‘Tottenham to make shocking Postecoglou sack decision’ – ‘Remarkably harsh’
Tottenham look set for a typically chaotic summer following a season of incredibly mixed fortunes.
Spurs ended their 17-year wait for a major trophy when they defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final last month.
However, they also finished their Premier League campaign with their lowest points tally since 1976/77.
Ange Postecoglou’s side were ravaged by injuries all season, but can count themselves lucky that the three promoted teams struggled so badly, or they could have easily found themselves in a genuine relegation battle.
Ally McCoist assesses Tottenham sack decision on Postecoglou
Postecoglou has been under pressure for the vast majority of the season, especially after his brash comments surrounding winning trophies in the second year of his stint with a club.
However, many thought that Spurs’ Europa League triumph would be enough to safeguard his position until at least the early stages of next season, but that doesn’t look like it will be the case.
Daniel Levy is understood to have decided to sack Postecoglou, although there has not yet been official confirmation of that decision.
As Tottenham fans wait to learn of their manager’s fate, Levy is also believed to have met with the likes of Brentford boss Thomas Frank, and Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi about the possibility of taking the reins in N17.
Postecoglou’s personality has made him a fairly divisive figure around the Premier League at times, but there are plenty who feel he has done enough to keep his job.
One of those people is Ally McCoist, who stated on talkSPORT (3 June – 2.08) that he feels sacking Postecoglou would be “remarkably harsh”.
The pundit said: “I think it would be remarkably harsh, I really do. You’re talking about somebody who has got the club Champions League football and their first trophy since 2008. Yes, we all know the league position was shocking and wasn’t good enough, but you could almost see him throw all the eggs in one basket towards the end of the season.
“If anybody had said we’ll give you the Europa League and Champions League football to any Spurs fan at the start of the season, they are biting your hand off and that’s it.
“For me if he loses his job, and knowing the way the club is run it’s absolutely possible, that’s just the world we live in.”
Sacking Postecoglou would be a strange decision from Levy
There can be no doubt about the fact that if Postecoglou were to lose his job, it would be an unexpected decision by Levy.
Spurs have been subject to jibes from other fanbases about their lack of silverware for several years now, so to end that drought, and to do it with such a stellar defensive performance, only to then sack the manager would be an extremely harsh decision.
The 59-year-old’s continued references to his side’s injury woes have provided grounds for frustration from some quarters this season, but when you consider that he oversaw the Europa League triumph without both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, it makes it an even more impressive feat.
The North London outfit are an ambitious club, and finishing 17th is by no means good enough, but as McCoist suggested, they had to prioritise their European exploits as they progressed further into the competition.
At the very least, it could be argued that he has earned the right to lead the team into next season.