxtown. “’I’m not just manager of a football club,” he explained. “I’m manager of everything that the football club embodies. It was important for me that the people who are truly invested in this club, and that’s the supporters, believed in me as a person more than anything else. When people believe in you as a person, you’re more likely to get an understanding of what you’re trying to achieve.”

“In this moment I think the most important thing is to be focused on the league. You know which is my opinion, you know which is my desire and I say to you a lot of time during the press conference that the situation I have found and we are far to aspire to be competitive to fight to win. I am repeating this for a long time. I say it we need time, we need patience. I see that here the environment [the fans] has no patience, no patience or maybe the environment doesn’t want to understand the reality. If no one wants to understand this and for sure I don’t speak about my future because the club knows very well which is my situation, which is my thoughts.

One is a man who understands a manager is a figurehead, the face of the club. The other is an egotist who insists on a separation between the two so he can wash his hands of it. The former respects his fanbase and the power they hold; the other seems to see it as an affront to him, despite their near constant support of him. One seems to recognise that he has the power to impact his environment; the other wanted us to believe absolutely nothing could be done and he'd take a fortune every week to do nothing.

I prefer, greatly prefer, the former.

 

[RuskyM]

Worked for other clubs.

Good for them. It's clearly not worked for us.

 

[Real_madyidd]

Do his team's press the ball or sit back when not in possession?

 

[ralphs bald spot]

There’s two immediate issues for him. 1. If he comes I think his first press conference and club interviews have to be very good and inspire a lot of people to get them onside. He’s got to win over the players, players we want to sign and the majority of the fanbase.

2. On top of that he’s got to manage upwards with a board who is known to like to meddle in things.

It will be intriguing if he comes and will need to be given a chance. I said the same with Nuno and tried to put a brave face on this like I will do now with this. But I fear he’s going to be fighting a losing battle. If I were him I’d be putting as much into winning those first few home games and not worrying about the away ones. He’ll be walking into such a toxic environment I dread to think what will happen if we lose those games. Good luck to the bloke, he’s going to need it.

It won't be toxic at all this all - jesus the last two home games hardly managed that apart from a short blast of Levy out and a couple of balloons - the new manager will charm the pants of most of the crowd and most people are reasonable enough to give him time

a couple of signings a few departures and the same people whinging will be singing how we are going to win the league

 

[ralphs bald spot]

Do his team's press the ball or sit back when not in possession?

The Postecoglou press - how Celtic are now drilled and coherent

The difference in Celtic pressing between this season and last is a chasm - Ange Postecoglou is working wonders

theathletic.com

 

[Tucker]

Do his team's press the ball or sit back when not in possession?

They all start playing the didgeridoo and wobble board until the opponents are hypnotised and give the ball back.

 

[Hotspur33]

Presumably with his rolling contract, there will be no compensation to pay.
But he won’t be able to officially start work until 1st July?

 

[Northernspurs]

Ange Postecoglou is in pole position for the Spurs job, and it shouldn't be a surprise

Spurs appointing the Celtic manager would represent a change in policy, but also a return to what has worked for them in the past.

theathletic.com

It only takes a brief look at Tottenham’s recent managerial appointments to get a sense of what an abrupt change of policy it would be if they complete the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach next week.

Tottenham’s last permanent managerial hire was Antonio Conte in November 2021. He arrived with an almost perfect CV: five league titles across three different clubs, each time inheriting a team who had lost their way and turning them into an unstoppable winning machine. He made his name in Serie A but had also triumphed in England. He was the last manager not called Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp to win the Premier League (doing so with Chelsea in 2016-17), something he was not shy about telling the world.

Rewind back another two years and Tottenham appointed Jose Mourinho in November 2019. He too arrived with an almost perfect CV: eight league titles across four different clubs, to say nothing of one UEFA Cup, one Europa League, a stack of domestic cups and, best of all, two Champions Leagues, won with Porto and Inter, neither of them fancied at the start of the season. He had won the domestic title in four different countries but nowhere more than in England, where his three titles with Chelsea across two different spells made him their most successful manager, something he was not shy about telling the world.

(Yes, in between Mourinho and Conte Tottenham did also hire Nuno Espirito Santo, in June 2021, but only after trying and failing to appoint a long list of other more successful candidates, including Conte himself. Nuno lasted 10 league games in charge.)

But the pattern was clear. Tottenham have been shopping at the very top of the market for the most decorated, famous and best-paid managers out there. And it has been a huge waste of time, money and energy.

If Tottenham appoint Postecoglou next week — he is currently in pole position for the job — it would mark a notable change in direction. Postecoglou has a very good CV. He has won the Australian title with two different clubs, the J-League and two Scottish Premierships with Celtic. He could hardly have achieved more with the clubs who have employed him. But he has never worked in England, or in any of the ‘top five’ leagues of Europe. Mourinho and Conte each arrived at Tottenham after more than a decade at the top of the European game. Postecoglou, at the age of 57, is still working his way up.

But then Tottenham changing direction like this is precisely what the fans have been calling out for. The experience of employing big-name managers has not been a happy one. Both Mourinho and Conte gave the impression that they were taking a step down to manage Spurs, and that lowly Tottenham Hotspur should be grateful to be graced by their presence. It has led to tensions with club staff, players and fans. We can say now with certainty that it is not a recipe for a harmonious football club. No one wants a repeat of the last four years.


That is why Tottenham have been clear in their desire to go in a different direction this summer. The buzzwords have been ‘culture’ and ‘ethos’. There is a feeling at the club — perhaps overdue — that they had something special back in the Mauricio Pochettino days, when everyone pulled in the same direction, towards the same shared goals. That is what they want to get back to, a sense of ‘alignment’ throughout the football club. And they know that this has to flow from the manager himself. He has to be someone who can command buy-in from the players and, crucially, from the fans too. He has to be able to be the articulate, authoritative, persuasive voice of the whole institution.


And on this point, Postecoglou stands out as the best of all of the candidates by far. His Celtic team have played fantastic football, not just winning but winning with a sense of style and adventure. But what sets him apart — even more than that — is the way that he has taken on the role as the public face of the club. Celtic is a very high-pressure job, with a huge fanbase, and demands that can not be met by winning alone. When he took over in 2021 there were questions from fans whether he was a big enough figure to take on the job. But no one would say that now.


At Celtic, Postecoglou has shown a remarkable way with words. Everyone remembers his famous line in February 2022 after Celtic had beaten Rangers 3-0. “I said to the players that we had 60,000 in tonight and I’m sure a lot of them walked in with some problems in their life. For this 95 minutes we made them forget that and feel good and that’s something special.”

A few days later, Postecoglou was asked to expand on his words in his next pre-match press conference at Lennoxtown. “’I’m not just manager of a football club,” he explained. “I’m manager of everything that the football club embodies. It was important for me that the people who are truly invested in this club, and that’s the supporters, believed in me as a person more than anything else. When people believe in you as a person, you’re more likely to get an understanding of what you’re trying to achieve.”

That answer sums up so much of Postecoglou’s appeal. The point is not just that he is good with words, articulate and clever, which in part is why he has impressed so much in interviews. It is that he understands the political power of words. He knows that no manager will get anywhere without buy-in from the players and the fans. And he knows that to get that you have to convince them that you are on their side and want to take the team in the right direction.


Tottenham have not had a manager with any interest in this side of the job since Pochettino. None out of Mourinho, Conte or Nuno made much of an effort to engage with the fans or to speak their language. If Postecoglou arrives at Spurs and hits the same notes as he did in his first season at Celtic, that precious sense of alignment could start to creep back.

None of this would work if the football does not click, but Postecoglou’s record on that front stands up too. He has won everywhere he has been, and his Celtic side are one game away from winning the Scottish domestic treble this season. They have done so playing an entertaining 4-3-3 system, always focused on expansive, attacking football, dominating the opposition and creating chances. (The fact that Brighton were interested in Postecoglou in September, when they were looking for a replacement for Graham Potter, points to how highly his own brand of possession football is rated inside the game.)



It is two years now since Daniel Levy promised that the next Tottenham head coach (after the sacking of Mourinho) would be in line with the club’s ‘DNA’. He talked about “free-flowing, attacking and entertaining” football, as well as promoting young players. Obviously that promise was not followed through at the time, as Spurs appointed Nuno and then Conte five months later. But if Postecoglou gets the job next week then Spurs will finally have a manager who is at least committed to playing the game in the way that the fans want to see. After almost four years of negative football since Spurs opened their new stadium, it could prove to be a breath of fresh air.

Of course, there is no guarantee at this point that Postecoglou will get the job, or even that he will succeed if he does. We all know what a hard job Tottenham is right now, with the new manager having to lift the confidence of the players, re-energise the fans, transition away from the old generation while bringing youngsters through, and trying to get Spurs back into Europe. Given the state Tottenham find themselves in right now, any appointment would be a risk — and we know from the examples of Mourinho and Conte that even serial winners are no guarantee of anything.


But if we look back at Tottenham during Levy’s tenure, we can see that sometimes the unlikeliest managers are the most successful. The managers who arrived with the highest profile, and who Levy pursued for the most time, have often been failures. Not just Mourinho and Conte but Juande Ramos, Andre Villas-Boas, arguably even Jacques Santini. None of them lived up to their big reputations at Spurs.

Far more successful were Martin Jol, promoted from being Sanitini’s assistant. Harry Redknapp, recruited in a panic after Ramos’ disastrous start to the 2008-09 season. And even Pochettino, the greatest manager of the Levy era, appointed in 2014 after Louis van Gaal went to Manchester United instead. Those three each appeared to understand Tottenham Hotspur, the fans and the dynamics, better than their more-heralded predecessors. Optimistic Spurs fans will wonder whether Postecoglou, if he gets the job next week, might try to follow in their footsteps.

Nice article

 

[sidford]

There’s two immediate issues for him. 1. If he comes I think his first press conference and club interviews have to be very good and inspire a lot of people to get them onside. He’s got to win over the players, players we want to sign and the majority of the fanbase.

2. On top of that he’s got to manage upwards with a board who is known to like to meddle in things.

It will be intriguing if he comes and will need to be given a chance. I said the same with Nuno and tried to put a brave face on this like I will do now with this. But I fear he’s going to be fighting a losing battle. If I were him I’d be putting as much into winning those first few home games and not worrying about the away ones. He’ll be walking into such a toxic environment I dread to think what will happen if we lose those games. Good luck to the bloke, he’s going to need it.

The way he talks I think he would win over the fans and media very early on. With the players they all say it comes down to first couple of training sessions, if they are good then that combined with some good talks can get them on his side very quickly.
I hear you re first few home games but I actually think fans will give him some time, If the fans are going to boo / chant it will be towards our dear leader not Ange.

Given he plays a very heavy pressing game it will take a good while to get the players used to it so expect the first few months we will be very inconsistent and concede quite a lot. As long as there are some signs of progress like when Poch came in then he will be given time by fans

 

[HedgieSpur]

Like every other fan, I sincerely hope Ange comes in and gets us playing great football and has us competitive. Ange wouldnt have been my choice but at the end of the day there isnt much us fans can do so we may as well make peace with it.

Having said that, this whole process and the end result (assuming its Ange and no discernible plan/structure/DoF in place) has left me even more disengaged with the club. It all just feels typically half-baked, unstructured and half-hearted...just enough to appease the fans but no real purpose.

Lets see what the future holds....

 

[TommyW]

It's a big worry if we're going for a manager that a lot of people are going to have the knives out for straight away. It was the same with Nuno and that was an absolute disaster.

 

[St José Dominguez]

It's a big worry if we're going for a manager that a lot of people are going to have the knives out for straight away. It was the same with Nuno and that was an absolute disaster.

You’d have to be a right weirdo to have knives out for a manager straight away. I find it amusing seeing some posts on social media from people who can barely construct a sentence suggesting they have a deep knowledge on who is right or wrong for the job. It’s been said many times before but one of the biggest issues with Twitter is it gives really thick people a platform to be really loud.

 

[Dunc2610]

You’d have to be a right weirdo to have knives out for a manager straight away. I find it amusing seeing some posts on social media from people who can barely construct a sentence suggesting they have a deep knowledge on who is right or wrong for the job. It’s been said many times before but one of the biggest issues with Twitter is it gives really thick people a platform to be really loud.

But at least they're being loud there and not here (for the most part)!!

 

[HedgieSpur]

You’d have to be a right weirdo to have knives out for a manager straight away. I find it amusing seeing some posts on social media from people who can barely construct a sentence suggesting they have a deep knowledge on who is right or wrong for the job. It’s been said many times before but one of the biggest issues with Twitter is it gives really thick people a platform to be really loud.

Lets not try to pretend that it doesnt consistently happen though. There were posts calling for Conte to be sacked 4 games into the season (having got us Top 4 the previous season). I fear it will be the same with anyone other than JN.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

I have a mate who's a Celtic supporter and he was talking about Ange.

I couldn't understand a word he said because he's Scottish but he seemed positive!

He would be pretty pissed off if he saw you writing messages about him like this on a public forum.

Luckily he can’t read either so you should be relatively safe.

 

[FuturistiC123]

Flicking through these pages I've yet to see any significant mention of Australia winning the Asia Cup against South Korea in 2015. Postecoglou's side lost to SK in the group stage 1-0, but bounced back to beat them in the final 2-1. Sonny scored SK's goal. Along the way the Aussies deposed of several sides including China 1-0 in the Q/F and UAE 2-0 in the semi final. It was a significant win in a tournament that continues to grow in stature.

If we appoint Postecoglou we will be running a risk, especially if he bombs in the early part of the season. We might be prepared to give Enrique or Potter more time, but our failure to win over JN or Slot will place extra pressure on a manager who appears to be a few rungs down the ladder in terms of quality. Having said that I can vouch for the fact that A'nge will not take a backward step, and the players will know precisely what's required of them. It could be a masterstroke or a clusterfuck.

But anyone can fail, just as the last few incumbents did.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Good for them. It's clearly not worked for us.

And there’s no guarantee Ange/JN/Enrique would work for us either.

It’s going to take a lot more than a slick tongue at pressers and “positive” football to fix the mess we’re in.

Let’s just move on from the past and hope that the club starts heading in the right direction.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Do his team's press the ball or sit back when not in possession?

I don't know but I imagine in Scotland his team is pretty much always in possession