Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has declared that Spurs are “not a big club,” following the dismissal of head coach Thomas Frank.
Frank, who replaced Postecoglou in the Tottenham dugout, was unable to reverse the club’s poor Premier League form and was sacked after a 2–1 home defeat to Newcastle, a result that left the North London side just five points above the relegation zone.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Postecoglou said the club’s issues go beyond any single manager.
“Having been in that position now twice in the last six months, it’s tough. You know that he can’t be the only issue at the club. It’s a curious club, Tottenham,” he said.
“It’s made a major pivot at the end of last year, not just with me but with Daniel Levy leaving as well, and you’ve created this whole sort of environment of uncertainty.”
Despite their reputation as part of England’s traditional “Big Six” and boasting one of the country’s most advanced stadiums, Tottenham have won the English league title only twice the same number as second-tier Portsmouth. Their last league triumph came in the 1960/61 season, when Bill Nicholson’s side secured the historic league and FA Cup “Double.”
Since then, a string of high-profile managers including Terry Venables, George Graham, Harry Redknapp, José Mourinho and Antonio Conte have all attempted, but failed, to restore the club to the summit of English football.
Postecoglou himself ended Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy by leading them to victory over Manchester United in the 2005 Europa League final, yet he was still dismissed due to poor league performances.
The Australian coach argued that Tottenham’s financial approach has limited their competitiveness in the transfer market.
“They’ve built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities but, when you look at their expenditure and particularly their wages structure, they’re not a big club,” he said.
“When we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.”
He also suggested the club has struggled to match its ambitions with action.
“When you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is ‘To Dare Is To Do,’ and yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that. I think they didn’t realise that, to actually win, you’ve got to take some risks.”
Postecoglou concluded that while Tottenham often present themselves as one of football’s elite sides, results and resources tell a different story.
Elijah Adeyemi
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