Simon Hill is the voice behind some of the most iconic moments in Australian football over the last two decades, and he has now produced a fascinating interview with the former ENIC man, Scott Munn.
Whatever fans may think of Munn, it is worth considering that no executive can overrule a business’s culture, and Munn was certainly working with his hands tied to some extent. Munn was a key figure in appointing manager Ange Postecoglou and oversaw organisational changes in football operations. In his first full season (2023-24), Tottenham improved from 8th to 5th in the Premier League. In the second season (2024-25), the club won the Europa League, their first trophy in over 15-20 years, and qualified for the Champions League.
Munn himself highlighted these as key metrics of success despite challenges, noting the club prioritised European success over a higher domestic finish.
“History shows it has been 17 managers in 20 years – for me, it’s about actions along with the results. If you are with a club, and you don’t win anything, then that’s a pretty important measure.
I remember a CFG board meeting, and (Manchester City) had finished second in the Premier League the year before. The Chairman – Khaldoon Al-Mubarak – started the meeting by saying that wasn’t acceptable!
That was instilled in everything we did in the club. I didn’t have that same feeling at Spurs. At that level, the margin for error is so small that culture and mentality can be the difference between three points on a Saturday.”
It is frankly chilling that winning was not the be-all and end-all at Tottenham, but hardly a surprise.
Munn’s legacy at Spurs is certainly mixed, but it is fascinating that he raises the comparison between the two sides.
The 2024-25 Premier League campaign was poor domestically, with ongoing and worsening injury problems under Postecoglou. Munn led a medical department review that resulted in changes (e.g., the exit of long-serving head of medicine Geoff Scott in 2024), but injuries persisted or worsened, drawing blame toward him and the processes he oversaw. Some reports described his tenure as underwhelming overall, with limited lasting impact beyond the Europa League win (shared credit with Postecoglou and others), and he “ruffled feathers” in restructuring efforts.