Postecoglou hoping to rock Europe amid troubled tenure
Ange Postecoglou has cited the 'Stonecutter's Credo' as he still harbours hope that Tottenham can rock Europe even though some of his tenure has gone "disastrously wrong".
Spurs travel to Anfield on Sunday with a point enough to clinch Liverpool the Premier League title, while defeat for the visitors would be a record-equalling 19th for the club in the division this season.
Poor domestic form has increased speculation over the future of Postecoglou, who has masterminded a run to the Europa League semifinals to give Tottenham a realistic shot at a first trophy since 2008.
The 59-year-old maintains the club can enjoy a "special season" if they can progress past Bodo/Glimt in the last four and triumph in a Bilbao final on May 21 after various near misses over the past decade, but knows only Europa League glory will shift the narrative around himself.
Postecoglou brought up the story of the 'Stonecutter's Credo' - first mentioned by Danish-American writer Jacob Riis more than a century ago - as an example of how you never know how far away the decisive blow to crack the rock is.
"I talk to the players a lot about the Stonecutter's creed," Postecoglou explained.
"Only the 101st blow cracks the rock, but no-one sees the other 100 blows. And they think it's the last one that does it. It's not.
"So, time will tell whether what I've tried to do over the last two years gets us to crack that stone. If not, maybe I haven't, but you won't know that and you won't know how much I've had an impact until we get to that place.
The Australian again highlighted his bemusement with the general media perception around Tottenham and expressed his desire to end a 17-year trophy drought lingering over the club.
"I don't think I feel like it's them (the media) against me. It's more about the club. I'm trying to change the perception of the club," he said.
"I think there is this narrative of trying to set this club up for some sort of fall, consistently and there is no allowance for any kind of building of foundations for something a bit different than before.
"Yes, I'm trying to do things very, very differently. It hasn't all worked out, for sure - some of it has gone disastrously wrong, I accept that.
"But I said from the start, we need to chart a different course if we are ever going to break the cycle that this club has been in.
"Bizarrely, we're still in that position where we can do that."
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News.com.au
26 minutes ago
- News.com.au
The insult Ange couldn't cop in ‘disaster' showdown with Fergie's Manchester United
Ange Postecoglou's South Melbourne Hellas side trained before Manchester United at the Maracana on the eve of playing one another in the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship of 2000. As superstars like David Beckham and Roy Keane arrived on the fabled pitch in Brazil, the South Melbourne players fawned, more like fans than opponents. Postecoglou was filthy. 'Ange said, 'Get the f*** out of here. Go inside'. He took it as an insult,' Elias Donoudis, there covering the tournament for Greek newspaper Neos Kosmos, said in the Postecoglou biography Angeball. South Melbourne's involvement in that tournament, and Ange's refusal to play the pitiable underdog, was a remarkable early chapter in the Postecoglou story. Having taken an unfancied team to one of football's great cathedrals to play the biggest club in the world, the Australian manager walked away knowing that anything was possible. 'I stared down the beast,' he told the ABC in 2015, the same year he led the Socceroos to Asian Cup glory. 'After that, I had nothing to fear.' South Melbourne's path to the tournament was rather more humble, coming via the 1999 OFC Club Championship in Fiji. The back-to-back NSL champions beat Malaita Eagles of the Solomon Islands (2-1) and Konica FC of American Samoa (10-0) in Group A, then breezed by AS Venus of Tahiti 3-0 in the semi-finals. Local hope Nadi was beaten 5-1 in the final, thanks to goals from Steve Iosifidis, David Clarkson, Michael Curcija, Vaughan Coveny and Steve Panopoulos. It was a tougher game than the scoreline indicated. 'Just to qualify for the tournament was surreal,' Hellas winger Goran Lozanovski said, per Football Nation Radio. 'We had to play this local Fijian side to qualify and it was the toughest game we had played in. The grass was thick and there were toads jumping on the ground. 'But we wanted that win badly because we knew what the end result would be.' Afterwards, the players sang Peter Allen's I go to Rio in their dressing room. Qualification for the Club World Championship meant the trip of a lifetime, plus a $4 million participation windfall for South Melbourne. And for Postecoglou, it was about respect after Hellas' championships were given limited recognition within Australian football, let alone the broader public. 'When are we going to get the recognition we deserve, because this team has been on top for two years,' he told reporters before attending the draw. 'I am flying to Brazil tomorrow because we are one of the eight teams in the world playing in this world club competition. This tournament is the most important thing in club football in this country for years, if ever, and these young men are setting new standards out there, but they don't get the recognition.' They were drawn in Group B against United, fresh from their iconic 1999 treble, plus a hometown Vasco da Gama side boasting Romario, and Mexican club Necaxa; the South American and North American continental champions respectively. Real Madrid (UEFA), Al-Nassr (AFC) and Raja Casablanca (CAF) were in Group A along with Corinthians, the host and reigning Brazilian champion. Far from the delirium of the Aussies, United were there under duress and had to forfeit their FA Cup defence in the name of currying favour (in vain) with FIFA. 'It turned out to be a disaster for us,' manager Sir Alex Ferguson told club magazine Inside United. 'We did it to help England's World Cup bid and that was the political situation. 'I regretted it because we got nothing but stick and terrible criticism for not being in the FA Cup when really, it wasn't our fault at all. 'The Football Association and the government felt that playing in this tournament would help England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup. 'There was a lot of undue criticism — but it was a great two-week break.' Nearly everyone of note in England gave their two pence, accusing United of 'disrespecting' or even 'killing' the FA Cup. 'If they don't play this year, they should never play again,' cricket great Ian Botham declared. Beckham also remembers the misgivings over United's participation. 'To be honest, it was something we talked about in the dressing room as much as everyone else did outside Old Trafford,' Beckham wrote in Inside United. 'We were looking forward to going to Brazil, looking forward to playing clubs from all over the world. But nobody was happy about missing out on the FA Cup. 'It didn't feel right not to defend the trophy. Perhaps we could have been given a bye through to the fourth round while we were away and joined when we came back, I don't know. That was for the FA and the club to sort out.' But an experience that was trifling to United's highly-paid stars was unforgettable for the South Melbourne boys. They travelled business class, took a large entourage of family and friends, dined with controversial FIFA president Sepp Blatter and stayed in a glitzy mountaintop hotel in Rio. 'We were like kings. We couldn't believe it,' striker John Anastasiadis said in Angeball. Postecoglou's side was decent but also outmatched. Their opening game against Vasco da Gama drew 66,000 people to the Maracana and they were in full voice as South Melbourne sat terrified in their dressing room, where the ceiling was visibly shaking. 'We're pretty much sh**ting ourselves,' Hellas defender Steve Iosifidis recalled in Angeball. Postecoglou played the Hunters and Collectors anthem Holy Grail to snap them out of it. In a manner that would later become world famous, he told them to be proud and enjoy the game. Still, the semi-pros of South Melbourne were facing Brazilian heroes who had graced their bedroom walls. 'We were ready to go to war,' Iosifidis said. 'As soon as we walked out there though, reality hit, mate. It was pretty funny. 'One of my best mates at the time was Steve Panopoulos, and I remember we were setting up for a corner. He goes to me, 'You mark Romario, I'll mark Edmundo'. I looked away and then I glanced back at him and said, 'You realise, we're from the suburbs? And all of a sudden we're marking these world-class players?' 'I had a poster of Romario on my bedroom wall. It was so surreal.' South Melbourne held firm for nearly an hour and Vasco da Gama's fans booed their side off at halftime. They eventually beat the Aussie underdogs 2-0. United, meanwhile had drawn 1-1 beforehand against Necaxa, with Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich between the posts. Bozza wasn't happy when Beckham was sent off for a high challenge on Jose Milian, claiming the opposition player had feigned injury to get the megastar dismissed. 'It was pathetic from the Mexican player,' Bosnich said. United were already on the back foot and their campaign went to hell with a 3-1 loss to Vasco da Gama, in which Romario scored a brace. Hellas, meanwhile, got a flash of glory in their match against Necaxa. Anastasiadis walked on to the Maracana with a simple pre-game message from Postecoglou: 'Go out and score today.' He did. 'When I scored, I pointed to him. It was an unbelievable moment, to see your name on the Maracana scoreboard,' Anastasiadis said in Angeball. It was a 3-1 loss for South Melbourne and with the top team of each group progressing to the final, both Hellas and United were out of contention before playing their last match. Ferguson was by then clutching for niceties. 'It's been fantastic here – what a chance for us to come out and get some sun,' he told the BBC. 'Back home we would have been freezing our toes off. Playing in the Maracana stadium – that's an experience that probably 90 per cent of the top players in the world don't get. 'It's been well organised, the Brazilian people have looked after us very well. On the playing side, we wish we had been better.' Criticism of the Red Devils' presence in Rio reached fever pitch back in England as the Hellas showdown approached. The Daily Mirror branded it 'the most meaningless football game in history … the result is irrelevant, as neither team can make the final of this absurd tournament anyway. Nobody will turn up to watch it, nobody will tune in to see it and nobody cares what happens.' Yet for Postecoglou, it was invaluable. He got to spend about 15 minutes with Ferguson. 'He was kind with his time when he didn't have to be, and there are plenty I've come across that aren't kind with their time,' Postecoglou told 'That leaves an impression on you as well, because you go, 'I don't want to be like that'. You realise that and think, I don't want anyone to think that about me. So the fact that he spent 10, 15 minutes talking to a young manager, I was 34 at the time, it was significant. 'We were walking to a press conference, and he said, 'You're never going to like this stuff, I hate it'. 'So I hung on his every word, but more important was the impression he made on me that if you can do that to a person, that person then leaves thinking or feeling like you've given them that time of day, and that has an unbelievable effect, because you're not just representing yourself. 'He's representing his football club at the time and all these other things. So yeah, those kinds of things leave a mark on you.' Ferguson wasn't so generous as to field a full-strength team, with his tournament effectively over. Jonathan Greening, Danny Higginbotham and Ronnie Wallwork were a few of the names on the team sheet for a fixture that United's yearbook later deemed to have 'an unmistakeable aura of anticlimax'. The game drew 25,000 fans, allegedly. Yet it was a big moment for Postecoglou and an early nod to his philosophy. He refused to be conservative and though Hellas fell to 2-0 via a Quinton Fortune brace inside 20 minutes, his side played attacking football throughout and created chances. Coveny and Curcija very nearly scored in the second half. Coveny lobbed United goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw, only for his shot to inexplicably hit both posts. Ferguson noticed. 'He said to me that we did very well,' Postecoglou said, per the Herald Sun. 'He also said, 'I bet you I get a question about Beckham, even though he was only on for 14 minutes'.' Having given a good account of themselves, South Melbourne's players marched to the United dressing room to swap jerseys. They weren't met entirely well by the big-money stars, until hard-nosed captain Roy Keane told them to pull their heads in. 'There was a bit of sarcasm from the United players when we came in,' Lozanovski said. 'Would you believe Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] and Andy Cole were giggling, going, 'Look at these amateurs'. 'But Roy Keane walks in and really put them in their place, telling them to be respectful. I have the utmost respect for Roy, he was a complete gentleman.' Panopoulos got Beckham's jersey. Becks and his United teammates were by then sick of their Brazilian holiday. The tournament ended with a scoreless draw between Vasco da Gama and Corinthians; Vasco da Gama won 4-3 on penalties to become the inaugural champion. 'I couldn't wait to get back to some mud, wind and rain, to get on with the rest of the season,' Beckham said. 'We might not have had the FA Cup to look forward to but while we'd been away, no other team had been able to catch up: the premiership was there to be won.' And it was. United defended their Premier League crown in a canter, despite being second at the turn of the new year, finishing 18 points ahead of Arsenal. South Melbourne, meanwhile, weren't able to go on to a hat-trick of NSL titles. Postecoglou remembers the season being a write-off around the excitement of the Brazil adventure. 'There was a fair bit of prize money at stake for a club like ours,' Postecoglou said earlier this year ahead of an FA Cup clash against Tamworth. 'Qualifying for that tournament probably destroyed our domestic season because from the moment we qualified our players just didn't want to risk getting injured and were just not interested in our league season. We had a disaster that season, they just didn't want to miss out on playing. 'We ended up losing 2-0 on the day [against Manchester United] but we gave a decent account of ourselves considering the difference. 'Some of my players, who were semi-pro but good footballers, probably played the games of their lives that day.' And Postecoglou tasted the big time. So began his remarkable ascent in the world game. It was incredible symmetry that his finest moment in club football came against United, 25 years later, when he led Tottenham Hotspur past the Red Devils in the Europa League final. Ferguson was there watching.
News.com.au
an hour ago
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The Advertiser
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Security tackled him at one point to hold him back from trying to get into the stands. Cousins, 34, was averaging 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing in the top pro basketball league in Puerto Rico for the second time. He also played in the league in 2023. He hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. Cousins was a four-time All-Star in 11 seasons, but his career was derailed by two major injuries. In January 2018, he sustained an achilles tendon injury while playing with the New Orleans Pelicans. After returning to play 30 games for the Golden State Warriors the following season, he tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the entire season. Cousins played for seven NBA teams, his longest tenure with the Sacramento Kings from 2010-17. He finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 2011 after being the fifth overall pick out of Kentucky. Overall, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 654 NBA games (561 starts). Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was suspended by a Puerto Rico basketball league and had his contract rescinded after igniting a brawl. The Baloncesto Superior Nacional League also fined Cousins $US4250 ($A6530), and he could be subject to another fine of $5570 ($A8560), according to the league. The incident occurred on Monday when Cousins was playing on the road for the Guaynabo Mets. "As an organisation, we strongly condemn any form of violence or provocation, whether on or off the field. Safety, respect and sportsmanship are non-negotiable values for this franchise," the Mets said in a news release. The situation began with Cousins exchanging words with a fan, before he grabbed his crotch while walking towards the courtside seats. Cousins then grabbed the fan's arm as things quickly escalated. Teammates tried to pull Cousins away and other fans began to hurl insults at the American. After being ejected, Cousins was doused by liquids as he left the floor. Security tackled him at one point to hold him back from trying to get into the stands. Cousins, 34, was averaging 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing in the top pro basketball league in Puerto Rico for the second time. He also played in the league in 2023. He hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. Cousins was a four-time All-Star in 11 seasons, but his career was derailed by two major injuries. In January 2018, he sustained an achilles tendon injury while playing with the New Orleans Pelicans. After returning to play 30 games for the Golden State Warriors the following season, he tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the entire season. Cousins played for seven NBA teams, his longest tenure with the Sacramento Kings from 2010-17. He finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 2011 after being the fifth overall pick out of Kentucky. Overall, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 654 NBA games (561 starts). Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was suspended by a Puerto Rico basketball league and had his contract rescinded after igniting a brawl. The Baloncesto Superior Nacional League also fined Cousins $US4250 ($A6530), and he could be subject to another fine of $5570 ($A8560), according to the league. The incident occurred on Monday when Cousins was playing on the road for the Guaynabo Mets. "As an organisation, we strongly condemn any form of violence or provocation, whether on or off the field. Safety, respect and sportsmanship are non-negotiable values for this franchise," the Mets said in a news release. The situation began with Cousins exchanging words with a fan, before he grabbed his crotch while walking towards the courtside seats. Cousins then grabbed the fan's arm as things quickly escalated. Teammates tried to pull Cousins away and other fans began to hurl insults at the American. After being ejected, Cousins was doused by liquids as he left the floor. Security tackled him at one point to hold him back from trying to get into the stands. Cousins, 34, was averaging 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing in the top pro basketball league in Puerto Rico for the second time. He also played in the league in 2023. He hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. Cousins was a four-time All-Star in 11 seasons, but his career was derailed by two major injuries. In January 2018, he sustained an achilles tendon injury while playing with the New Orleans Pelicans. After returning to play 30 games for the Golden State Warriors the following season, he tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the entire season. Cousins played for seven NBA teams, his longest tenure with the Sacramento Kings from 2010-17. He finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 2011 after being the fifth overall pick out of Kentucky. Overall, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 654 NBA games (561 starts). Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins was suspended by a Puerto Rico basketball league and had his contract rescinded after igniting a brawl. The Baloncesto Superior Nacional League also fined Cousins $US4250 ($A6530), and he could be subject to another fine of $5570 ($A8560), according to the league. The incident occurred on Monday when Cousins was playing on the road for the Guaynabo Mets. "As an organisation, we strongly condemn any form of violence or provocation, whether on or off the field. Safety, respect and sportsmanship are non-negotiable values for this franchise," the Mets said in a news release. The situation began with Cousins exchanging words with a fan, before he grabbed his crotch while walking towards the courtside seats. Cousins then grabbed the fan's arm as things quickly escalated. Teammates tried to pull Cousins away and other fans began to hurl insults at the American. After being ejected, Cousins was doused by liquids as he left the floor. Security tackled him at one point to hold him back from trying to get into the stands. Cousins, 34, was averaging 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing in the top pro basketball league in Puerto Rico for the second time. He also played in the league in 2023. He hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. Cousins was a four-time All-Star in 11 seasons, but his career was derailed by two major injuries. In January 2018, he sustained an achilles tendon injury while playing with the New Orleans Pelicans. After returning to play 30 games for the Golden State Warriors the following season, he tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the entire season. Cousins played for seven NBA teams, his longest tenure with the Sacramento Kings from 2010-17. He finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 2011 after being the fifth overall pick out of Kentucky. Overall, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 654 NBA games (561 starts).
