It's all over something that doesn't amount to much. Champions League? No big deal. Set pieces? No problem. Some fans with mixed feelings about winning the league for Woolrich? Nuclear meltdown. He's in the middle of a 1-5 run so maybe it's just a cynical diversion to cover for the fact we're limping to the finish line and still not sure if his tactics work 37 games into the season.Not sure anyone's posted this yet, if so apologies (but it answers a couple of questions):
Postecoglou's 'fragile foundations' comment could go down as his Conte moment
Spurs’ manager was hailed as the antithesis to predecessor Antonio Conte - but his comments on Tuesday mirrored the Italian's infamous rantwww.nytimes.com
After Tottenham Hotspur pushed Manchester City all the way to the end, producing their best performance in months, it felt, for a few happy minutes, as if this could be the starting point for some optimism at Spurs. This pragmatic, innovative performance could even light the way for Ange Postecoglou’s second season at the club.
But when Postecoglou walked into his press conference soon after the final whistle, he instantly blew away any hope that this might be a positive evening for the club.
This was the most explosive press conference delivered by a Spurs manager since Antonio Conte ended his tenure with that infamous performance in Southampton in March 2023. Postecoglou was brought in two months later to be the anti-Conte, and while he was not quite as wilfully destructive as the Italian, you could almost hear the ghost of Conte in Postecoglou’s words.
It all started when Postecoglou was asked whether Tuesday evening’s performance could be the foundation for what Spurs do next season. (You could certainly see why it might be: Spurs tried a new formation, worked hard, restricted City and, on another day, could have taken something.)
But, instead, Postecoglou silenced the room when he said that “the last 48 hours has revealed to me that the foundations are fairly fragile”. It was the most surprising and jarring thing Postecoglou has said during his time in north London.
It was the type of comment that has to be unpacked, but Postecoglou would only go so far in doing so. He said that “the last 48 hours have revealed a fair bit to me” and this means that he has “got to go back to the drawing board with some things”. Again, Postecoglou was asked to clarify and expand on who exactly he was angry with and why, but again, he did not want to get drawn into too many specifics.
Asked whether his frustrations were outside or inside the club, Postecoglou said they were “outside, inside, everywhere”. Asked again to move into specifics — whether he meant his players — Postecoglou again refused to engage.
“I’m not going to tell you because it’s for me,” he snapped. “I probably misread the situation as to what I think is important in the endeavour to become a winning team, but that’s OK. That’s why I’m here.” (At this moment, he could hardly have sounded more Conte, cursing himself for not understanding the size of the job in changing the mentality here.)
Clearly, Postecoglou was not happy with the sense that a lot of fans were relaxed about Spurs not winning this game because they did not want Woolwich to win the league. He was clear in his message on Monday that he had no interest in “bragging rights” when there was a game to be won and habits to instil.
But here, after a night when Spurs fans were louder when they were losing than drawing and when Postecoglou himself got drawn into angry exchanges with a fan behind the dugout, he could not hide his feelings.
“Maybe I’m out of step but I just don’t care. I just want to win,” Postecoglou said when asked whether the Woolwich rivalry had been a factor. “I want to be successful at this football club. It’s why I was brought in. So other people, how they want to feel and what their priorities are, are of zero interest to me. I know what’s important to build a winning team. That’s what I need to concentrate on.”
When asked whether Tuesday’s subdued atmosphere affected Tottenham’s players, given how loud the stadium was earlier this season, Postecoglou said yes. “Of course it does,” he answered. “I can’t dictate what people do. They’re allowed to express themselves any way they want but, yeah, when we’ve got late winners in games, it’s because the crowd’s helped us.”
But even then, frustration at fans cannot sufficiently explain Postecoglou’s comments. He said that his issues were outside and inside the club, remember. And he said that they would force him back to the drawing board. Fans are ultimately outside of the manager’s control, so did he mean an issue closer to home?
So Postecoglou was asked whether he had an issue with his players, but he refused to criticise them in public. “Unless I was watching a different game, we matched it with the best team in the land for the last four years, unless someone saw it differently,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I be happy if we’ve matched the team that is kind of the benchmark? Yeah, I was happy with the application.”
Ultimately, Postecoglou left it open who exactly inside the club he was unhappy with. He must have known that by not making his complaints more clear, he would unleash a cycle of speculation about what exactly had upset him. Some may ask whether he was playing politics with the board over transfers — another Conte throwback — but Postecoglou insisted this had “nothing to do with summer plans”, which are already in place.
The generous interpretation of Postecoglou’s comments is that this is all part of trying to ensure the football club — board, staff, players, fans — makes that mental leap into competitiveness and ambition. He kept coming back to the importance of becoming a “winning team” and after a few days dominated by talk about not winning, his sporting ego will have been challenged.
So much of this season has been about positivity, shared ethos and goals, and perhaps Postecoglou decided it was time to switch to bad cop, to replace the carrot with the stick.
But many people will read this and fear this is a repeat of ‘the history of Tottenham’. So many Spurs managers have started well and seen their tenures descend into acrimony and frustration, exasperated by their inability to steer this ship where they want it to go. Postecoglou was meant to be different, replacing the friction of the Jose Mourinho and Conte eras with unity, togetherness and optimism.
But less than one year in, he is already making similar noises, criticising the mentality of those around him, as if he hopes to shame them into becoming more like him. It is a risky move and no one who has tried it before has come out on top. The question is whether this is a new phase or just a brief moment after a strange few days at the end of a tiring first season.
For what it's worth, I think the last few games have fucked Ange right off, he doesn't like losing, then on top of that he just got a bit fucked off with all the talk of Spurs not wanting to win and not trying to win etc, when it's very much against his ethos. Apparently a couple of people on the spurs staff were joking at him about throwing the game and picking youth sides, which pissed him off as well.
Basically, the combination of losing a bunch of games (all to rival teams as well), conceding really soft goals, followed by lots of people inside (staff etc) and outside (media/fans) the club talking about wanting to lose another big game, then losing another big game we'd played reasonably well in, I think just fucked him into blowing a bit of a gasket.
Let's not forget, his job's on the line here. He wants to win every game (especially after losing a bunch of games lately) and wants a team that wants to win every game. We still had a chance of CL football. I think he felt the attitude around the club in the last 48 hours was really fucking losery.
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Focusing on the last 48 hours makes no sense.Not sure anyone's posted this yet, if so apologies (but it answers a couple of questions):
Postecoglou's 'fragile foundations' comment could go down as his Conte moment
Spurs’ manager was hailed as the antithesis to predecessor Antonio Conte - but his comments on Tuesday mirrored the Italian's infamous rant
After Tottenham Hotspur pushed Manchester City all the way to the end, producing their best performance in months, it felt, for a few happy minutes, as if this could be the starting point for some optimism at Spurs. This pragmatic, innovative performance could even light the way for Ange Postecoglou’s second season at the club.
But when Postecoglou walked into his press conference soon after the final whistle, he instantly blew away any hope that this might be a positive evening for the club.
This was the most explosive press conference delivered by a Spurs manager since Antonio Conte ended his tenure with that infamous performance in Southampton in March 2023. Postecoglou was brought in two months later to be the anti-Conte, and while he was not quite as wilfully destructive as the Italian, you could almost hear the ghost of Conte in Postecoglou’s words.
It all started when Postecoglou was asked whether Tuesday evening’s performance could be the foundation for what Spurs do next season. (You could certainly see why it might be: Spurs tried a new formation, worked hard, restricted City and, on another day, could have taken something.)
But, instead, Postecoglou silenced the room when he said that “the last 48 hours has revealed to me that the foundations are fairly fragile”. It was the most surprising and jarring thing Postecoglou has said during his time in north London.
It was the type of comment that has to be unpacked, but Postecoglou would only go so far in doing so. He said that “the last 48 hours have revealed a fair bit to me” and this means that he has “got to go back to the drawing board with some things”. Again, Postecoglou was asked to clarify and expand on who exactly he was angry with and why, but again, he did not want to get drawn into too many specifics.
Asked whether his frustrations were outside or inside the club, Postecoglou said they were “outside, inside, everywhere”. Asked again to move into specifics — whether he meant his players — Postecoglou again refused to engage.
“I’m not going to tell you because it’s for me,” he snapped. “I probably misread the situation as to what I think is important in the endeavour to become a winning team, but that’s OK. That’s why I’m here.” (At this moment, he could hardly have sounded more Conte, cursing himself for not understanding the size of the job in changing the mentality here.)
Clearly, Postecoglou was not happy with the sense that a lot of fans were relaxed about Spurs not winning this game because they did not want Woolwich to win the league. He was clear in his message on Monday that he had no interest in “bragging rights” when there was a game to be won and habits to instil.
But here, after a night when Spurs fans were louder when they were losing than drawing and when Postecoglou himself got drawn into angry exchanges with a fan behind the dugout, he could not hide his feelings.
“Maybe I’m out of step but I just don’t care. I just want to win,” Postecoglou said when asked whether the Woolwich rivalry had been a factor. “I want to be successful at this football club. It’s why I was brought in. So other people, how they want to feel and what their priorities are, are of zero interest to me. I know what’s important to build a winning team. That’s what I need to concentrate on.”
When asked whether Tuesday’s subdued atmosphere affected Tottenham’s players, given how loud the stadium was earlier this season, Postecoglou said yes. “Of course it does,” he answered. “I can’t dictate what people do. They’re allowed to express themselves any way they want but, yeah, when we’ve got late winners in games, it’s because the crowd’s helped us.”
But even then, frustration at fans cannot sufficiently explain Postecoglou’s comments. He said that his issues were outside and inside the club, remember. And he said that they would force him back to the drawing board. Fans are ultimately outside of the manager’s control, so did he mean an issue closer to home?
So Postecoglou was asked whether he had an issue with his players, but he refused to criticise them in public. “Unless I was watching a different game, we matched it with the best team in the land for the last four years, unless someone saw it differently,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I be happy if we’ve matched the team that is kind of the benchmark? Yeah, I was happy with the application.”
Ultimately, Postecoglou left it open who exactly inside the club he was unhappy with. He must have known that by not making his complaints more clear, he would unleash a cycle of speculation about what exactly had upset him. Some may ask whether he was playing politics with the board over transfers — another Conte throwback — but Postecoglou insisted this had “nothing to do with summer plans”, which are already in place.
The generous interpretation of Postecoglou’s comments is that this is all part of trying to ensure the football club — board, staff, players, fans — makes that mental leap into competitiveness and ambition. He kept coming back to the importance of becoming a “winning team” and after a few days dominated by talk about not winning, his sporting ego will have been challenged.
So much of this season has been about positivity, shared ethos and goals, and perhaps Postecoglou decided it was time to switch to bad cop, to replace the carrot with the stick.
But many people will read this and fear this is a repeat of ‘the history of Tottenham’. So many Spurs managers have started well and seen their tenures descend into acrimony and frustration, exasperated by their inability to steer this ship where they want it to go. Postecoglou was meant to be different, replacing the friction of the Jose Mourinho and Conte eras with unity, togetherness and optimism.
But less than one year in, he is already making similar noises, criticising the mentality of those around him, as if he hopes to shame them into becoming more like him. It is a risky move and no one who has tried it before has come out on top. The question is whether this is a new phase or just a brief moment after a strange few days at the end of a tiring first season.
For what it's worth, I think the last few games have fucked Ange right off, he doesn't like losing, then on top of that he just got a bit fucked off with all the talk of Spurs not wanting to win and not trying to win etc, when it's very much against his ethos. Apparently a couple of people on the spurs staff were joking at him about throwing the game and picking youth sides, which pissed him off as well.
Basically, the combination of losing a bunch of games (all to rival teams as well), conceding really soft goals, followed by lots of people inside (staff etc) and outside (media/fans) the club talking about wanting to lose another big game, then losing another big game we'd played reasonably well in, I think just fucked him into blowing a bit of a gasket.
Let's not forget, his job's on the line here. He wants to win every game (especially after losing a bunch of games lately) and wants a team that wants to win every game. We still had a chance of CL football. I think he felt the attitude around the club in the last 48 hours was really fucking losery.
The issues go back way further and stem from his stubbornness. Needs to look at himself first before lashing out anywhere else.
That’s kinda everything
Ange can talk about winning all he wants but actions speak louder than words.
It took him until the City game to actually try something different and we looked better for it, my question would be, why did it take him this long? Why wait until that game when we could have done it sooner and had 4th wrapped up?
It feels like an ego thing imo, he does come across a bit childish and arrogant at times, maybe it's the pressure or maybe it's because he has done so well in the other leagues he has managed in that it has given him an inflated sense of self worth and achievement, anyway, that's my personal opinion, I know some will disagree but I think he isn't as confident in himself as he makes out and I think his last two pressers have been him lashing out due to the poor run of form, something he should learn to correct imo.
However, at the end of the day, we can all speculate and guess as to what his mindset is but the proof is in the pudding, if he wants to show us how much of a winning manager he is, then he has the opportunity now, do the job against Sheff, get some signings in during the next window and then get this team playing and winning.
I can tell you something for sure though, if we start the season the way we have ended this one, everyone but his most dedicated fanboys will be calling for his head, that is something I can bet on.
It took him until the City game to actually try something different and we looked better for it, my question would be, why did it take him this long? Why wait until that game when we could have done it sooner and had 4th wrapped up?
It feels like an ego thing imo, he does come across a bit childish and arrogant at times, maybe it's the pressure or maybe it's because he has done so well in the other leagues he has managed in that it has given him an inflated sense of self worth and achievement, anyway, that's my personal opinion, I know some will disagree but I think he isn't as confident in himself as he makes out and I think his last two pressers have been him lashing out due to the poor run of form, something he should learn to correct imo.
However, at the end of the day, we can all speculate and guess as to what his mindset is but the proof is in the pudding, if he wants to show us how much of a winning manager he is, then he has the opportunity now, do the job against Sheff, get some signings in during the next window and then get this team playing and winning.
I can tell you something for sure though, if we start the season the way we have ended this one, everyone but his most dedicated fanboys will be calling for his head, that is something I can bet on.
Yeah and the ones who can't ignore it are often not really fit to be good leaders quite frankly.
You think any top manager in world football gives a shit what the people in the crowd think? Let's be honest here, most top managers will win games and prove them wrong, that's their way of shoving it down the doubters throats.
Lol ah this thread man.
'Spurs are a massive club'...but we can't have a manager with too big an ego.
Ange is Aussie. An Aussie in sport. They've all got a fucking ego!
And again...belittle his achievements if you must...but he has won everywhere. That ego isn't going anywhere.
All the usual suspects crying about his attitude and his big head and his grumpiness are the ones who constantly moan that this club wins nothing. That we're too soft to win anything.
I've changed my mind massively about yesterday. I thought the whole circus was a bad thing for our club. But as today has gone on I reckon it'll be a massive part of a brighter future.
Ange is pissed. I can't wait for Sunday and then next season!
'Spurs are a massive club'...but we can't have a manager with too big an ego.
Ange is Aussie. An Aussie in sport. They've all got a fucking ego!
And again...belittle his achievements if you must...but he has won everywhere. That ego isn't going anywhere.
All the usual suspects crying about his attitude and his big head and his grumpiness are the ones who constantly moan that this club wins nothing. That we're too soft to win anything.
I've changed my mind massively about yesterday. I thought the whole circus was a bad thing for our club. But as today has gone on I reckon it'll be a massive part of a brighter future.
Ange is pissed. I can't wait for Sunday and then next season!
He needs to realise his achievements are all in the little play park and that he’s now in big boy school where all the biggest bullies are and none of them could give a fuck about his A league trophies.
Maybe it's both, various things and maybe he does hold himself accountable for some mistakes he's made?
What stubbornness are you referring to?
Ah yes. It is you...a chance has arisen to criticise the club you claim to support. Of course you're going to take it!
View: https://twitter.com/LastWordOnSpurs/status/1790872479260369042
Makes perfect sense after this. I am interested to see who from the staff goes in the off season.
So’s my ex wife and she’s an arsehole. I win.Oi, some of my best friends are called Karen!
Ange isn’t the club. Levy isn’t the club. They are individuals (currently) attached to the club and therefore very open to criticism. You are blindly and constantly deluded and seem to struggle with negativity or realism in any form whatsoever.
Being nice about the very obviously failing team on an internet website doesn’t make anybody a better fan or impact the team in any meaningful way. Your awarding of 9/10’s to the players when we lose isn’t anything but a meaningless, performative gesture.
Ange has a big ego and it shows, but he hasn’t really earned this ego in the eyes of the fans because of the season we’ve had and his past reputation. I also find it funny you talk about criticising the club as if Ange hasn’t basically just said there’s something inherently wrong with the club..
Just like Conte did. And Jose heavily alluded to. Something missing/broken which has probably contributed to our winning zilch. And fair play to Ange, sounds like he wants to accept the problem and tackle it, rather than stick his fingers in his ears, chant come on you spurs and pretend we’re doing great.
Ex spouses all tend to be one of those TBH
I keep reading on here that we don’t have a winning culture, stemming from the wee bald fella down.
We seem to have a manager now who wants to win matches, no matter the consequences. It’s the only thing he cares about. Isn’t this a good thing?
We seem to have a manager now who wants to win matches, no matter the consequences. It’s the only thing he cares about. Isn’t this a good thing?
You may be right. I’m sure she thinks I’m fabulous though. Right?Ex spouses all tend to be one of those TBH
Right?
Right?
Oh come on. You take any chance you get to attack our players, manager, owners, fans. Saying you don't attack the 'club' is just semantics!
At no point have I said that everything is great. I literally just said Ange being pissed off makes me happy cos I think it'll help him fix it finally.
And I'm not having this 'season we've had' nonsense like we've had a terrible season when there were idiots on here saying he was going to relegate us.
It's funny that Jose, Conte and Ange say something is wrong in the club but that some of the same people praising Conte for saying it want Ange gone for saying it.
Maybe Ange realises he isnt going to get the backing he needs to get the players he wants and is agitating to be sacked.
Did you watch the game? You call that performance from the team and the manager being found out? Against the 2nd most expensive team in the world it was a close run thing and there was plenty of positives to take from it going into the next season
It is fair to say that other teams were able to expose the space behind the full backs and, identified Vicario as poor defending set pieces - along with the fact we often leave space beyond the back post.
Right now, our attacking strategy has been to shift our full backs into midfield and dominate the ball - this has worked, and we always have the lion's share of possession - even against City.
The main issue is, we are unable to convert this into goals. We don't have a settled front 3 and have tried various combinations. Johnson needs time, and his final ball is often poor. Off the ball, he isn't contributing enough in defense. Add to that we don't have a target striker. Richy has never been fit.
So, if we fix the front 3, the system may well work.