Sportblog | The Guardian — Ange Postecoglou RSS



Celtic have problems of their own making as they seek Postecoglou’s successor | Ewan Murray

A return for Brendan Rodgers has been rumoured but a lower-profile manager like Enzo Maresca may make more senseCeltic’s supporters must know not to fall for managers. Ange Postecoglou’s exit for Tottenham maintained a theme which dictates those fans will surely be careful not to be seduced by the Australian’s successor. These marriages are only ever of convenience.Neil Lennon, Postecoglou’s immediate predecessor, is an iconic Celtic figure who was subjected to vile abuse before time was called on his second tenure. What Lennon should have had stored in the bank of goodwill counted for nothing. Brendan Rodgers was revered in the east end of Glasgow before he, like Postecoglou, was coaxed by the bright lights of the Premier League. That...

Continue reading



Postecoglou has no time for ‘Spursiness’ – this may be his one Premier League shot | Jonathan Wilson

A history of ruthlessness will put the former Celtic manager in good stead as he faces up to player power at TottenhamOne night in May 2009, Frank Farina, the coach of Brisbane Roar, sat down to play board games with his family. He worked his way through a bottle of chardonnay and then had a couple of glasses of red. When he got in his car the next morning, he was still over the limit. As a consequence, 14 years later Ange Postecoglou was appointed manager of Tottenham.It was Farina’s second drink-driving offence in under three years. The Roar sacked him and, in their scramble for a replacement, turned to Postecoglou. Continue reading...

Continue reading



Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham: Australia revels in rise of its first Premier League manager | Joey Lynch

An impending appointment at Spurs has been met with near universal acclaim in his home country, although the coach is not without faultsAnge Postecoglou will finally get an opportunity to exact revenge on Manchester United. Just over 23 years after Quinton Fortune’s brace condemned his South Melbourne team to a 2-0 defeat in the 2000 Fifa Club World Championship at the Maracanã, the Australian is set to become a Premier League manager, with Tottenham expected to offer a two-year contract with an option for a further season.Reaction to Postecoglou’s impending appointment in north London has been mixed among Tottenham fans, even if it has become somewhat more favourable as the doubters learn more beyond the information on his Wikipedia page....

Continue reading



First Wenger, now Postecoglou? How the Australian is breaking the managerial mould | John Duerden

With his name in the mix for a Premier League job Ange Postecoglou is helping change attitudes to coaches with backgrounds outside EuropeCeltic manager Ange Postecoglou has been mentioned of late as a “surprise candidate” for the vacant Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur jobs. The surprise should be that such links have not materialised sooner, but it is hard to battle the assumption that the best coaches are European or South American. Arsène Wenger came from Japan to take over Arsenal and had a huge influence on English football. Postecoglou, who unlike the Frenchman won the Japanese title, could also be a game changer internationally if he heads to the Premier League and succeeds.There is no reason why he would not,...

Continue reading



Celtic banking on new hero Kyogo Furuhashi to bring Rangers to heel | Ewan Murray

First Old Firm derby of the season gives Ange Postecoglou the chance to test his side’s Japanese-inspired progress Every revolution has its icon. What helps Ange Postecoglou is that the pin-up boy during Celtic’s steep rise was plucked from the Japanese market which is fundamentally understood by their manager. All the data analysts and scouting algorithms in the world are irrelevant when a manager knows the specifics of a player who should fit his regime.Postecoglou has been at the helm as Celtic have gathered that crucial football commodity: momentum. But Kyogo Furuhashi’s seven goals in as many starts means supporters have a new cult hero. Celtic have become exciting again, with Kyogo at the epicentre of this relentlessly attacking –...

Continue reading