Following their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur lost all hope of Champions League football next season as Aston Villa are now guaranteed fourth place. However, as the defeat means that City are now hot favourites to beat Arsenal in the title race, it was subsequently apparent that many Spurs fans weren't overly bothered about last night's result and were, in fact, actively celebrating it. To some it's understandable, to other's it's embarrassing, but one thing's for sure, the manager ain't happy...
Since joining Spurs from Celtic during the summer, Ange Postecoglou has been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League. With his down-to-earth, tell it like it is, blokey Aussie wit, he has always come across as an extremely genuine, upbeat manager of integrity who is living his dream as a football coach. To add to this, he possesses a clear vision of how he wants his teams to play and has had the Midas touch of success in all of his previous managerial endeavours.
It is for this reason that perhaps we have seen a different side to Postecoglou during and after the City game, where the Aussie looked far from upbeat and easy-going, but incensed and rattled. Ange was seen on video arguing with a fan who was reportedly telling him to "throw" the game and celebrating when City scored. He then said in his post-match press conference that the club's "foundations are fairly fragile" and implied that the fundamental dynamics of the club need to change, "inside, outside, everywhere", suggesting it wasn't only the fans he wasn't happy with, but perhaps the club's hierarchy.
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With no major trophies in 16 years, it's fair to say that Spurs' footballing philosophy has been questioned in the past. Antonio Conte said that Tottenham were "a big club in name, small club in mentality" after they sacked him whilst sitting in fourth place in the table. Before this, Daniel Levy famously sacked Jose Mourinho just a week prior to the 2021 League Cup Final, which they lost.
Last night's scenes proved that the losing mentality Spurs have possessed for over a decade has now seeped into the stands and it's no surprise that a man of Ange's sporting integrity feels betrayed by his club. With Villa drawing against Liverpool on Monday night, this match should've been seen as a lifeline for Spurs but instead, it appears that sections of the support would rather watch their rivals fail, than their own team flourish. As a serial winner himself, you can only imagine the disappointment and anger Postecoglou must've felt, to see his own supporters celebrate the final nail being put in the coffin of their Champions League dream.
As we approach the end of this year's Premier League campaign, there will be plenty of vacant managerial positions up for grabs in the summer. Is Ange Postecoglou really suited to a club that lacks ambition? Or will he now be looking to ply his trade elsewhere? After the way events unfolded last night, I would suspect the latter...
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