Ange Postecoglou of Tottenham Responds to Criticism Over Trophies

Tottenham Hotspur’s manager, Ange Postecoglou, has expressed his perplexity over the criticism he has received for stating that he “always wins things” during his second season. This comment came in the wake of Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday.

The 59-year-old Australian referenced his successful track record at clubs like Celtic, Yokohama F. Marinos, and Brisbane Roar, where he secured silverware in his second campaigns. Following the loss to Arsenal, he remarked, “I always win things in my second year.”

Despite Postecoglou’s achievements, Tottenham has been without a trophy since 2008, and their struggles were highlighted once again during the match against Arsenal, where Gabriel Magalhães scored the only goal of the game in the 64th minute.

Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal player Paul Merson weighed in on the situation, suggesting that Tottenham’s chances of ending their long trophy drought were virtually nonexistent. He stated that he had “more chance of winning [the BBC reality show] Strictly [Come Dancing]” than Spurs had of lifting a trophy this season.

In response to the backlash, Postecoglou remarked, “It is amazing, isn’t it? I just stated a fact, and it seems like am I supposed to just lie? Or just say it never happened? It is confusing to me that people are making a big deal out of something.”

The Spurs manager continued, “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer something that is true. If I don’t win anything in the second year this year and I come out next year and say: ‘I always win,’ then you can say ‘No, actually, it’s not true.’

“I’ve just said something that’s true, and it seems like it has upset a lot of people for some reason. Do you really think it is me sort of boasting?”

Postecoglou further elaborated on the importance of recognizing achievements, stating, “If you’ve achieved something, aren’t you supposed to say ‘yes I have,’ and that’s what I hope to do again? I’m not really sure why people misconstrued it as me trying to boast about something.” He acknowledged that someone had previously mentioned his successful record, calling it a fact.

Looking ahead, Postecoglou confirmed that midfielder Yves Bissouma would not be participating in the upcoming Carabao Cup third-round match against Championship side Coventry. However, he hinted that other players such as Pape Matar Sarr, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, and Archie Gray might feature in a rotated squad.

As Tottenham prepares for their next match, the focus will be on overcoming the disappointment of the previous defeat and capitalizing on the opportunity to advance in the cup competition.