‘Tottenham fans to get Ange Postecoglou sacked’
Ange Postecoglou’s damaged relationship with the Tottenham fans make his exit as manager close to inevitable, according to Paul Merson.
The Australian coach was seen as a breath of fresh air when he arrived at Tottenham in 2023, implementing an attacking philosophy which the club lacked under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
Excitement around the club reached its peak after just 10 Premier League games during his first season in charge, with Postecoglou leading Tottenham to pick up 26 points while sitting first in the table.
However, fast forward to now and the perception amongst the supporters could not be more contrasting, with the latest incident seeing the 59-year-old cupping his ears to his own fans following Pape Sarr’s disallowed goal against Chelsea.
The opinion of the Tottenham fans could play a part in his sacking
Speaking live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (1.06pm, April 5) Merson said: “Owning the fans gets you the sack. The fans get you the sack.
“It’s very rare someone gets the sack and the fans are singing your name. As soon as that starts happening ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ there’s only one way that’s going to end up.
“[But] if they don’t win this [Europa League], which they have a chance… if they win that I don’t see how they can’t keep him, he’s going to be in the Champions League and they’ll have all their players back.”
Tottenham fans have turned on Postecoglou
Football Insider verdict
Any love left between Postecoglou and the Tottenham faithful may have gone after the incident during the club’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
The away support at Stamford Bridge made their thoughts known over his decision to take off Lucas Bergvall for Sarr, but for Postecoglou to react in the way he did was the clearest indication yet that the pressure is becoming too much.
It was an act of retaliation, in which he cupped his ears to the fans before appearing to wave at them to almost make sure they had seen him do it.
| Tottenham next five fixtures | Home or away |
| Southampton | Home |
| Wolves | Away |
| Nottingham Forest | Home |
| Liverpool | Away |
| West Ham | Away |
The good news for Postecoglou is that the person making the decision over his future is perhaps more disliked at the club than himself.
Daniel Levy recently announced decreased budgets for Tottenham which could have implications for their plans in the summer transfer window.
If they are unable to win the Europa League this season, it remains to be seen whether Postecoglou or Levy have a long-term future in north London.
The atmosphere could still change with a European trophy and passage back into the Champions League, but at this stage few fans would seem overjoyed at the prospect of another season with the former Celtic boss in charge either way.