Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is walking a tightrope at Spurs right now, following what could end up being the club’s worst ever Premier League season, with the 59-year-old heavily relying on their Europa League campaign to sway critics who want him gone.
Ange Postecoglou's future in "serious doubt" at Tottenham
The former Celtic boss started his tenure in excellent fashion, making the best-ever start by a new manager in Premier League history at the beginning of last season, but fortunes have dramatically changed for Postecoglou since then.
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A combination of injuries to key players and poor performances overall have left Spurs 14th in the table with 16 league defeats, which is unacceptable for a big six side, and this has resulted in calls for Postecoglou to be shown his P45.
The tactician has also done himself no favours thanks to some confrontations with supporters this term, most recently when he was pictured cupping his ear to Spurs supporters over Pape Sarr’s disallowed goal during their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea last week, which he later claimed was actually just a normal celebration.
Wolves (away)
April 13th
Nottingham Forest (home)
April 21st
Liverpool (away)
April 27th
West Ham (away)
May 3rd
Crystal Palace (home)
May 10th
Postecoglou also came to blows with a fan at Craven Cottage before that, following Tottenham’s 2-0 loss to Fulham, which could be a result of the immense pressure on his shoulders amid a very disappointing campaign.
“The pressure has been building up on him for sure,” said former Brentford manager Martin Allen on the incident to Tottenham News.
“His reaction to someone shouting at him from the stands will be disappointing to himself. I’m also disappointed in his staff for not taking him into the dressing room and away from the public’s opinion. His staff should have got him out of there so he wasn’t in that situation.”
Reliable media sources claim that Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham is in “serious doubt”, while Fabrizio Romano believes it is Europa League or bust to save his job, as the Lilywhites prepare for an all-important quarter-final clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.
Ange Postecoglou tenure "irreparable" with Tottenham in manager talks
However, former Premier League CEO Keith Wyness is under the impression that Postecoglou’s tenure at Tottenham is “irreparable” – explaining to Football Insider that the club will “already” be in new manager talks.
“Postecoglou seems to have lost the plot. Lovable old Aussie Ange has become Grumpy Ange,” said Wyness.
“The relationship has broken down with the fans and it now seems irreparable. He knows it, everyone knows that Spurs will be moving for a new manager. I’m sure there are talks already going on behind the scenes.
“We’ve discussed previously about [Andoni] Iraola or [Marco] Silva at Bournemouth or Fulham. Both of those sides still have something to play for, so there won’t be any moves immediately.
“That move will give the club a chance to catch their breath and mend the relationship with the fans.”
According to reports, Bournemouth’s Iraola is Tottenham’s top target to replace Postecoglou if they go in that direction, while Fulham’s Silva is also believed to be on Spurs’ managerial shortlist.
Both tacticians have performed impressively, but following Antonio Conte, Nuno Espírito Santo and José Mourinho’s failed tenures at Spurs before Postecoglou’s arrival, something may also have to change nearer boardroom level for the club to end their long wait for silverware.