Ange Postecoglou feels there are misconceptions about why he wants his teams to play on the front foot, insisting that he is no footballing evangelist.
The one enduring criticism of the Tottenham head coach since he walked through the door 18 months ago has been the assertion that his side does not adapt their approach depending on the opposition and the state of the game.
The same sentiment was expressed widely by pundits after Tottenham almost threw away the game against Man Utd in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Thursday.
It is clear that the Australian coach is not going to change his ways, and he has now reiterated his belief that Spurs can challenge and win honours playing this way.
While Postecoglou has been criticised by many pundits over recent months, many of his colleagues have come out in support of the Tottenham head coach.
The most recent to do so was Arne Slot, who praised the 59-year-old for the attractive brand of football he has implemented at N17 and admitted that he is keen to see Spurs win a trophy this season.
When asked about Slot’s praise for his style of play, Postecoglou told Football.London: “I don’t think I’m an evangelist for the whole game. It’s what I love about football. There has got to be differences, people who are prepared to do things a little bit differently. That’s what we love about our game, that there is that variety.
“That allows opinion, that allows emotion. I hate to think people think I am some sort of showman – I want to win. That is still the core of my being. I hate losing and I want to be successful. I am so driven by that on a daily basis over my whole career that I feel that if I can win playing in this manner it makes an impact.
“We all want to leave a little bit of a footprint on our journeys. I want that to be my footprint – I was successful in a different way because that stays in people’s consciousness longer than doing things normally. We are not there yet and some would say we are a long way away – and when we ever get there who knows?”
Postecoglou is one of the most experienced managers in the Premier League and he pointed out that he has had to deal with critics of his style of play throughout his managerial career.
He added about the naysayers: “It’s not the first time in my career. You kind of feel that 26 years of hard graft should get you a little more respect and I’m not the only one. I have seen it happen to Unai [Emery] and Nuno [Espirito Santo] when he was here.
“I get that not everyone will be a fan of the way I do things and even the way I play people will have different opinions. That’s normal, that’s healthy but some of it has been pretty dismissive.”
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