Former Celtic Boss Ange Postecoglou Off to a Good Start at Spurs

When Ange Postecoglou arrived at Celtic Park in June 2021, he was not a household name in Scotland. However, he soon cemented his place in the history books as one of the club’s greatest managers, winning the Scottish Premier League title in back-to-back years and landing the treble in his second season.

Postecoglou accepted a move to Tottenham earlier this year and is proving to be a big hit at his new club, as Spurs are off to a good start in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

Tottenham Have Handled the Loss of Kane 

Just as he had to cope with Odsonne Edouard leaving Celtic on his arrival in Scotland, Postecoglou joined Tottenham knowing Harry Kane was set to exit the club. He has handled that very well, as Spurs are one of five teams with a realistic chance of winning the title. They are 30/1 in the Premier League winner odds this season.

When Kane left, some pundits oddly predicted Spurs could be in the relegation mix this season, but the Premier League relegation odds show that any danger of the North London club falling out of the top flight under Postecoglou appear unrealistic. Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton are the three teams in the most danger this season, as they are all odds-on for the drop.

Goals have not been a problem for Tottenham under Postecoglou. They scored 42 goals in their opening 20 Premier League matches. Only Manchester City (45 goals), Aston Villa (43 goals) and Liverpool (43 goals) have scored more than Spurs in that period.

Silverware the Priority

Postecoglou is a manager who has won silverware at most clubs and countries he has managed throughout his career. He will be keen to keep up that record by winning a trophy in his debut season in England.

As well as being contenders for the Premier League title, the FA Cup is a competition that will be high on the former Celtic manager’s priority list. He won the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup (twice) in Scotland, so he is a manager who takes the domestic cups seriously.

It has been 16 years since Tottenham last won a major trophy. That success came in the League Cup when they defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the final at Wembley. Their last FA Cup triumph was in 1991 at the old Wembley Stadium. On that occasion, they overcame Nottingham Forest 2-1 thanks to goals from Paul Stewart and Des Walker.

Style of Football Has Been Pleasing on the Eye

Postecoglou has adopted a similar style of football at Tottenham as he did at Celtic. He is using inverted full-backs and his side build-up play from the back. His players seem to be enjoying playing for him and the results reflect that.

The Greek-Australian manager has experience managing teams all over the world, so it is no surprise he adapted well to the Premier League. He is a big fan of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, and in many ways, his team is set up in a similar way to the English champions.

Postecoglou will be judged fully at the end of the season, but the early signs are good for the former Celtic manager. He may just be the man Tottenham have been looking for in their bid for glory.