Ange Postecoglou insists Tottenham job is not toughest challenge of his career

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Evening Standard

·20. September 2024

Ange Postecoglou insists Tottenham job is not toughest challenge of his career

Spurs boss he loves the “struggle” of management

The Spurs head coach has come in for criticism in recent weeks for his side’s sluggish start to the season.

Postecoglou said last season that he expects Spurs to challenge for the Premier League title this campaign, but they sit 13th in the table with one win from their opening four fixtures ahead of hosting Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

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Tottenham were minutes away from crashing out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night with a much-changed team, but two late goals from substitutes turned the match against Coventry City on its head and saw them into the fourth round.

“I think the most difficult job I had was the first one, because if I failed my first one I wouldn’t have got anything else,” said Postecoglou, when asked whether Spurs was proving his toughest job yet.

“I was coaching my hometown club [South Melbourne FC], the club I grew up with. The only reason I got the opportunity was they knew me at that club. I don’t think I would have got the opportunity anywhere else if I wasn’t successful.

“After five games, we were sitting with no wins, bottom of the table. That was pretty difficult.”

Ange Postecoglou has come under pressure in the early weeks of the season

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He continued: “They were all challenging [jobs], but that is why I love it. I enjoy the struggle, the difficult bits. Who knows how it all ends? I don’t know, no one knows. For me, it’s just about doing what I believe is the right thing to do, in my eyes, to get success and hopefully change the fortunes of this fantastic football club.”

A slew of abuse saw Brennan Johnson deactivate his Instagram account last weekend, and his celebration after scoring the late winner at Coventry was noticeably subdued.

At the suggestion that online hate appears to have got to Johnson, Postecoglou said: “Yeah, I’m sure it does. It’s a shame that young people have to close off from something they seem to enjoy because of abuse on it. I don’t think that’s right.

“I haven’t spoken to Brennan about it. The lads know what I’m about. I keep telling the lads the most important people in your life are the ones you’ve got to worry about. Not anyone else’s opinion, in terms of validation.”

Postecoglou gave an impassioned defence of the Wales winger, adding; “He won a game of football for us the other night with a really good finish at the critical moment. I reckon if you put any one of his critics in that situation, they’d be looking for a change of pants pretty quickly. They don’t think about that in that moment.

“At the same time, Brennan’s had a dream of being a professional footballer his whole life from a kid, and now he’s living the dream and I’d hate to think he’s not enjoying it.

“We’re all pretty blessed to do what we do, even at the worst of times. We’re all blessed to do what we wanted to do when we were 10 years old. Not many people can say that.”