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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Spurs pluck defeat from the jaws of victory by sacking Ange Postecoglou, writes OLIVER HOLT, all the joy from a magic night in Bilbao is now lost
So we will never know now if Ange Postecoglou was right about his theory that his third season at Tottenham Hotspur, like the third season of a great television series, would have been better than his second. We will never know if Big Ange had a later-series masterpiece in him like Ozymandias in Breaking Bad. Instead, it turns out that an episode called 'Bilbao' was Postecoglou's magnum opus. Because on Friday afternoon, Season 3 was cancelled. Just for the shortest time, Postecoglou was the king of kings in a corner of north London, leading Spurs to their first trophy for 17 years when they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final that night in late May in the Basque Country. What a night that was, a night when it felt as if Spurs had finally shed their cursed identity as a team of nearly men, a team that always found a way to ruin things, a team expert in self-sabotage and under-achievement. It was a personal triumph for Postecoglou, too. As Spurs' Premier League season lurched from one low to another — they lost 22 of their 38 games — he was lampooned as a big Aussie out of his depth in a big league but victory in Spain bracketed him with Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw as the only Spurs bosses to have won a European trophy. To be there that evening in the San Mames was to share in the wondrous and joyous disbelief of a long-suffering fan base that had finally silenced all those jokes about what 'Spursy' meant and had walked through a door into another land. 'The only thing that was going to change this football club,' Postecoglou said that night after the match, 'was us winning something.' And in that moment, it felt as if maybe he might have been reprieved after a terrible season when Spurs had finished 17th in the league. But 16 days have elapsed since then. Days of silence and doubt and rumour and counter-rumour before the statement on Friday from Daniel Levy and theSpurs board that shattered Postecoglou's hopes of being able to build on what he achieved in Bilbao. 'Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments,' the statement announcing Postecoglou's departure read, 'we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. '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. 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.' Talk of the succession, of course, is already rife. Thomas Frank, who has done such a consistently brilliant job at Brentford and is one of the best man-managers in the game, is the favourite to take over. Andoni Iraola, the Bournemouth boss, has been mentioned. Others favour a return for former manager Mauricio Pochettino, now the coach of the USA men's national team. It was a logical, cogent statement that took all the emotionof Bilbao out of the equation and in some ways it is easy to sympathise with the decision. After all, when Manchester United abandoned their plan to fire Erik ten Hag after he had led the club to an FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, it backfired on them spectacularly and they were lambasted for the naivety of their decision. This feels different, though. For one thing, United are a team used to winning things. Even in the context of the hard times they have fallen upon since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the FA Cup is a relative trifle compared to the bigger prizes they once chased. But for Spurs, winning the Europa League in Bilbao felt like a game-changer. I have rarely felt energy like that in a stadium before, the energy of redemption, the energy of renewal and the energy of hope. It should have been the start of something, not the end of something. Now that Postecoglou has been fired, it feels as if all that momentum and all that magic has been lost. Suddenly, the club have invited ridicule upon themselves again: they hired a manager who won them their first European trophy for 41 years and then they sacked him. It feels, I hate to say it, a little Spursy. It feels, again, like plucking a defeat from the jaws of victory. Because Postecoglou had done the hard part. Victory in Bilbao proved that he was not the impostor some had painted him as. Had Spurs kept faith with him, winning the Europa League would have given Postecoglou added authority next season, not to mention added funds. United are hardly a model that one should aspire to but they did, at least, keep faith with Ruben Amorim after a league season almost as dire as Tottenham's. They believe in his plan and they are sticking with him. Spurs should have done the same with Big Ange. Postecoglou had a plan, too. In the early months of his tenure, his team played football that was breathtaking to watch. That was derailed by injuries and it was not until last season's European adventure that Postecoglou proved he could adapt and play more pragmatically. But he did prove that. He won a trophy to prove it. And next season he would have felt the benefits of all the hardships his side endured last season. He would have reaped the rewards of the experience he gave fine young players such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. He had a system, a plan. He should have been given a dividend from Spurs' participation in the Champions League to develop his ideas. Instead, however good the manager is that Spurs appoint — and Frank, in particular, is a man who has earned a shot at managing in the Champions League — Spurs are heading back to that place they know so well called Square One with a new boss who has the unenviable task of trying to follow that success in Bilbao. What the future holds for Postecoglou, nobody yet knows. For now, like the statue of Ozymandias that Percy Shelley described, he lies like a 'colossal wreck' in the desert of his hopes of building on that one beautiful night in northern Spain. 17. Spurs finished 17th last season, their worst finish of the Premier League era and their worst in any top-flight season since 1976-77, when they were last relegated. 63. Only the three relegated teams and Wolves conceded more league goals last season than Spurs (63).
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Tottenham reveal why they sacked Ange Postecoglou in lengthy club statement
Tottenham Hotspur have issued a 368-word club statement in an attempt to justify the sacking of manager Ange Postecoglou. Spurs confirmed on Friday afternoon that Postecoglou would not be returning for a third campaign in charge following his post-season holiday. His dismissal was announced just 16 days after he oversaw a famous victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final. That win sealed a place in next season's Champions League. However, as mentioned in Friday's statement, Postecoglou also oversaw the club's worst ever Premier League season, which resulted in a 17th-place finish following 22 defeats. 'Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,' the statement began. 'Ange joined us from Celtic in the summer of 2023 and oversaw a period of change on the pitch, returning us to the attacking brand of football that has traditionally been associated with the Club, while writing a new chapter in our history by leading us to UEFA Europa League glory in Bilbao last month - an achievement that will live with us all forever. 'We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. 'However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. '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. 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. 'News on the appointment of a new Head Coach will be announced in due course.' Tottenham's statement explaining the sacking of Postecoglou was significantly longer than that granted to his predecessors. Spurs used just 111 words to in their official statement when Antonio Conte left the club, having published a 122-word message to signal the end of the Jose Mourinho era.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Postecoglou sacked - right or wrong decision?
Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur, less than a month after guiding Spurs to their first trophy for 17 Australian was at the helm for Tottenham's Europa League final win over Manchester United in Bilbao, which guaranteed Champions League qualification for next Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League and despite that European success he will not remain in charge for a third season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.A club statement said:, external "Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw."However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place."It added: "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."What do you think, Spurs fans? Right decision after a dismal league campaign? Or did he deserve to stay in charge after Europa League glory?Let us know your thoughts
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Man United forced into Europa League final kit change due to 64-year tradition
Manchester United have been forced to ditch their traditional kit for the Europa League final due to a long-held convention. The Red Devils clash with Tottenham in a sub-standard European showcase on Wednesday, with the two struggling Premier League outfits vying for silverware and an unlikely place in next season's Champions League. However, United will have a slightly different look to usual when they take to the San Mames, with a 64-year Spurs tradition dictating a change in strip. It has been confirmed that Ruben Amorim 's side will sport black shorts instead of their traditional white, alongside their iconic red shirts and black socks. This is due to the fact Spurs have worn all white in Europe since 1961 - and after being picked as the 'home' side for the game, their kit choice supersedes that of United. The tradition to don the white jersey was adopted by former manager Bill Nicholson, who strove to increase visibility for his players in stadiums that didn't have good lighting in place. Man United were previously required to alter their kit in Europe this season, sporting the same black shorts in their quarter-final first leg against Real Sociedad, in which they drew 1-1. They will hope to go one better in their slightly unfamiliar strip against Ange Postecoglou 's side as they look to salvage what has been a dismal 2024/25 season with continental hardware.
Evening Standard
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Why Tottenham have forced Manchester United into Europa League final kit change
Spurs' tradition of playing in all white dates back to when Bill Nicholson was in charge at White Hart Lane all those years ago, and the Spurs legend, capped just once for England in his playing career, had led the Lilywhites to their first European qualification in 1961, having completed the league and cup double.
