Ange Postecoglou has hit back at those who scoff at his credentials and question whether his success in Scotland can translate to the Premier League.
In Postecoglou, Spurs have hired a head coach who, in many respects, is the polar opposite of the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
While his predecessors at Tottenham came with impressive CVs, filled with success at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, the Australian is only embarking on his second job in the continent following his two-year spell in Glasgow.
The 56-year-old is also temperamentally quite different to Mourinho and Conte, while his footballing philosophy is also poles apart from the Italian and the Portuguese coaches.
While Postecoglou might be the man to deliver the kind of attacking football that Spurs fans crave, some have questioned if success in the Scottish Premiership shows one’s readiness for the Premier League, given the gulf in class between the two divisions (Telegraph).
Postecoglou responds to criticism about his CV
The new Spurs head coach has now pointed out that there is a lot of pressure that comes with the Celtic job, given that finishing second with the Bhoys is considered a failure.
Postecoglou said in his first press conference as Tottenham boss (via Football.London): “I’ve had people say that if you’re at Celtic you can only finish first or second, but second is last. I wouldn’t be in a job.
“With what people perceive as a step up you are working with bigger players and a bigger organisation. I’ve never seen it as a step up, only a new challenge for me.”
Spurs Web Opinion
One can argue that Postecoglou’s possession-basked, high-risk methods would arguably work even better at a higher level when he is working with players of a better technical standard.
However, there is no question that he will have a steep learning curve in the Premier League as he will be coming up against some of the best managers in world football.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.