Since stepping foot at Tottenham, manager Ange Postecoglou immediately changed the vibe in the building and got results, getting Spurs into fifth without Harry Kane after they squandered a great season from the striker in 2022/23 by failing to qualify for European football for the first time since 2010.
With Aston Villa and Brighton breaking out as nearly perennial contenders in the top seven, the Premier League has gotten more competitive, and Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea have also bounced back forcefully under new coach Enzo Maresca.
With Postecoglou in charge, Tottenham are driving for the Champions League and aim to be one of the top clubs in England again, though there have been doubts already placed on the manager by some sections of the fanbase.
Before Spurs’ massive matchup against fellow top-four contenders Aston Villa this Sunday, Postecoglou was asked a rather silly question from the press about whether he’s prioritizing a top-four finish or the League Cup.
Postecoglou answered the question with the kind of fire that Tottenham need to have – and had been missing previously:
“No, I want it all. I want everything mate. It sets me up for people to maybe ridicule me because I said I want it all and of course there’s a chance of falling short, as is the case with anything, but I will take the biggest bite I can and see what comes out.”
We saw how recently-fired managers Erik ten Hag of Manchester United and Mauricio Pochettino, a familiar face to Tottenham, of Chelsea completely whiffed on these kinds of questions.
Some Premier League coaches at high-profile jobs where expectations are greater than recent results tend to default to a scared, conservative answer that does not inspire confidence in the fan base in order to cover their own behinds.
Postecoglou acknowledges the risk he’s taking by being so bold to the press, but it’s definitely the right move. This is the exact mentality and response you want to see from your manager, especially if you are a Tottenham fan and your club has become the butt of jokes by rival fanbases in the Premier League.
