‘Utterly bonkers’: Legends declare there is ‘no agenda’ in cold reality check for Ange Postecoglou

An FA Cup loss to Aston Villa was followed by Postecoglou delivering a passionate defence of his players, stressing how tough it has been on them to back up for two games a week with a depleted squad.

The Australian manager insisted he was not fussed what people thought of him or his job security  — hinting at “agenda driven” criticism — but he clearly still has at least some belief from Spurs and their chairman Daniel Levy who have so far resisted loudinging calls to sack him.

Postecoglou and Spurs’ plight was discussed on Sky Sports’ Stick to Football podcast and while legends Gary Neville and Ian Wright empathised with the embattled manager and the situation, Keane delivered a blunt assessment.

“When Ange was manager of Celtic, he’s playing Dundee and Hibs every week and they’ve got the smallest squads ever. I don’t think Ange was feeling sorry for them,” Keane, who won 17 trophies with Manchester United, said.

“It’s Ange’s time now … you have to suffer now Ange, like lots of others managers.”

“Celtic have the biggest budget, the best players. Do you think he had sympathy at Dundee when he was winning 8, 9 nil? I didnt see him after the game going, ‘I feel for the other manager, they’ve got a small budget’.

“He didn’t care less, and managers are getting sacked all around him.”

Keane also questioned which of Spurs’ injured players would actually have an impact on lifting Spurs back up to a respectable Premier League position, however he believes remaining in the Europa League could be a key for Postecoglou’s job survival.

Keane said Postecoglou’s demeanor in recent weeks was a reflection of the prolonged poor results “beating up” the Australian.

“When you’re winning, you’re fresh as a daisy,” he said.

“When you see Ange at the moment, Ange looks like he’s not slept for a month because you’re not winning, of course.

“He’s got (Manchester) United on Sunday (Monday AEDT). I guarantee if they beat United you see him on Monday or Tuesday, he’ll have a spring in his step.

“That’s what the results do to you, they grind you down. When you’re losing, trust me, it beats you up.”

Keane wasn’t the only one to cast doubt over Postecoglou’s claim, with Jamie Carragher penning a column for The Telegraph where he wrote there is “no agenda” against the Australian.

“Without a dramatic reversal in form, the defining moment of Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur reign is destined to be his first ever Premier League defeat,” he wrote.

“After eight wins in Postecoglou’s opening 10 league games, the 4-1 loss to Chelsea in November 2023 was particularly memorable because Spurs continued to play a high-line defence having been reduced to nine men.

“It was brilliant to watch and at the same time utterly bonkers.

“Fifteen months on, that match is the ultimate symbol of why Spurs are the most entertaining team in the Premier League and have suffered so many bad results and injuries.

“They were great to begin with that night. Then they were shattered, short of senior players and kept getting ripped apart. It’s basically the story of Postecoglou’s reign so far.”

Carragher went on to write that while Tottenham has obviously been cursed by injury, an argument can be made that Postecoglou’s emphasis on pressing high may have left his players vulnerable to injury.

“Obviously Spurs are not reduced to nine men every week, but their principles are the same in all circumstances, the onus being on the players to keep pressing high whatever the situation and score,” Carragher added.

“According to the Premier League data on injuries, 42 per cent of Spurs players’ issues are muscle-related. The average across the league is 24 per cent. Across the season, Spurs players have missed a combined total of 213 games through injury, 44 more than anyone competing in Europe.

“The reality is this: if you insist on only driving in the fast lane, your tyres are going to wear quicker.

“The situation gets worse when youngsters have to replace senior players because they are not yet physically conditioned to meet the demands of Premier League football week in, week out.”

Carragher later moved on to one of the more common criticisms of Postecoglou — that he is too stubborn and resistant to adapt his in-game tactics.

But the Liverpool legend, while still critical of Postecoglou, clarified that it isn’t so much a case of wanting Postecoglou to change his “formations and ideals”.

“That is not the issue. Coaches are always defined as ‘attacking’ or ‘defensive’. It is the lack of game management within that preferred style that is the biggest issue,” he wrote.

Carragher went on to add that Tottenham’s board is right to stand by Postecoglou until the senior players return, allowing them to then make a more accurate judgement of the Australian.

Tottenham have lost five of their last eight games in all competitions, dealing a big blow to Postecoglou’s boast earlier this season that he always wins a trophy in his second campaign.

But he wants “a better appreciation for what a very small group of players have been doing for the last two and a half months”.

“It can’t be that people think that’s an excuse. That’s just not anywhere near close to objective analysis. That’s just agenda-driven stuff,” Postecoglou said after the Villa defeat.

“If it’s to get rid of me that’s fine. Good on ya. Go for it a million times.

“But in terms of this group of players, what they’ve given over the past two and half months has been outstanding, it’s a credit to them, I can’t speak highly enough of them.”

Spurs are through to the Europa League last 16, but whether Postecoglou will still be in charge when they return to European action remains to be seen.

Denied the services of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson among others due to injury, the former Celtic boss is adamant his players still back him.

Postecolgou was hopeful of welcoming back some players from injury against Manchester United, and the Australian may fancy his chances given Tottenham’s 3-0 win over the Red Devils at Old Trafford in September.