Paul Merson reckons Ange Postecoglou’s swashbuckling approach at Celtic doesn’t work in the English Premier League…
Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 08, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The Sky Sports pundit lamented the former Celtic manager’s tactical decision-making as Tottenham who despite being 2-0 up against London rivals Chelsea, collapsed and lost 4-3 to Enzo Maresca’s high-flying Blues.
Ange is back at Ibrox on Thursday night
Under huge pressure heading into Spurs’ Europa League clash with*theRangers* at Ibrox on Thursday night, Postecoglou is receiving criticism from all quarters having lost 19 of his last 40 matches in charge.
Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 08, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
As usual, the 59 year-old experienced manager’s gung-ho, all out attack approach has been lambasted in the media with fans rapidly running out of patience.
Prominent Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson used the Hoops as a comparison of why Postecoglou’s current Tottenham players cannot play the same way as his Celtic team so often performed to perfection in the Scottish Premiership.
The ex-Treble winning Celtic manager
Since day one at Tottenham, Ange has been consistently questioned about his tactical outlook, and with results not going his way just now, it remains to be seen whether impatient owner Daniel Levy will keep the ex-Treble winning Celtic manager in the dugout for the foreseeable future in North London.
Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 08, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“Like they’re playing against Kilmarnock or St Mirren”
Speaking to Sky Sports post-match, Paul Merson alongside a panel of Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp said, “I don’t want to have a go because I like Ange and I like watching Tottenham play. But I’m watching the game and it’s like: ‘We’re 2-0 up against Chelsea, let’s just keep on going.’ It’s like they’re playing against Kilmarnock or St Mirren and ‘I’m the Celtic manager and I’ve got the best players.”
“I haven’t got the best players at Tottenham. I haven’t got the best players, so I have to change. I’m not Man City when I can go: ‘You have a shot, we have a shot and we will destroy you,’ like they have over the years.”
“You’ve got to be cute. you’ve got to say: ‘Right, we’re 2-0 up here. Sit back and let’s counterattack.’ Solanke was ruining the centre halves, holding it up and bringing people in. They couldn’t live with him.”
“I don’t want to have a go at Ange because I do like him”
Merson added, “but then they were charging all over the place and all of a sudden Lavia, the ball comes in and he just put it round the corner to Enzo Fernandez or Palmer and then they’re running the defenders. It’s so naive.”
“I don’t want to have a go at Ange because I do like him. But it was too easy for Chelsea and that’s why I said at half-time that there was no doubt that Chelsea with this football match becauseI just know what Tottenham are going to do.”
Hopefully the Tottenham players can turn things around for Ange in their next game by hitting thei opponents hard with a thumping Spurs victory.
Conor Spence
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