Ange Postecoglou
Introduced by Australian Story presenter Leigh Sales
When manager Ange Postecoglou took English football team Tottenham Hotspur to victory in the Europa League, it was the greatest triumph in a career full of dazzling achievements.
No Australian has previously managed an English Premier League team, let alone won a European trophy.
Despite the recent win, Postecoglou has had a roller-coaster ride during his two years managing the Spurs and faces an uncertain future. But the uncompromising Australian has never taken the easy path.
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The Advertiser
10 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Postecoglou loses Tottenham job but keeps his pride
Ange Postecoglou will walk away from Tottenham Hotspur with his pride and his reputation intact and his place in the club's heritage assured after an eventful two-year stint in north London. Ending the club's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League made sure of that. The Australian delivered on his claim of always winning a trophy in his second season at a club, but few could have envisaged the circumstances in which it happened. From the ruins of a nightmarish Premier League season, Tottenham ground out a backs-to-the-wall victory against one of the worst Manchester United sides in decades with a display at odds with the club's 'to dare is to do' motto. Earlier in the season, after Tottenham beat United 4-3 in a rollercoaster League Cup quarter-final, Postecoglou railed against studio pundits who criticised his expansive style. "Are you not entertained?! What do you want? Do you want a scrambly 1-0? The studio's probably going into meltdown over my lack of tactics but I love the fact we go out there and take it to opposition," he bristled. A few months later, Tottenham did just that, beating United 1-0 with a messy goal and a second half display in which they had 19 per cent of the ball and barely crossed the halfway line. Postecoglou had only to point to the euphoric scenes in the stadium to answer those who sneered at Tottenham's glory night. In a parallel universe it could have heralded the ignition point for a Postecoglou dynasty at Tottenham, just as Manchester United's 1989 FA Cup win did for Alex Ferguson. Instead, it just marked the end of another brief chapter in the club's history, albeit a memorable one, as he became the fifth full-time manager to be sacked in little over five years. When Postecoglou arrived in 2023 with his swashbuckling 'Ange-Ball' style he seemed the perfect fit for a club worn down by the joyless reigns of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. Twenty six points from his opening 10 Premier League games in the 2023-24 season was more than any other manager in his first season in the competition, eclipsing the likes of serial title winners like Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. It was Tottenham's best start to a top-flight season since their last title-winning campaign in 1960-61. Then the wheels fell off. His 11th game, at home to Chelsea, offered an early clue as to what would become his eventual downfall. The mood was ecstatic as Spurs scored early but then they suffered two big injuries and were reduced to nine men by the 55th minute when Destiny Udogie joined Cristian Romero in receiving a rash red card. Even two players down, and with the score at 1-1, Postecoglou insisted his team play a high defensive line and go for goals and, while it was compelling viewing, they eventually subsided to a chaotic 4-1 defeat. That loyalty to his attacking philosophy was admirable and earned him staunch support amongst the club's fans, but it also exposed a lack of tactical pragmatism. Tottenham limped to fifth in Postecoglou's first term, securing continental football in the Europa League, and there were high hopes that his second season would see him mould a team capable of mounting a title challenge. Instead, Tottenham endured their worst top-flight season since they were relegated in 1977, ending in 17th place with 22 defeats and 65 goals conceded. There were mitigating circumstances. A chronic injury list took out central defenders Romero and Micky van de Ven, strikers Dominic Solanke and Richarlison and keeper Guglielmo Vicario for long periods and with no danger of relegation he put all his eggs in the Europa League basket. He will also argue that the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Mikey Moore promise a bright future. He will not, however be the one to benefit with chairman Daniel Levy deciding that the Europa League triumph was the anomaly, rather than the 22 league defeats. The biggest criticism of Postecoglou was that his insistence on high defensive lines and playing out from the back, even when the players obviously could not execute it, exposed the team's soft underbelly and made them easy to beat. Relegated clubs Leicester City and Ipswich Town both beat Tottenham whose only league win in their last 12 games was against woeful bottom club Southampton. Yet set against their Premier League slide, Postecoglou conjured a parting gift for the long-suffering fans and they do not care how it was achieved. He leaves having changed the narrative around the club but whether the it can seize the moment and build a sustained challenge for regular silverware remains to be seen. Ange Postecoglou will walk away from Tottenham Hotspur with his pride and his reputation intact and his place in the club's heritage assured after an eventful two-year stint in north London. Ending the club's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League made sure of that. The Australian delivered on his claim of always winning a trophy in his second season at a club, but few could have envisaged the circumstances in which it happened. From the ruins of a nightmarish Premier League season, Tottenham ground out a backs-to-the-wall victory against one of the worst Manchester United sides in decades with a display at odds with the club's 'to dare is to do' motto. Earlier in the season, after Tottenham beat United 4-3 in a rollercoaster League Cup quarter-final, Postecoglou railed against studio pundits who criticised his expansive style. "Are you not entertained?! What do you want? Do you want a scrambly 1-0? The studio's probably going into meltdown over my lack of tactics but I love the fact we go out there and take it to opposition," he bristled. A few months later, Tottenham did just that, beating United 1-0 with a messy goal and a second half display in which they had 19 per cent of the ball and barely crossed the halfway line. Postecoglou had only to point to the euphoric scenes in the stadium to answer those who sneered at Tottenham's glory night. In a parallel universe it could have heralded the ignition point for a Postecoglou dynasty at Tottenham, just as Manchester United's 1989 FA Cup win did for Alex Ferguson. Instead, it just marked the end of another brief chapter in the club's history, albeit a memorable one, as he became the fifth full-time manager to be sacked in little over five years. When Postecoglou arrived in 2023 with his swashbuckling 'Ange-Ball' style he seemed the perfect fit for a club worn down by the joyless reigns of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. Twenty six points from his opening 10 Premier League games in the 2023-24 season was more than any other manager in his first season in the competition, eclipsing the likes of serial title winners like Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. It was Tottenham's best start to a top-flight season since their last title-winning campaign in 1960-61. Then the wheels fell off. His 11th game, at home to Chelsea, offered an early clue as to what would become his eventual downfall. The mood was ecstatic as Spurs scored early but then they suffered two big injuries and were reduced to nine men by the 55th minute when Destiny Udogie joined Cristian Romero in receiving a rash red card. Even two players down, and with the score at 1-1, Postecoglou insisted his team play a high defensive line and go for goals and, while it was compelling viewing, they eventually subsided to a chaotic 4-1 defeat. That loyalty to his attacking philosophy was admirable and earned him staunch support amongst the club's fans, but it also exposed a lack of tactical pragmatism. Tottenham limped to fifth in Postecoglou's first term, securing continental football in the Europa League, and there were high hopes that his second season would see him mould a team capable of mounting a title challenge. Instead, Tottenham endured their worst top-flight season since they were relegated in 1977, ending in 17th place with 22 defeats and 65 goals conceded. There were mitigating circumstances. A chronic injury list took out central defenders Romero and Micky van de Ven, strikers Dominic Solanke and Richarlison and keeper Guglielmo Vicario for long periods and with no danger of relegation he put all his eggs in the Europa League basket. He will also argue that the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Mikey Moore promise a bright future. He will not, however be the one to benefit with chairman Daniel Levy deciding that the Europa League triumph was the anomaly, rather than the 22 league defeats. The biggest criticism of Postecoglou was that his insistence on high defensive lines and playing out from the back, even when the players obviously could not execute it, exposed the team's soft underbelly and made them easy to beat. Relegated clubs Leicester City and Ipswich Town both beat Tottenham whose only league win in their last 12 games was against woeful bottom club Southampton. Yet set against their Premier League slide, Postecoglou conjured a parting gift for the long-suffering fans and they do not care how it was achieved. He leaves having changed the narrative around the club but whether the it can seize the moment and build a sustained challenge for regular silverware remains to be seen. Ange Postecoglou will walk away from Tottenham Hotspur with his pride and his reputation intact and his place in the club's heritage assured after an eventful two-year stint in north London. Ending the club's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League made sure of that. The Australian delivered on his claim of always winning a trophy in his second season at a club, but few could have envisaged the circumstances in which it happened. From the ruins of a nightmarish Premier League season, Tottenham ground out a backs-to-the-wall victory against one of the worst Manchester United sides in decades with a display at odds with the club's 'to dare is to do' motto. Earlier in the season, after Tottenham beat United 4-3 in a rollercoaster League Cup quarter-final, Postecoglou railed against studio pundits who criticised his expansive style. "Are you not entertained?! What do you want? Do you want a scrambly 1-0? The studio's probably going into meltdown over my lack of tactics but I love the fact we go out there and take it to opposition," he bristled. A few months later, Tottenham did just that, beating United 1-0 with a messy goal and a second half display in which they had 19 per cent of the ball and barely crossed the halfway line. Postecoglou had only to point to the euphoric scenes in the stadium to answer those who sneered at Tottenham's glory night. In a parallel universe it could have heralded the ignition point for a Postecoglou dynasty at Tottenham, just as Manchester United's 1989 FA Cup win did for Alex Ferguson. Instead, it just marked the end of another brief chapter in the club's history, albeit a memorable one, as he became the fifth full-time manager to be sacked in little over five years. When Postecoglou arrived in 2023 with his swashbuckling 'Ange-Ball' style he seemed the perfect fit for a club worn down by the joyless reigns of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. Twenty six points from his opening 10 Premier League games in the 2023-24 season was more than any other manager in his first season in the competition, eclipsing the likes of serial title winners like Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. It was Tottenham's best start to a top-flight season since their last title-winning campaign in 1960-61. Then the wheels fell off. His 11th game, at home to Chelsea, offered an early clue as to what would become his eventual downfall. The mood was ecstatic as Spurs scored early but then they suffered two big injuries and were reduced to nine men by the 55th minute when Destiny Udogie joined Cristian Romero in receiving a rash red card. Even two players down, and with the score at 1-1, Postecoglou insisted his team play a high defensive line and go for goals and, while it was compelling viewing, they eventually subsided to a chaotic 4-1 defeat. That loyalty to his attacking philosophy was admirable and earned him staunch support amongst the club's fans, but it also exposed a lack of tactical pragmatism. Tottenham limped to fifth in Postecoglou's first term, securing continental football in the Europa League, and there were high hopes that his second season would see him mould a team capable of mounting a title challenge. Instead, Tottenham endured their worst top-flight season since they were relegated in 1977, ending in 17th place with 22 defeats and 65 goals conceded. There were mitigating circumstances. A chronic injury list took out central defenders Romero and Micky van de Ven, strikers Dominic Solanke and Richarlison and keeper Guglielmo Vicario for long periods and with no danger of relegation he put all his eggs in the Europa League basket. He will also argue that the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Mikey Moore promise a bright future. He will not, however be the one to benefit with chairman Daniel Levy deciding that the Europa League triumph was the anomaly, rather than the 22 league defeats. The biggest criticism of Postecoglou was that his insistence on high defensive lines and playing out from the back, even when the players obviously could not execute it, exposed the team's soft underbelly and made them easy to beat. Relegated clubs Leicester City and Ipswich Town both beat Tottenham whose only league win in their last 12 games was against woeful bottom club Southampton. Yet set against their Premier League slide, Postecoglou conjured a parting gift for the long-suffering fans and they do not care how it was achieved. He leaves having changed the narrative around the club but whether the it can seize the moment and build a sustained challenge for regular silverware remains to be seen.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Joliestar arrives in the last hop in the Kingsford Smith Cup
Champion jockey James McDonald timed his run to perfection aboard Joliestar in the $1 million Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Chris Waller-trained mare came from well back in the field to claim the weight-for-age feature in the final stride. Joliestar defeated Zarastro by a nose with a similar margin back to Golden Mile in third. An EPIC finish in the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup sees Joliestar nab them right on the line to take her third Group 1! 🤩 @cwallerracing @mcacajamez @BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 The win was Joliestar's sixth from 15 starts, her third at Group 1 level, and took her earnings to more than $4.5 million. Waller indicated he would discuss Joliestar's immediate with her owners but while holding a nomination for next week's Stradbroke Handicap, the likelihood is the four-year-old will head to the paddock to begin her preparation for the $20 million The Everest in October.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Why an Esky full of ham and orange pizza travelled 1700km across Australia
A viral ham and orange pizza has flown almost 1700km to feed a group of fans who missed out on trying it. Brisbane local Jaz and his friends Laura, Sam and Haylee like to frequent their city's trivia competitions and participate in 'random events' every couple of weeks. But on May 20, the four took out the trophy for the most random thing they've done yet – hop on a spontaneous flight to Melbourne to try a unique combination of ham and orange on pizza. The dish by Bubba Pizza, a remake of the classic Hawaiian topper, popped up on Sam's social media feed a few months ago with the group agreeing it 'would be fun' to try. Sam and Haylee, keen from the get go, convinced the other two to join them down south. 'The pizza seems like a 'meme' (interesting) and we kind of have to try it,' Jaz told NewsWire. 'We spent about a month planning this trip, and setting up an itinerary to go down for a week.' The day before they left Melbourne, the group decided it was time and checked the website of various Bubba Pizza franchises to see if the ham and orange pizza was available, putting in an online order at the Richmond store. 'It turns out the order didn't go through,' Jaz said. 'We asked to order an orange pizza but the (worker) says 'no, we're out of oranges'.' Jaz said he and his friends offered to go around the corner to the nearby supermarket to buy some more oranges for a pizza to be made, but was told by staff that the store was going to close soon anyway. They asked if the store could stay open a 'little longer', but, to their disappointment, their request was denied. 'We decided to get two other pizzas … a vegetarian and a meat lovers,' Jaz said. 'We (went) back to the apartment a little bit dejected, and on the way back we were talking about a way we can get the pizza quickly tomorrow before our 1.40pm flight … and if we can get someone to Uber it up. 'If you know Melbourne, it's like 40 minutes from the airport to the CBD – there was no way that was happening.' In an crazy turn of events, upon returning home to the Sunshine State, a friend of a friend happened to know a worker at Bubba Pizza and offered to connect them. Managing Director Damian Hopper said it was the pizza that just 'won't go away'. 'This is the second time we tried to take it off the menu and something weird has happened,' he said. 'It's a pizza that really surprises people. When they hear about it, some people get angry, other people get really intrigued but when they try it, every single time, they go 'that they actually works'. 'We're doing a menu update for winter … we were planning on taking off. Then we get this text message from someone telling the story of these four friends from Brisbane who flew all the way down to try it, it was sold out and couldn't get it. 'First reaction was like 'I feel terrible.' I feel terrible when regular customers drive 15 minutes down to get a pizza and they can't get one, because I'd be upset myself, you know? 'The other reaction was 'that can't be possible'. Who would bother doing that?' In a show of phenomenal customer service, Bubba Pizza decided to take the food to them. Damian said: 'I was just like, 'what are we gonna (sic) do?' Like these guys gone through a huge amount of effort for us and we've gotta try and do something for them. 'So I thought I'd send the missus.' An Esky full of vacuum-sealed, half-cooked ham and orange pizzas, kept cool by ice packs, boarded a Jetstar flight from Melbourne to be personally delivered to the friends by pizza 'delivery flyer' Lucy Saarelaht. Lucy escorted the ingredients to a local pizzeria to whip up five of the creations before taking it to the friends to try in a Brisbane park on Wednesday afternoon. When asked if interstate delivery was going to become a regular offering, Damian joked they could now serve the entire planet. 'I was thinking technically that thing would last in an Esky or maybe some sort of fridge for probably three or four day,' he said. 'That means our delivery territory now is worldwide. 'If someone wants us to deliver it to New York, I would absolutely get on plane and take it over.' His next masterpiece is in line with the chain's 25th anniversary in the form of a 2000s themed pizza. Damian added he would love to create the next big thing that would 'slip in' alongside the classics. Jaz said the pizza was 'amazing' and that the group was appreciative for Bubba Pizza's efforts. 'It was really good to try and close out the adventure,' he said. 'You gotta try everything once right?' Jaz said he would visit Melbourne again, but this time actually eat the pizza in-store. 'It all started with a Facebook ad and it's a great story,' he added. 'You'll get a weird look when you tell the story but it's kind of awesome.'
