Everything Postecoglou has said about Spurs since his sacking | Football | Sport
Ange Postecoglou has refused to hold back in his dim assessment of Spurs since leaving (Image: Getty)
Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou offered a frank assessment of the club’s difficulties as the struggles persist in north London. Spurs’ campaign reached fresh depths on Tuesday when they shipped four goals in 22 minutes during a 5-2 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid.
It’s left some supporters regretting that Postecoglou was ever dismissed and succeeded by Thomas Frank, scarcely a fortnight after claiming the Europa League. Current manager Igor Tudor has suffered defeat in each of his four matches at the helm, though the warning signs were apparent to some. Postecoglou ended the club’s 17-year quest for a major trophy, while Spurs also registered their poorest Premier League finish after ending last season in 17th place. But the 60-year-old appeared to anticipate the challenging period en route as Express Sport examines some of the most notable remarks he’s delivered about Tottenham since his exit.
‘Not surprised’ at struggles since sack
When asked by TNT Sports whether he was taken aback to witness Tottenham in their present situation, Postecoglou replied: “No, I wouldn’t say that.
“I am still invested in the club because I have an attachment to those players, I worked with them for two years. The last time I interacted with the fans there was 200,000 on the streets of London. It pains me to see it. It definitely looks like the players are fairly lost at the moment. There’s obvious pressure there. It’s a real difficult time.
“It all manifested itself with what happened last night. It’s almost the worst case scenario, you’re playing a side away from home, Atletico, who never drop below a performance level of two. They’re always at a really strong level. It was a horror start for them.”
Antonin Kinsky had an even tougher match than most after a chaotic beginning in Madrid saw him substituted after 17 minutes. It was the latest sign things are not going smoothly under Tudor, with rumours of player discontent in north London now surfacing.
Igor Tudor is already facing calls to be sacked after only four games (Image: PA)
Tottenham ‘not a big club’
Postecoglou’s fiery temperament was on display during a recent appearance on The Overlap, where he offered his frank evaluation of the club. No longer needing to maintain face for his former employers, the ex-Celtic boss hinted at the constraints that hindered him (and continue to hinder the club) from truly joining the ranks of the English elite.
“Obviously, they’ve [Spurs] built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities,” said the Australian. “But when you look at the expenditure, particularly in the wage structure, they’re not a big club. I saw that, because when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.”
When questioned by Jamie Carragher about whether he believed there was a mentality problem at the club, Postecoglou “100 per cent” concurred. He even used the term “Spursy” to encapsulate the pervasive lack of self-confidence during his two-year tenure.
“That was the thing I was trying to break,” he went on. “My whole thing about winning something in my second year, I was doing that for the club. Nobody internally would dare say that because they were too scared, they’d been close a few times.
“Then you break that by winning something and what do you do? You tear it all up and you start again. That’s the curiosity, what are you trying to achieve?”
Postecoglou might have had Spurs in a superior position were he allowed to stay (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Emotional goodbye
Despite expressing his desire to return for a third season, Postecoglou was shown the door by Spurs in early June 2025. And he provided a touching reflection of his stint at the club shortly after his departure was confirmed.
“When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride,” he wrote. “The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.
“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.
“We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.”
Those foundations have effectively collapsed at the first obstacle, with Tottenham’s Champions League campaign the sole source of satisfaction at present. It goes without saying matters are considerably worse now, two managers later, than they were when Postecoglou was dismissed.
The veteran coach concluded his farewell by expressing gratitude to certain figures at the club and the supporters, stating he “always felt that they wanted me to succeed.” And there are quite possibly a few who would welcome his return in a bid to see the club succeed once more.
