If there is one person that deserves all the praise he is getting right now, then it is Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou. The Australian has come under a lot of scrutiny in recent months due the club’s poor domestic campaign. But it is fair to say that under his management, the Lilywhites have exceeded all expectations in Europe and overperformed.
Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday night. And with that, the 17-year long wait for a major trophy came to an end at N17. Big Ange also delivered on his promise of winning a trophy in his second season. Despite the disastrous Premier League campaign, Big Ange completed all the objectives set out for him this season.
The Lilywhites ended their long-standing trophy drought, as well as, ensured a place in next season’s Champions League. Qualifying for that competition will certainly help the club financially and it will also help the club in bringing in new signings in the summer. Now, it remains to be seen what Daniel Levy will decide to do regarding Ange Postecoglou’s future at the club.
It was reported earlier this month that Daniel Levy would sack Ange Postecoglou once the season ended, irrespective of the outcome in the Europa League. Well, Big Ange has managed to do the unthinkable and end the club’s trophy drought this season. So, Levy will now have to think long and hard before deciding whether to stick with the Australian or hire a new manager.
However, Gary Neville believes that Ange Postecoglou might not wait for Daniel Levy to decide and walk out of the club himself. Speaking on the It’s Called Soccer podcast, Neville said,
“From a Tottenham perspective, I don’t know. I think you’re right, I think they will more than likely try to keep him now because of what’s happened, but he’s had some horrific stick. The Tottenham fans have been harsh at times towards the players and him.”
The ex-Man United player added,
“Maybe he will think he’s had enough. I think it was a special moment for him. If they lost that, there’d be no doubt that they would sack him, wouldn’t they? Maybe he looks at that and thinks ‘I won’t wait for you; I’ll take control of my own destiny and take on a challenge somewhere else’.”
Gary Neville suggests that Tottenham would lean towards keeping Ange Postecoglou at the helm after the Australian led the club to European success. But the ex-Man United player also adds that Big Ange has received a lot of stick from the fans and the media and that might make the 59-year-old leave N17 in the summer. Neville then insists that Spurs would have sacked the ex-Celtic boss if he had lost, so Ange Postecoglou would look at that and leave the North London club on his own terms before Daniel Levy has a say.
If push comes to shove and Ange Postecoglou decides to head for pastures new, the Lilywhites will need to find a replacement quickly. Spurs are linked with former Ajax boss Francesco Farioli and believe he would be an ideal candidate to replace Big Ange at the helm in the summer.
Fans will hope that Daniel levy makes the right call regarding the managerial situation at the club. The North London club need to build on the Europa League success and they cannot get complacent heading into next season if they want to close the gap on their rivals.
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