The ultimate bankruptcy was once heroic. Much like the primary. And for the entire difficulties in between Ange Postecoglou will endlessly be celebrated at Tottenham as the person who ended the longest wait.
He introduced house the silver. He introduced the parade. He taught Spurs be winners for the primary time in 17 years. How to be winners in Europe for the primary time this century.
He silenced the jokes. Some of them no less than. He delivered a few of his personal and it was once now and then terrific enjoyable with aptitude and journey to revive the religion of those that imagine it will have to at all times be on the middle of the membership’s identification.
But there have been accidents, there have been defensive frailties and maddening passages of tactical inflexibility. And there have been defeats. Lots of them, a document quantity for Spurs in a Premier League marketing campaign as they thrashed about close to the relegation zone.
Not a just right search for a membership purporting to be some of the international’s elite and making an attempt to draw ranges of unpolluted funding to compare, and so Postecoglou is long gone, two eventful years right into a four-year deal.
There will likely be no 0.33 season. Tottenham can return to their identification disaster. Back to the replicate to determine simply what it’s they need to be: fun-loving thrill-seekers with a tight shot on the knock-out cups or low-risk accumulators of issues to stay Champions League money reliably rolling in?
For the entire difficulties in between Ange Postecoglou will endlessly be celebrated at Tottenham as the person who ended the longest wait

There had been accidents, there have been defensive frailties and maddening passages of tactical inflexibility. And there have been defeats. Lots of them, a document quantity for Spurs

Daniel Levy can cross off to search out the 14th everlasting supervisor or head trainer of his 24 years as chairman
Daniel Levy can cross off to search out the 14th everlasting supervisor or head trainer of his 24 years as chairman. And it had all began like a fit made in heaven.
10 video games into season one, and Postecoglou’s Spurs had been 5 issues transparent on the most sensible of the Premier League, a Friday evening prime after a win at Crystal Palace due to a function through captain Son Heung-min.
Outside the dressing rooms at Selhurst Park, the brand new boss’s agent had the glance of a beaming membership dignitary, exchanging celebratory prime fives and hugging the gamers, together with Son, any other of his shoppers. He gave the impression of a person who had hit the jackpot.
AngeBall were unleashed upon English soccer and in defiance of reasonably a couple of predictions, looked to be conquering all ahead of it. Goals had been flying in, and each win celebrated with a blast of the Robbie Williams anthem Angels.
This was once the top of October, and chairman Levy had already instructed a enthusiasts’ discussion board: ‘We have our Tottenham again.’
Then got here the wounds. And the wounds didn’t prevent. Spurs went into final month’s Europa League ultimate with out their 3 maximum inventive midfielders and dared no longer play their first-choice centre halves within the Premier League for worry of shedding them.
A evaluate final summer season resulted in the departure of long-serving head of medication Geoff Scott and a cluster of unpolluted appointments, just for issues to worsen with a chain of broken hamstrings and gamers struggling setbacks on their go back.
Cristian Romero’s feedback on social media in March, thanking Argentina’s physios for purchasing him again at the pitch after 4 months of issues without a point out of Tottenham, had been telling.

It had all began like a fit made in heaven for Postecoglou and Spurs

Cristian Romero’s feedback in March, thanking Argentina’s physios for purchasing him again at the pitch after 4 months of issues without a point out of Tottenham, had been telling

Then got here the wounds. And the wounds didn’t prevent. Spurs went into final month’s Europa League ultimate with out their 3 maximum inventive midfielders
Chief soccer officer Scott Munn, an Australian employed from the Chinese department of the City Football Group in 2023, seems to be set to hold the can for clinical problems in what’s shaping as much as be a large summer season of exchange in the back of the scenes.
Postecoglou brushed aside theories that his full-throttle soccer and the depth of coaching required to maintain it places over the top pressure on our bodies, when coupled with the relentless nature and time table of English soccer.
He figured gamers would turn into extra tough as they was aware of the calls for, even supposing there was little proof of that. Perhaps it might were other had they created a more potent squad of skilled gamers to toughen the transition.
But, as ever, Tottenham most well-liked to hedge their bets. Fully-formed Premier League confirmed footballers like Dominic Solanke at £65million, were the exception in a switch technique beneath technical director Johan Lange geared toward figuring out more youthful ability.
When he joined, Postecoglou sought after two fast centre halves to permit his prime line of defense and make sure duvet. He were given one, Micky van De Ven, signed days ahead of the season opener at Brentford.
Almost six months later, with Van De Ven injured, got here the second one centre 1/2, Radu Dragusin. A 12 months later, with Van De Ven, Dragusin and Cristian Romero all injured, they signed Kevin Danso. Up entrance, they patched up with mortgage signings.
This technique has no longer helped Postecoglou, however his choice to stay enjoying the similar manner it doesn’t matter what has now and then made issues worse.
10 days after that win towards Palace, got here a 4-1 defeat at house through Chelsea, an evening when Van De Ven and James Maddison suffered long-term accidents, they usually completed with 9 males as a result of Destiny Udogie and Romero had been despatched off.

Postecoglou brushed aside theories that his full-throttle soccer and the depth of coaching required to maintain it places over the top pressure on our bodies

A 4-1 defeat at house through Chelsea in November 2023 was once the turning level, an evening when Micky van De Ven and James Maddison suffered long-term accidents

They completed with 9 males as a result of Destiny Udogie and Romero had been despatched off. But nonetheless, they persevered to play with the suicidally prime line of defense
Still, they persevered to play with the suicidally prime line of defense. It was once nice leisure, and the 9 exhausted gamers had been applauded from the pitch, as Postecoglou brushed aside the speculation of warning. ‘It’s simply who we’re, mate,’ he declared.
Eric Dier, after signing for Bayern Munich, published how Spurs did no tactical paintings to fight warring parties. Only form on how they sought after to play. It will have to were a tradition surprise and to start with welcome aid from the extraordinary tactical element of his predecessor Antonio Conte.
Opponents began sitting deep, having a look to strike temporarily at the wreck within the area vacated through the overall backs. They focused goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario at set-pieces. And it was once all simpler with Tottenham depleted, not able to exchange like for like.
It was once no longer till halfway thru season two, within the inner most of the harm disaster and after conceding six at house to Liverpool, that Postecoglou did after all relent, rein within the complete backs and protect a again 4 desperately in need of tempo.
Ultimately, this reluctance to modify proved decisive as a result of even if he did exchange it was once too past due, the ones no longer looking at Tottenham carefully slightly spotted and persevered to suppose he hadn’t.
Besides, the crew was once so depleted through this level they had been a shadow in their preferrred, successfully sat looking forward to key gamers to regain health and Postecoglou’s temper darkened accordingly.
The relentless time table isn’t about to modify. Levy isn’t going to modify tack. Keeping Postecoglou can be to ask the similar end result for a 3rd season. The similar calls for on an immature squad, similar harm issues, leaving them not able to stick aggressive on all fronts.
The golf equipment thriving in fashionable English soccer synchronise their workings portions beneath transparent path. They have a head trainer to steer the soccer challenge, entrance the membership and challenge an identification, but it surely will have to be in song with the recruitment, which will have to be on a wavelength with the academy.

Eric Dier, after signing for Bayern Munich, published how Spurs did no tactical paintings to fight warring parties. Only form on how they sought after to play

It was once no longer till halfway thru season two, within the inner most of the harm disaster and after conceding six at house to Liverpool, that Postecoglou did after all relent on his techniques

Chief soccer officer Scott Munn, an Australian employed from the Chinese department of the City Football Group in 2023, seems to be set to take the autumn for clinical problems that experience plagued Spurs
A a hit membership achieves a concord, however it’s more straightforward stated than performed. Many to find it tricky, together with Spurs the place no person laws over Levy. It is his educate set. He hires and fires the departmental heads whilst relationship out of doors influences akin to his favorite brokers and experts.
Executive director Donna-Marie Cullen is leaving after a few years unswerving to Levy. Munn’s days seem numbered with former Arsenal leader govt Vinai Venkatesham becoming a member of the Spurs board in a identical function.
Lange has been given licence to rip up the scouting device and pursue younger and growing ability by means of a data-led style, and but former managing director Fabio Paratici, a relentless presence regardless of his FIFA ban, is predicted to formalise his function inside the recruitment setup when his punishment expires this 12 months.
So Postecoglou isn’t the one casualty, however he’s the large one and his destiny was once more than likely sealed in midseason when his reference to supporters fell into disrepair.
It by no means actually recovered from the friction across the Manchester City recreation in May final 12 months, when some Spurs enthusiasts celebrated a house defeat as a result of they could not undergo to look Arsenal win the identify.
There had been hints of the language of Conte as Postecoglou fumed about ‘fragile foundations’ throughout the membership.
Back then, he was once on forged floor so far as effects had been involved. Fifth with 66 issues, best two in the back of fourth-placed Aston Villa, gave the impression a good go back for the primary season of the revolution, the primary with out document goalscorer Harry Kane.
Spurs, regardless that, performed best 41 video games in 2023-24. This season, with European soccer thrown in, they have got been beaten. 38 Premier League issues is their worst go back since relegation in 1977, 22 league defeats their joint-worst ever. They have claimed simply 13 issues from 19 video games in 2025.

38 Premier League issues is Spurs’ worst go back since relegation in 1977, 22 league defeats their joint-worst ever

They have claimed simply 13 issues from 19 league video games in 2025 in a time of significant combat

Ultimately, this reluctance to modify proved decisive as a result of even if he did exchange it was once too past due, the ones no longer looking at Tottenham carefully slightly spotted and persevered to suppose he hadn’t
There had been few highlights within the home marketing campaign past early prospers of vintage AngeBall, the 4-0 win at Manchester City in November and a Carabao Cup run.
More ample lowlights integrated defeats at house to through Ipswich and Leicester, a second-half loss of life from two-up at Brighton, 15 conceded in 3 video games towards Liverpool, and the failure to overcome fifth-tier part-timers Tamworth inside of 90 mins within the FA Cup.
Fans misplaced endurance, then misplaced religion. Many had already given up on him by the point Postecoglou took at the away finish at Stamford Bridge in April.
That was once the evening they sang, ‘you do not know what you might be doing’ when he changed Lucas Bergvall with Pape Matar Sarr at 1-0 down, and the Spurs boss cupped an ear of their path when Sarr scored what he concept was once an excellent equaliser, best to search out the function dominated out through VAR.
If there was once a second to seal his destiny this was once more than likely it, the instant when Levy knew the ‘Big Ange’ bonds cast within the autumn of 2023 had perished, and that he would no longer face a significant backlash if he set exchange in movement. Maybe he recognised the drained and ground-down expression of any other Spurs supervisor.
Postecoglou rallied towards VAR, towards the pundits, moaned a couple of mole within the camp leaking harm tales and lashed out at the eve of the Europa League ultimate at somebody who wrote the result of 1 recreation could be the variation between branding him a legend or a clown.
Invariably, he was once extra at ease ahead of fits than afterwards, and at all times value paying attention to whether or not he was once quoting Billy Joel lyrics, reminiscing about his days with Ferenc Puskas and the winding highway from Melbourne to London, or sharing the creed of the stonecutter who struck 100 blows figuring out the 101st would be the one to wreck the stone.
The Europa League was his solace. Without it, Postecoglou may already be lengthy long gone. And, if he can curse his success over some issues within the final two years, he was once lucky to go into this new structure with out Champions League groups shedding in.

Fans misplaced endurance, then misplaced religion. Many had already given up on him by the point Postecoglou took at the away finish at Stamford Bridge in April

Postecoglou rallied towards VAR, towards the pundits, moaned a couple of mole within the camp leaking harm tales

There had been hints of the language of Antonio Conte as Postecoglou fumed about ‘fragile foundations’ throughout the membership
Tottenham misplaced best two of 15 video games and made it in the course of the knockout levels through beating the champions of Norway, the third-best crew in Germany and the fifth-best crew within the Netherlands, ahead of an attritional win towards the worst Manchester United crew for 5 a long time within the ultimate.
Postecoglou however had his palms at the trophy he instructed us he by no means did not ship in his moment season. One step forward of the stonecutter, it got here in his 100th recreation as Spurs boss and even supposing recreation 101 was once any other defeat, 4-1 at the ultimate day at house through Brighton, they had been making a song his title as soon as once more again in N17.
He received them again. Or a lot of them. He joined Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw in a make a selection staff of Tottenham managers to win a European pageant, and that will likely be sufficient to safe his standing as a legend if no longer his activity as head trainer.
There will likely be no season 3. Perhaps that is for the most productive. Big Ange will trip once more.