After a record-breaking start to the season as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, Ange Postecoglou has come under fire as recent results have led to the Australian manager gaining detractors.
The former Celtic coach guided Spurs to the top of the table after the first 10 games of the Premier League, with the Lilywhites collecting 26 points after eight wins and just two draws. Postecoglou earned plaudits for instilling a fearless mentality and an attacking mindset in his players.
The fantastic start to the season, though, has been undone as Spurs have lost three and drawn one in their previous four games. This has left them in fifth place with 27 points, nine points behind league leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
Now, one of the top journalists from the UK, The Guardian’s Jonathan Liew, has caused quite a stir with his controversial statements and scathing criticism of Postecoglou on The Guardian’s ‘Football Weekly’ podcast released on November 23, 2023.
Liew went on an odd tirade against the former Brisbane Roar manager, saying that he “can’t stand him.”
I’m just not having Ange. I’m not having Ange Postecoglou. As a coach, I can’t stand him.
– Journalist Jonathan Liew on the Football Weekly podcast
Max Rushden, the co-host of the show, responded to those comments by saying that Postecoglou is a “lovely man.” However, Liew was defiant and went even further to explain why he dislikes the Spurs boss.
He comes across as a lovely man. All of the people saying he’s great, saying he’s a great bloke — nobody knows him. All you know about him are the little 45 second clips that come from his press conferences or that turn up on your Twitter feed every week. He is an unbelievable talker.
On the pitch, thing have been going well, but they have a good squad. There was a thirst there for these players to go out and play a high line. I’m not saying he hasn’t coached them well. I’m just saying he hasn’t coached them brilliantly. He’s just said some things. Made them feel good about themselves and his good players have been infused with good vibes.
What we’re seeing now and what we’re going to see over the medium and long term is that Spurs are going to regress. They are nowhere near title contenders. They don’t have a coach or a squad that’s going to get them anywhere near the title race.
They’ll probably drop to about sixth or seventh because there are better funded and better coached teams out there.
Liew even mocked Postecoglou’s Australian accent and his usage of the word “mate”, saying, “Honestly, it’s just such bulls***.”
Those statements haven’t won him over any fans as listeners to this podcast have taken to social media to express their disgust over Liew’s remarks.
What needs to be considered amidst their poor run of form and results is their latest display against defending champions Manchester City. Playing away from home, Spurs managed to eke out a thrilling 3-3 draw to avoid their fourth consecutive loss in the league.
Following City’s loss to Aston Villa on Wednesday (6th December) night, Postecoglou’s troops have a chance to move level on points with Pep Guardiola’s side when they take on West Ham at home.
