Sport
Whether Ange Postecoglou deserved to be sacked by Spurs or not, Daniel Levy mustn’t have expected such backlash. The media were always likely to be critical because his Europa League victory flipped the narrative on the strangest of seasons in an instant. But the decision has clearly rocked the playing squad.
Defender Micky Van De Ven told Dutch media that sacking Postecoglou was “strange” and the outpouring of emotion on social media showed the Australian hadn’t “lost the dressing room”. But the writing had been on the wall for so long that the outcome of the final was not likely to make a difference to his future, rightly or wrongly. His team lost 22 league games, more than any other team without getting relegated, and finished 17th, an unthinkable position back in the summer. Throughout his career at Spurs, Postecoglou was too stubborn with his tactical approach. He left them so open defensively, even famously in a heavy defeat to Chelsea in his debut season. Despite going down to nine men, Spurs kept pressing with a high line and lost 5-1.
After the game, Postecoglou’s comments became a meme. He justified it simply by saying “it’s just who we are, mate.”
It was that devotion to his principles in the face of an injury crisis which contributed hugely to their nightmare league campaign. Yet, he also went viral for claiming he always wins trophies in his second season. Now, he gets to walk off into the sunset having proven himself right. Ironically, to win it against Manchester United, he went safety first at just the right time; adaptability was his friend in the end.
But now he’s gone, Tottenham are moving quickly and adaptability is again central to their aims. Brentford boss Thomas Frank is set to be announced as Postecoglou’s replacement and in many ways he couldn’t be more of a contrast to his soon-to-be predecessor. Where Postecoglou wants to impose his ideals on the players he works with, Frank finds a way to play that suits them.
Brentford have pressed high, played with pace on the counter attack, dominated possession and sat deep and suffocated opposition since gaining promotion to the Premier League. His team has changed, losing key players over the years like Ivan Toney; their recruitment is data driven and Frank is central to it, and that means the team evolves no matter what happens to individuals. But after losing Toney, with Bryan Mbeumo and potentially Yoane Wissa, their top scorers last season, nothing will compare to having to react to Frank’s exit.
The best way to sum his work at the Gtech Community Stadium is to compare him to Sir Alex Ferguson. Not in terms of success, but in terms of regeneration. Frank has built Brentford in his image; if Tottenham can create something half as strong under his stewardship, it will be a positive marker for the club.
In many ways, Frank feels like a good fit for Tottenham. He doesn’t have the track record for a certain style of football in the way Mauricio Pochettino did, but he radiates the same calm, assured demeanour and will crate a similar connection with fans. Since Pochettino left in 2019, after going close in the Premier League and reaching a Champions League final, Spurs decided to hire proven winners in Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, big names who saw the club as beneath them. Once Postecoglou came in and wanted to be there, the club got some soul back. Frank can build on his foundations with a more controlled approach.
Success depends on one man: Levy. Frank deserves a chance to work at a bigger club with bigger budgets and bigger expectation. Yet he needs the same support he received at Brentford. Pochettino was often left frustrated by the lack of transfers; Frank must be given the time and freedom to shape Spurs.
If he gets that, it could be a huge opportunity for rebirth. If not, it’ll be another failure. Few tick as many boxes as Frank, but he must be allowed to show why.
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- Source: https://www.colossusbets.com/blog/spurs-make-the-switch-to-frank/
