Ange Postecoglou’s exit from Tottenham Hotspur has been a major talking point.
The Celtic hero was very successful in Glasgow before leaving and joining the London club during the summer of 2023.
The 59-year-old finished fifth in his debut campaign, despite losing star man Harry Kane, and then Tottenham won the Europa League last season.
Despite that success, Daniel Levy sacked Postecoglou, as Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League overall, and it has caused a huge debate.
Martin O’Neill has been in the same shoes as Postecoglou, in regard to being in the Celtic Park dugout, as well as testing himself in the English Premier League, and he wasn’t too fond of what Simon Jordan has been saying.
Martin O’Neill and Simon Jordan clash over Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou’s sacking
Levy is the man making the calls at the top of Spurs house, and in recent years, he has sacked trophy-laden coaches Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
O’Neill wanted to make the point that ‘the game is about winning’, but Jordan wanted to highlight Ange’s Premier League form rather than what he won, as they told talkSPORT.
Added to that, the former Crystal Palace owner played down the Europa League success and who Spurs had to face during the knockout stages.
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Remember, this is a man who is good friends with Levy, so it’s no wonder he is defending him so much and becoming a Levy apologist.
The man has sacked more trophy-winning coaches (Ange, Conte and Mourinho) to name a few, than Spurs have won trophies (2) since he sat in the boardroom at the start of the century.
“But here, in terms of Daniel Levy speaking about this,” said O’Neill. “This idea about winning. You have to win. The game is about winning. It’s about winning.
As an owner of a football club, what do you want to do? I expect that losing 22 league games is unacceptable absolutely.
“But you have won a trophy that gets you into the Champions League in your second year, so what you are really saying is, you are setting down the lines, the only thing that counts really is the Premier League. It’s the only thing that counts.”
Jordan: “No. You are being a bit binary, and you are beyond that. When somebody shows you themselves believe it. The reality of it is, if you are two years into your job, you have got a Europa competition which you want to win, and it gets a monkey off your back.
“You look forward, like we do know with Rory McIlroy (after winning the Masters). Forget what he has done, look at what he is going to do next. What am I going to do next with Ange? Can this guy continue to evolve this football club? If I have more questions than I have answers, then the answer has to be likely not.”
O’Neill: “Okay, so it’s not about winning.”
Jordan: “Of course it’s about winning. It’s about what you do next after you have won. It’s about winning consistently.”
O’Neill: “Well, let’s see. Let’s go and try and build on this. Now you have done something.”
Jordan: “You got me the win in a competition that had all the advantages. Look at who I played. Look at who the opportunities I had.”
O’Neill: “I don’t think you can look at it like that. When you set off in a competition. You don’t turn around and say, ‘well, I get myself into’. No, sorry. It’s the most important thing. You win the competition.”
Postecoglou’s lucky escape
The Celtic legend should see this as a blessing in disguise, and he should now move to a club that appreciates him more.
With Brendan Rodgers’ contract running down in 2026, the Greek-born Australian is always welcome back at Celtic Park.
But you just know that Postecoglou will continue to win trophies, wherever he goes next, you can’t say the same about Spurs.