Sacking Ange was a huge mistake. Spurs are now in a mess of their own making |
Forget the line about always winning trophies in his second season.
There’s another quote from Ange Postecoglou that should be resonating more strongly with Tottenham Hotspur fans: “At some point in time I’ll get replaced by John the Pragmatist and you can all be happy and revel in it.”
A typically snappy Postecoglou said this during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, the tournament that crystallised in his mind his decision to quit as Socceroos coach later in the year. It was a warning for those who felt uncomfortable about his attacking philosophy, and who were beginning to wonder whether the grass was greener on the other side. It wasn’t.
For Australia, “John the Pragmatist” was Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch coach parachuted in to take over from Postecoglou for the 2018 World Cup. Having refused to take a backward step under their old boss, van Marwijk set the Socceroos up to not get smashed.
The result? Australia’s least-memorable World Cup campaign.
Spurs are now experiencing the same sense of regret. For them, John the Pragmatist is Thomas Frank, the Danish coach who was identified as the sensible, middle-ground alternative to the wild and risky ways of Angeball. With just a bit more tactical maturity, and some “proper coaching”, the team that malfunctioned under Postecoglou would become consistently competitive, not just in flashes. That was the entire premise of Frank’s appointment.
Ange........