Ange Postecoglou heading for first trophy despite Tottenham Hotspur’s ups and downs

Of course, Postecoglou has contributed to the maelstrom of madness that seems to always be swirling around the Spurs community. A few weeks ago, after Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal, a Sky Sports reporter mentioned something he had said during pre-season: that he “usually” wins trophies in his second full season at a club, from South Melbourne through to Celtic.

In response, Postecoglou poured gasoline on the fire.

“I correct myself,” he said. “I don’t usually win things, me always win things in my sophomore year. Nothing has changed. I have said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

That statement became the yardstick by which Postecoglou would be measured, and also the stick with which he would be beaten whenever his team fell short. This was at the height of the early-season excitement surrounding Spurs, who, according to the prevailing opinion in Premier League pundits, “needed” a good start due to how they finished the last campaign. But they won just one of their first four games to start the 2024-25 season and, after failing again in the north London derby, you didn’t have to venture too far into the dark corners of the internet to find supporters, that really calls for his head. .

Well, they have won eight of their 10 games since. Not that you know. And while they are a long way from where Postecoglou wants to take them, they are on track to do what he said they would: win something.

The Premier League will almost certainly be too tough an ask, with Spurs already 10 points off the pace, but they have a very real chance of adding what would be just Tottenham’s second trophy of the century to the club’s collection.

First the Carabao Cup. Beating any team coached by Guardiola is no small feat, and Postecoglou has now done it for the first time in four attempts (or five if you include the friendly city that played Yokohama F. Marinos in 2018). Sure, Man City have been hit by injury and rested Erling Haaland, but they still started Phil Foden, Ilkay Gundogan, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake, and brought Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva off the bench. There is no such thing as a weak city and this was their first defeat in all competitions this season. In addition, the team from Spurs was on average two years younger.

Loading

And yes, City dominated possession and as a consequence Spurs defended much deeper than they would have liked. But they still stuck to Angeball’s core principles: try to keep the ball as much as possible, press the opponent relentlessly when it is lost, and when it is won back, play forward as quickly and directly as possible. On another day, with a better finish, they could have gone two, three or even more goals away from City instead of having to defend to the death to get them away.

It was a good way to bounce back from a horrendous 1-0 defeat to previously winless Crystal Palace at the weekend, and a timely reminder that while Postecoglou will never stray from his principles, he does tweak and tinker within it, on despite the perception of him as an ultra-dogmatist who never changes anything. Importantly, it leaves them just three wins away from lifting the Carabao Cup. Next up is a home quarter-final against Manchester United in December, and despite their sacking of Erik ten Hag as coach and the pending appointment of Ruben Amorim, that fixture should hold no fears.

Second, there is the Europa League. Spurs are one of only three teams left with a perfect record and if they finish in the top eight in the new 36-team “Swiss System” format, they will go straight through to the last 16. Third-placed teams from the UEFA Champions League also no longer drop down to the Europa League, and on paper you’d say Tottenham are one of the biggest clubs back in it, with one of the strongest squads, and should see even as among the favorites.

Loading

There is also the FA Cup, which has not yet started for the Premier League teams.

But it’s not about silverware for Postecoglou, even though he has promised it will be. As he said this week, he did not save ten Hag from the ax to win two trophies.

Tottenham are clearly a work in progress. There are flashes of absolute magic in the way they play that say the wait will be worth it – and then frustrating lapses that suggest otherwise. But games are increasingly being played on their terms.

Postecoglou’s history suggests consistency will come eventually and when it does they will be a formidable team. Evidence is slowly mounting that he might have an idea about football, despite being Australian.

His biggest challenge in England was never going to be on the pitch. He’s got it covered. The biggest challenge was always going to be political: getting enough time to see this project through to completion, assuage the shaky impulses of Tottenham’s long-suffering supporters and ensure their impatience does not seep into the boardroom. It’s about staying true to form in one of the most fickle environments in world sport. That’s what makes this such an exciting story to watch unfold.

So far, so good.