Ange Postecoglou says he was surprised by the reaction to his assertion that he “always wins things” in his second year in charge of a club.
His response to being asked about his trophy-winning record following Tottenham Hotspur’s north London derby defeat by Arsenal on Sunday and the subsequent exchange with Sky Sports broadcaster Emma Saunders has come in for criticism.
It was put to the Spurs head coach that his first campaign in charge of a new team is traditionally about establishing his principles and in his second he normally wins a trophy. Postecoglou was asked whether he was seeing enough from this Spurs side to repeat that trend, and he replied: “Absolutely. And I’ll correct myself. I don’t usually win things I always win things in my second year. Nothing’s changed.”
Postecoglou questioned whether the reaction was necessary given he had answered the question factually.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? I just stated a fact,” he said on Tuesday. “Am I supposed to just lie? Just say it never happened? It’s confusing to me that people are making a big deal out of something.
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer something’s that’s true. If don’t win something in the second year this year and I come out next year and say, ‘I always win it’ then that’s not true. But if I’ve just said something that’s true, it seems like that’s upset a lot of people for some reason.”
“I ALWAYS win things in my second year” 👀
Ange Postecoglou with a big statement 💥 pic.twitter.com/FEQq0dpIik
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 15, 2024
In each of Postecoglou’s jobs in club management where he has been in charge for at least two seasons, the 59-year-old has won a trophy in his second year, and on each occasion it has been the league title.
He won the National Soccer League with South Melbourne, the A-League with Brisbane Roar, the J1 League with Yokohama F Marinos and the Scottish Premiership with Celtic.
Postecoglou continued: “Do you really think it’s me boasting? How am I supposed to answer something that’s true? Is it to say, ‘well actually it wasn’t that important, they were easy competitions, they don’t mean anything.’
“If you achieve something aren’t you meant to say, ‘Yes I have, and that’s what I hope to do again’? I’m not sure why people misconstrue it as me trying to boast about something. I’ve answered a question, which is true.
“That (winning a trophy) has always happened and my plan is for it to happen again this year. If that doesn’t happen then I can’t answer that question in the same way next year. I can say ‘mostly’ not ‘always’.”
Tottenham play Coventry City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, with the competition representing the most recent piece of silverware the club won back in 2008.
(Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
