Ange Postecoglou has been dismissed as Tottenham manager. The Australian led Spurs to the Europa League title in his penultimate match in charge, securing Champions League qualification for the club and ending a 17-year trophy drought. However, Postecoglou has paid the price for a disastrous Premier League campaign that saw Tottenham finish 17th, losing 22 of their 38 games, a record for a side who avoided relegation.
Brentford’s Thomas Frank is expected to be among the leading contenders for the vacancy while Spurs have previously been linked with Andoni Iraola, who Bournemouth want to tie to a new contract.
“Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,” said a club statement, in which Tottenham described themselves as “extremely grateful to Ange” for delivering European silverware.
It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond,” the statement continued. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.
“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.”
The pressure will now be firmly on chairman Daniel Levy to make the right decision with supporters having made no secret of their desire for Postecoglou to stay in the aftermath of their triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao. The 59-year-old can depart after exactly two years in the job in the belief that he has done the job he was tasked with, albeit in curious fashion. Spurs have returned to the Champions League after a two-season absence, have won the trophy that their fans had waited a generation for and have blooded a youthful squad since Harry Kane’s departure.
Postecoglou can equally point to the raft of injuries that set back his side’s league season around Christmas, when Spurs struggled to field even two of their first-choice back five. Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison are among the raft of senior players who missed extended periods in a campaign that saw multiple six-game runs without a win.
Equally, questions could be asked over whether Postecoglou’s high-energy system brought about some of those injury issues. Postecoglou may feel vindicated that his insistence early in the campaign that he “always wins a trophy in his second season” came to pass, but he had spent much of his tenure insisting that silverware was not the best method by which to judge progress for the club. That changed as his priorities shifted towards the Europa League campaign that allowed Spurs to qualify for the Champions League despite finishing nearer in points terms to bottom side Southampton than the top five.
“When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride,” said Postecoglou. “The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.”
“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.”
Postecoglou’s departure comes amid a far-reaching shake-up in north London. Former Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham began his tenure in the same role this week while Donna-Maria Cullen, one of the longest serving members of the Tottenham executive team, departed. The future of chief football officer Scott Munn is also in doubt.
