It seems to me a uniquely Australian affliction to tear down our greatest icons, especially when they make it overseas. We seem to do it for fun.
Imagine, for a second, that Australia’s (at best) fourth most popular sport produced a coach. He started his coaching career in a now virtually defunct state league, then moved to coach his country’s youth teams where he was most famous for clashing on air with a TV personality, then he went to a club in Greece that nobody had heard of.
Sounding familiar to anyone?
Let’s continue anyway.
He flamed out in Greece unceremoniously and went back to coach a suburban side. Then he gets the gig at some miscellaneous club in one of the sport’s most miscellaneous leagues. He turned them into a juggernaut. Then he went to the biggest club in that miscellaneous league and turned them into a winner, even if he isn’t there for all of the winning.
At both clubs he took a league famous for turgid football and made it watchable.
He is responsible for the apex of that league, which is now on what looks like an unarrestable slide.
After that, he coached the national team. He dared to play some decent football, a rarity in a nation that has generally been allergic to being watchable on the pitch. After getting hounded out of that job by an ungrateful and unambitious public (after a major international trophy and shortly after qualification for the World Cup), the serial winner went to Japan and did a bit more winning all while continuing to play beautiful football.
Ange Postecoglou (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Finally, he got the job at one of the biggest, most recognisable clubs in the sport. Indeed, in global sport. He took over after a period of desolation for the club, and what does he do? Wins everything.
Twice.
And does it his own way, once saying in response to a query about his “play it from the back” style: “If you are a vegetarian, you don’t just drop into Macca’s on the way home because you are hungry.”
This is the Ange Postecoglou story. He has never lost his vision. Always played beautiful football. He has always won. A Melbourne boy come good.
And now, by all accounts, he’s heading to Tottenham.
Yep, that Tottenham. One of the six biggest clubs in the biggest league in the world. The club that has been recently by Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
And what do we, the Australian football public do? We deride him. “Why would you take the Tottenham job?” we ask.
Tottenham are serial losers who have absurd expectations set for themselves and are run by a meddling American who loves nothing more than to stick his finger into as many pies as possible, we say. He’s just going to get smashed in the Champions League and he’ll be no good, we project.
Bullshit.
This is an Australian manager who is going to take charge in the English Premier League. That is all that needs to be said.
Thirty years ago he was managing South Melbourne Football Club, and now he’s going to play his home games at the largest club stadium in London. Spurs might be delusional in their expectations but honestly, a bit of delusion is a good thing.
If Ange Postecoglou wasn’t delusional, he would not have this opportunity. Delusion, for people like Ange, is just ambition that we normals can’t comprehend.
Saying that he is picking the wrong big six EPL club to manage would be like telling your friend he’s picked the wrong supermodel to date.
The fact that he is even there is an accomplishment in and of itself. But he won’t see it that way.
This is a nation that should stop and consider what it has said about Angle Postecoglou when he was coach of the national team. We derided his style of play, saying that we didn’t have the horses. He responded by saying that he has a philosophy and scolded us for our lack of ambition.
He told us that the Australian football infrastructure was good enough to support his style of play and he pointed to his trophy, our only trophy, as proof.
He got the same criticism when the little-known Greek-Australian kid got the job at Celtic. He himself has said that he was a “joke”.
Contrast that to when he completed the Scottish treble earlier this week. Celtic’s principal owner was dejected. He was dejected not at having won the treble and returning Celtic to its former glory, but at having lost his golden goose.
So, Tottenham fans and Australian football fans alike might deride Ange’s decision to take the biggest job any person in the history of Australian football has ever even been in contention to take.
But just based on history, that is miscalculated. He usually wins where he goes. At the very least, Tottenham will be appointment viewing.
Ange’s teams always are.
Limo
Roar Rookie
The A LEAGUE should capitalise on Angus move to spurs by organising pre season friendlies in LONDON spurs vs sydney fc and spurs vs mariners...lets grow our brand!!!!!
Limo
Roar Rookie
Yes and ange can organise pre season friends in LONDON between spurs vs sydney fc and spurs vs mariners!!!...
Limo
Roar Rookie
No I hope the English start following the A LEAGUE because this is where it all started!!!
Grem
Roar Rookie
Attendance is something our APL and clubs need to work on. There’s a lot of potential, but that doesn’t fund clubs!
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Grem,I think we basically agree!I was really only commenting on attendances at matches in Australia. I never played football,except for the occasional muck around game,as my winter sports were rugby or league,but I appreciate the game and understand why it is so popular.More now, as both my sons play it and absolutely love it.I still have a kick with them,but I am afraid I am way below their ability!
Grem
Roar Rookie
I believe participation is the best gauge of popularity, but not the only one. I wouldn’t participate in something I didn’t want to do or like (except for work). Like you, (I assume) I played a few sports and each sport I played and still play is because I like it – liking it makes for popularity. Participation is one aspect of popularity and football in that respect is the most popular sport in Australia. That’s the main reason why it has the greatest amount of participants in Australia and the world – it’s popular. Viewing is another aspect of popularity and the A Leagues isn’t in the top 3 – no question. But if you include the A Leagues in that football umbrella (that Lionheart pointed out)then maybe it is.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
Spurs is a great fit for Ange currently. He can sell Kane and get his own strikers in playing his style. EPL is a great place to showcase your talent. Let us hope Ange can get Spurs rocking and winning.
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Sorry,Lionheart,I just meant attendances to live matches in Australia.For sure football is higher when you include interest in watching EPL,World Cups etc.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
do you mean A League? or World Cup? Matildas? Socceroos? I don't believe it's possible to compare soccer to the other football codes, the variation in depth is enormous.
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Participation is different than the most popular sport.For sure,football is the 4th most popular watched sport.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Then he gets the gig at some miscellaneous club in one of the sport’s most miscellaneous leagues. He turned them into a juggernaut. Then he went to the biggest club in that miscellaneous league Victorian right? Oceania team of the millennium, sports capital of the world, biggest club in the land and all those fairy tales you guys spread. Try another gig.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I didn’t actually read the article. I wasn’t fussed on it when I did. Obviously this person doesn’t follow the A Leagues. Postecoglou did have his teams produce breathtaking football, but the league was already good. Roar were just better. In terms of participation, football is the biggest and most popular sport in Australia by a long way. If it produces turgid play then I’d hate to think what other codes produce. Probably basketball would be second, cricket third, netball fourth before we get to AFL and hockey and other sports after those. In terms of viewing 4th is probably correct – that’s accurate.
chris1
Roar Rookie
"At best, 4th most popular sport". I stopped reading after that. Clueless
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Go Ange. The epl will again attract Aussies audiences like back in the kewell viduka days .
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Celtic are a famous club like you said, but spurs will pay much better and he can work with better players in a tougher environment.
Aiden
Roar Rookie
If he gets support on transfers and if allowed to do his left field recruitment thing this will work brilliantly and it he doesn’t then it won’t. Either way, Spurs are going to start playing more attractive attacking football. They are also going to get spanked a few times in the first six months but Ange builds that into the learning process. Will the fans want him out? At some point … probably. At FC Marinos they hated him until they didn’t. First season he had then scoring more and conceding more than another other team. Next season they had sorted out the back and of they went. I can see similar happening at Spurs. Given time, he WILL make them incredible. Do Spurs fans want many more years of mediocrity or an initial rollercoaster and then success. Go Ange!
Aiden
Roar Rookie
The challenge will be can the existing squad play Ange’s style? He will improve individuals but overall, probably not. So Levy giving him support on transfers is critical to his success. And that’s not just getting big names in, let Ange find the rough Diamonds as he is so brilliant at doing.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
As an Aussie and a spurs fan I’m so happy with this. He’s exactly who Spurs need after the Conte’s and Mourinho’s of this world bored us to death. My only slight worry is Daniel Levy (for reference he isn’t American but he is a meddling Pom), this guy doesn’t let people really develop their own style too much - I hope I’m proved wrong and Ange comes in and changes the mindset of the whole club.
guywholikessport
Roar Rookie
There is a big chance I am arguing with just the two people I caught up with on Sunday who were complaining about it. They might very well be the only two in the country :laughing: :laughing:
matth
Roar Guru
Congratulations to Ange. This is a great day for him and I wish him every success.