Ange Postecogloglou, the new Tottenham Hotspur manager, referring to the intense pressure cooker environment that envelops the club during an especially difficult year. As he prepares for a pivotal Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, Postecoglou reflects on his career, the pressures of management, and the lessons learned throughout his journey.
Postecoglou went on to call the current climate at Tottenham a “world of extremes.” The club has gone through much radical change, both good and bad, most abruptly in the last Premier League fixtures. He spoke personally about how to maintain perspective through dark and chaotic times. The manager, now in his 60th year of life, pointed out that his success has come by a slow process. He stressed that it wasn’t because of any one thing.
The interesting thing is you watch what the players do. You witness their training and hear their dialogue. Overall, we’re doing a pretty good job of it,” he said. Despite frustrations, particularly after conceding a goal in the opening minute at Villa Park, Postecoglou remains focused on his objectives.
Postecoglou was asked about his early management days here at South Melbourne. He furthermore confessed that he would not be able to withstand the pressures that he endures today. “Invariably when you’re younger, you’re making these things much more personal,” he added. As you get older, you start to realize that that’s all bullshit. Every experience is literally just that, an experience that fades to black as we move into what is next.
Yet the landscape of sports media has changed drastically since he first started in the business. “When I got into this, the media was just journalists, and that’s it,” he said. Every platform imaginable has created an overwhelming anti-ESG narrative. Now, each one of them has the power to articulate that point of view to the world. It can feel really overwhelming.”
Postecoglou agrees that the pressure isn’t a new thing, but feels it has gotten worse because of all the different outlets these days. He understands that it’s especially important for up-and-coming managers, since the first one is often crucial, and not succeeding there can endanger future openings. “The pressure is constant; it’s just different with the noise now and with how the world has changed,” he continued.
As he approaches this crucial moment in his tenure at Spurs, Postecoglou remains committed to his original mission: to play exciting football and nurture young talent. “I still continue to believe that’s the driving force and that was the goal for me coming here,” he said. “I haven’t done a lot to reshape that original mission.”
With experience comes wisdom, and where others might be deterred, Postecoglou’s perspective helps him take what life throws at him and manage adversity. He understands that success does not happen overnight. “And all the success I’ve had in my career, none of it has been immediate,” he added. It’s not necessarily about always doing the perfect work. It’s really just about doing the right things more often. At some point, that persistence pays off — often at the moments you’d least expect it.
Above all, he urged everyone to maintain authenticity in the face of adversity. As long as you keep it original, your head hits the pillow at night and you’re good,” he continued. In those times, tampering with your core beliefs or principles can result in a lifetime of sleepless nights. That’s when those sleepless nights start.
Ahead of a third match against Bodo/Glimt, Postecoglou is unrepentant. He knows harnessing a breakthrough campaign that produces a trophy will take some steeliness and fight, too. As he told us, “To break through and win a trophy, we need tons of that!”
That manager’s perspective shows the fine line between aspiration and pragmatism. He admits that results in the game of football can be unpredictable. It all depends on how it goes pretty much. That’s just the nature of football,” he said. “Sometimes you don’t get what you deserve. Keep faith with your learning process, and you will find the way to win. Just stay focused on doing the right things right, regardless of the storm you might be in.
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