Tottenham’s Europa League run may offer a glimmer of hope, but Ange Postecoglou’s post-match comments following the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace have raised a major red flag.
The Australian was brought in to lead a new era in North London, one defined by attractive, attacking football and a sense of direction Spurs fans had been craving.
He made a promising start, and for the first time since the Mauricio Pochettino era, supporters felt genuine belief that they finally had the right man to take the club forward.
But his second season has unravelled. With Tottenham sitting 17th in the Premier League on just 38 points, Sunday’s loss was damaging enough. Yet it was Postecoglou’s reaction afterwards that was even more alarming.
His comments suggested he may not possess the mentality required to manage a club with Spurs’ expectations.
After Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, Postecoglou seemed to suggest in his post-match comments that their woeful form in the Premier League is a result of trying to navigate a successful European campaign.
When asked about the stark contrast in their Europa League campaign and the league where they just suffered their 20th defeat, Ange snapped: “Yeah, look and I get it and people are banging the drum about this record with defeats, but if people don’t see there is a correlation between the two, I am not going to sit here and, it’s not exactly Pythagoras’ theorem.
“It’s quite simple to understand we would have had much better results if we didn’t have to navigate this. So, either you understand or you don’t and beat us over the head, I get it.”
It may sound like a manager simply managing priorities but deeper, it’s a concerning insight into Postecoglou’s mindset.
He seemed to suggest that the club’s poor domestic form has been a by-product of their European run, a view that simply doesn’t align with what a club of Spurs’ stature should accept.
This isn’t a club fighting for mid-table respectability or punching above their weight in Europe. This is a team that should be expected to compete on all fronts – and not at the expense of their Premier League.
To suggest that a successful European campaign justifies an awful Premier League campaign is not just weak but unacceptable. Top managers don’t make excuses. They find solutions.
Every top club expects to fight for every available silverware. It is part of the game. His comments suggest that he may not have the mentality to navigate one without compromising on the other.
Is Europa League success enough to save Ange Postecoglou’s job
There’s no denying the excitement around Tottenham’s Europa League campaign. They were solid in the group stage, winning five of their eight matches, and suffered just one defeat in the knockout stages en route to the final.
Spurs also created an incredible European home record on the way, something that no other English side managed this season.
Now they face Manchester United in Bilbao, in a match that could salvage their season. Victory would end their 17-year trophy drought and book a place in next season’s Champions League.
But even if Spurs do lift the trophy, it cannot hide the failures of Postecoglou’s second season.
Ange’s side has now recorded more defeats in a single Premier League campaign than any other manager in the club’s history.
Europa League success would be a moment to celebrate. But Tottenham can’t afford to let a single night in May conceal months of poor performances and disappointing public comments that show a disconnect from what the club expects.
Adding to the unease is the number of times Postecoglou has clashed with Spurs fans this season following defeats – further evidence of a growing disconnect between the manager and the supporters.
Some may argue that winning a major trophy should be enough to keep him in the job, especially when elite names like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte failed to do the same.
And that perhaps would have been a fair claim had he not made those worrying comments.
