Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou is coming under fire at Tottenham.
When Ange left Celtic during the summer of 2023, it was disappointing, but understandable because he was taking up the challenge of managing in the Premier League.
It started with a bang at Tottenham, who after ten matches, were sitting at the top of the Premier League table, all whilst playing a brand of football that was exciting of the highest order.
Celtic fans got to witness that week in and week out, all whilst Postecoglou delivered trophy after trophy and played some of the best football the Scottish giants had ever seen.
Postecoglou’s style of play has been a prime talking point this season as Spurs produce inconsistent performances in the Premier League, but are in the semi-final of the League Cup.
There are manners of analysing and critiquing the 59-year-old’s work, but then there is pure and utter disrespect.
Spurs are sitting 11th in the Premier League table and they have had some crazy results in the month of December alone.
From beating Southampton 5-0, losing 6-3 to Liverpool, beating Manchester United 4-3 and being 2-0 up only to lose 4-3 to Chelsea.
MORE CELTIC STORIES
It’s been entertaining of the highest order, but it has resulted in Postecoglou getting highly criticised, including by talkSPORT duo, Gabby Agbonlahor and Andy Goldstein.
The former Aston Villa striker stated that he can’t fathom why Postecoglou doesn’t change, whilst Goldstein claimed that he ‘doesn’t understand’ football and how he can ‘get away’ with it in Scotland.
“When I watch top managers, they change things slightly each game,” said Agbonlahor. “Even Andy Robertson said that Slot would change tactics slightly for each game to each player. You can’t go out to games and say ‘it’s the way we are, mate. It’s the way we play. Are you having a good time? Are you not entertained?’
“If I am the owner of Spurs, I am like ‘okay, we want you to play attractive football, but we want to win games. Get into the top four. Get into the Champions League. We want to win trophies’. It’s not 100% entertaining football – for him to be stubborn and not do that (change), he will lose his job eventually.”
Goldstein added: “My theory is that he just doesn’t understand football. No disrespect, but in Scotland, when you are managing one of the two big heads, you can sort of get away with it because you aren’t going to be pressured.
“But when you come down south and you have to change your tactics for every single opposition. Even as you say it’s just a little tweak. If you don’t, I think he doesn’t know how to.”
Postecoglou has already faced the most difficult of pressures at Celtic
The English media can disrespect Postecoglou and Celtic, but the man in the dugout isn’t changing and good on him.
Many fail to mention that last summer he lost Harry Kane and had no instant replacement, whilst his entire backline has been decimated this season.
Postecoglou already faced the biggest of pressures when he took the Celtic gig, the Tottenham job can’t provide that, other than the league he is in and how it’s seen as the best in the world.
But for the man himself, he made it clear that he won’t change.
“I think I have been really, really patient in the last 18 months, sitting here answering the same questions over and over again,” said Postecoglou.
“If people want me to change my approach, it’s not going to change. We are doing it for a reason. We are doing it because we think it will help us be successful. If people don’t under the circumstances we are in, at the moment, and the challenges we have from a team and squad, perspective, which is as obvious as you want to make them.
“I get the idea people think that I should flick the switch and change. Somehow that would miraculously make us a different team. It is what it is. I am going to continue to stay focused on trying to build this team to be the team we want.”