Singapore Festival of Football: Ange Postecoglou takes the long road to the top
From humble roots in Australia, Tottenham manager has coached with success across continents to finally earn plaudits
SINGAPORE — Ange Postecoglou has quite possibly taken the longest route in becoming an English Premier League manager.
From his roots as a defender for South Melbourne in Australia's National Super League - the predecessor to the current A-League - the new Tottenham Hotspur boss has coached far and wide: from Australia to Greece, back to the Australian national team, on to Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos, and most recently to Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic.
At each of his port of call, he has found success - winning trophies and playing a pleasing style of football. But what is his secret in being able to capably manage footballers of such different nationalities, cultures and lifestyles throughout his long career?
"I think the beauty of working in so many different countries and cultures is that it has allowed me to understand that, despite all the differences we have in our upbringings and in our values, we can still unite people together for a collective football ambition," Postecoglou told journalists in a round-table session organised by Tottenham sponsor AIA Singapore on Monday (24 July), two days before they play a pre-season friendly against Singapore's Lion City Sailors at the National Stadium.
"I love working with different cultures. It's allowed me to grow as a person, and to understand that everyone has a different outlook on life. But that doesn't mean that we can't share a common sort of belief in wanting to create something special, especially in football."
Pragmatism amid stylish football
Such duality is also evident in Postecoglou's footballing philosophy. He has been lauded for his insistence in playing a positive, attacking brand of football that is entertaining and effective. At the same time, he is known to be pragmatic and capable of tailoring his strategy to whatever personnel he has in his disposal.
That has led to success with a wide array of players of varying skills and strengths, and could serve him well as he takes on quite possibly his biggest challenge - of reviving the fortunes of Tottenham, a club that have not tasted trophy success since 2008.
"Whenever you go into a new position, the beginnings are always the same - there's a lot to take in," he said.
"Obviously, the size of this football club is bigger than the ones I've worked with before, and I'm managing a lot more people. It's a massive challenge to try and bring success to the club, and it has been hectic, but it's pretty much what I expected."
There is also the constant speculation on the future of top Spurs star Harry Kane, who has reportedly been considering a transfer, even with Tottenham offering him a new contract to stay on.
The 29-year-old has formed a superb partnership with 31-year-old South Korean star Son Heung-min, with the duo lighting up the EPL scoring charts for the past several seasons. But as Kane's transfer rumours persist, and with the duo entering the tail end of their stellar careers, is Postecoglou concerned about a dip in their lofty standards?
"Well I'm already 57, they're only about 30, still very young," he quipped. "If you watch them playing and in training, I don't think anyone needs to worry about them slowing down. They've got plenty of years ahead of them."
Opening doors for Asia Pacific football
As Postecoglou gets ready to embark on his own EPL journey, he can feel justified proud in being the first Australian to manage a Premier League club.
It has been a long road, and not without bumps, as he often has to go against negative stereotypes of the Asia Pacific region being the football backwaters, where standards are often dismissed as far below those required in top-tier European competitions.
Postecoglou's resounding success with Celtic - winning the Premiership twice and achieving the league, Scottish Cup and League Cup treble last season - has led many pundits to admit their mistakes in preconceptions of his capabilities. And he hopes his career achievements could open doors for more Asia Pacific footballers and managers to find top-level success.
"I just sort of try to focus on what's in front of me, trying to be as successful as I can with what I'm doing, and see what opportunities that I opened up. Somehow I've found my way to the Premier League," he said.
"It's great for people involved in football on this side of the world. We're still, in many ways, trying to gain some ground in terms of credibility that the highest level... Hopefully, as a coach, I can sort of open some doors for others in the future from the side of the world."
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