Australian star Alana King says the redeveloped WACA Ground is ‘perfect venue' for women's internationals
Australian star Alana King says the redeveloped WACA Ground is 'perfect venue' for women's internationals
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Perth Now
25 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Tottenham face backlash over Postecoglou sacking
Ange Postecoglou's sacking by Tottenham has sparked shock and outrage as the soccer world digested the news that a man who had ended his club's long search for silverware had been shown the door a fortnight later. England manager Thomas Tuchel, himself sacked by Chelsea a year after winning the Champions League in 2021, said: "It just shows you that it is not only about titles, you can survive seasons without titles if your connection, the support and the belief and the trust between the coach and the club is strong then you can overcome seasons without titles. "If there is slight disbelief, if there are concerns, if the trust is not there anymore, obviously then it is sometimes not even enough to win a trophy after so many years." Tuchel also paid tribute to Postecoglou: "I have biggest respect for him. He's a huge character, he brought a trophy, he said he will deliver in the second year and he did," he said. "But this is part of the job, we are responsible for the results and we are responsible for the development of the team so, whether we like it or not, sometimes it is us who has to take the full responsibility." There was an emotional response from one of Postecoglou's players, full-back Pedro Porro taking to Instagram to say: "Thank you for everything, boss. For mentoring me early on, helping me settle into the club, and trusting me out on the pitch. "I'll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows. Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club's history and for that, you'll always be celebrated. Wishing you all the very best, boss." Soccer pundits came out backing the Australian coach, and laying into Tottenham's decision. Alan Shearer, the former England and Newcastle striker, posted on X: "What a stupid game football is!!!!" Another former England forward, Chris Sutton, said: "To get someone in who wins them silverware, then straightaway get rid of him, that sums up modern football, doesn't it? It's absolute bonkers." Tottenham supporters went online in their droves, mainly to vent their fury at the club' decision. One posted to Sky Sports: "That night in Bilbao earned Ange the right to continue it next season. Gutted." Tottenham fan Alfie Watts, who won BBC's Race Across the World in 2024, said he was "fuming" over the sacking "I'm fuming. I can't really get my head around it. I think it's a baffling decision," Watts told BBC Radio. Also on BBC Radio, Spurs fan Jack Teasdale from Macclesfield, said: " It just doesn't make sense to me. We wait 17 years for a trophy, we finally win a trophy in Bilbao and then we sack him and we're back to square one again. It's a shambles to be honest." And from across the North London divide, an Arsenal supporter told the BBC: "Spurs have achieved a trophy win and Champions League qualification. One more than us! Yet they lose their manager. Deserved longer in the role."
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Young Nipper makes history for North Cott SLSC
A 13-year-old champion surf lifesaver from North Cottesloe is making waves across the country after taking home multiple medals from this year's Australian championships — something his coach said is 'unheard of'. Edward Wallis made a big splash at his first 'Aussies' in Queensland earlier this year, where he claimed two individual silver medals in sprints and flags events, was part of North Cott's triumphant U13 beach relay team and landed a bronze as part of his club's U13 mixed beach relay team. He backed up all that success on the Queensland sand by being named Nipper of the Year at Surf Life Saving WA's annual awards last month. Your local paper, whenever you want it. His coach for the past four summers, Renee Gibbs, said Edward's national achievements in his final year as a nippers competitor were a huge moment for the club. 'The Aussies are a lot more competitive than the State comp ... there's something like 5000 competitors in the Australian titles every year over in Queensland,' Mrs Gibbs said. Edward Wallis made a big splash at his first 'Aussies' in Queensland earlier this year. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper / Perth Now 'Edward got four medals at Aussies, which is unheard of really. It's an unbelievable result. 'And the team also won gold in the rally, which was one of the very first gold we've had, so it was a really amazing moment.' Edward praised his teammates for their success in the challenging conditions that Queensland threw up, which included event delays. 'It was in pretty difficult weather conditions and there were a lot of strong competitors from other States,' Edward said. 'WA has some strong runners and our North Cott relay team got gold, which was really fun to race in.' Edward is just five years into surf lifesaving, having first joined the North Cott SLSC after his parents thought it would be a good idea to build some water sense. I love competing. I do get nervous, but it is heaps of fun racing so I always look forward to the carnivals 'Nippers is such a great way for them to gain more experience in the water and have fun at the same time,' Edwards' father Jayden Wallis said. 'It's been an enjoyable outlet for Ed and he is keen to keep pursuing the sport into the senior ranks.' Next summer Edward moves up from Nippers to the cadet program at North Cottesloe, where he will look to attain his surf rescue certificate and compete in more carnivals. 'I love competing. I do get nervous, but it is heaps of fun racing so I always look forward to the carnivals,' he said. 'I'm really looking forward to being able to do patrols, train and compete again next year.' Mrs Gibbs and her husband have coached North Cottesloe nippers for several years to help youngsters with their beach safety and to foster WA's surf life saving community. 'Joining a surf club is all about being part of a team ... it's really nurturing, really supportive and just a fun kind of environment,' she said. 'And that's something Edward really understands ... I think he loves that it's not all about him, you know, it's actually about the club and the team.'
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
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.
