Ange Postecoglou always wins in his second season. And Tottenham’s Europa League win is further proof of that.
Whether it’s Brisbane Roar, in the colours for Australia, or winning the Treble at Celtic, he can always be trusted, and he has done it once again.
For most of this current campaign, the Celtic hero was questioned, mocked and ridiculed for telling the world in September that he ‘always’ wins a trophy in his second season, as Tottenham struggled in the Premier League.
But, fast forward to the present, and Postecoglou is the last one laughing because Tottenham are Europa League winners after they beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao on Wednesday night.
The man, who was born in Greece, hailed in Australia, flourished in Japan, became a legend in Glasgow, has now taken his legacy even further at Tottenham.
There have been critics along the way, including a certain Jamie Carragher, and Postecoglou was on hand to answer them.
Celtic hero Ange Postecoglou fires back after Tottenham win the Europa League
Just because Postecoglou was so successful at Celtic, the feeling was that he couldn’t and wasn’t going to replicate that with Spurs.
Carragher was a big critic, but when Ange spoke directly to CBS Sports after the final, who had Roy Keane, Carragher himself, and Micah Richards in the studios, he was sure to remind people of who had his back.
The 59-year-old stated that former Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart has probably ‘influenced’ Richards into backing him so much, but his response to the rest was pretty good.
“You always win in your second season, mate,” shouted Richards. “How does that feel? Come on. I have been backing you all season. I love your football. You have had your injuries. Young players, but you did it tonight.”
Postecoglou responded, with laughter from those inside the studio: “I can’t say the same for everyone on the panel.
“It has been the toughest couple of years I have had in my career. I knew it going into it. I knew what I was getting into. This football club has had world-class managers. A lot better credentials than I have, and haven’t been able to get there, so I knew I had a massive challenge ahead of me.
“Sorry, Micah. You have been in my camp all along. I love you, mate. I think Joe Hart has probably influenced you a fair bit.”
Jamie Carragher says Postecoglou has ‘shut us all up’
When Ange first joined Celtic, there was that cloud above his head, and many were questioning who he was, never mind what he might or might not do.
But pretty much straight away, he let the football and the constant trophies do the talking.
And, as one of Postecoglou’s previous critics has proven, he has now ‘shut up’ Carragher, who responded on CBS after Spurs’ Europa League final win.
“Oh, he’s not a clown,” responded Carragher. “He’s not a clown. He’s a very quotable manager. He is on the front foot in press conferences. A lot of the time, this season, that has come back to haunt him in so many ways.
“But that quote now will be remembered forever, because he does always win in his second season. He has shut us all up. Proven us all wrong.
“He will be remembered more for that quote than actually the trophy that he has won. That’s something that has been used to beat him all season, because nobody could see Tottenham winning anything.”
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