Manager Ange Postecoglou

[Don Pedro]

Happens on here too. Pre-season plenty were shooting their load over Bergvall, Gray. Lankshear etc.
It’s like people have actually no idea that PL football is an enormous step up from the levels those lads have been playing at.

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100% agree on this. Archie Gray did exactly what Skipp did in the Championship but people were talking as if we signed a new world class 6. I hope he gets there someday but he was never going to be starting ahead of Bissouma and Bentancur. He has a long way to go to getting ahead of them.

Lankshear and Bergval are very much in the Gill, Scarlett, Veliz level of having bags of potential but are at best championship level for now.

Perspective always gets lost when talking about talent. Mickey Moore had a good game against AZ which I loved but I was seeing Yamal comparisons after it. Its a massive step to going from being a top class talented u20 player to becoming a consistent Premier league level player

 

[Matt1882]

i can understand son having a following... but this guy? hes not even a player, hes not won anything respectable...very strange.

the big 'winner' who was disgusted that we wanted to lose a game to stop the scum actually winning the league....has eric dier standing on the halfway line, waiting to chase players twice as fast, while we got 9 men....yea, hes a winner alright.

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Ange is just the first Aussie to manage in the PL. That's a big deal for them.
We could have appointed Rolf Harris and they would have defended him to the hilt.
Not his fault he didn't have a digereedoo mate.

 

[dudu]

We need to talk about the squad more, though I agree with much of what you've said about Ange.

Look at our squad c. 2018 vs. now and the drop off in quality is massive. The ones who stand out as being of amazing quality are an old Sonny, VDV, who I think has a very high ceiling but might be an injury risk, and Kulu, who can be very good on his day. Everyone else is streaky, young, or flawed. Solanke is adding something but he's no Kane obviously.

The decline in quality of the playing squad is the main problem and that's due to leadership and management on the football side of our operation. Ange has his flaws but is a symptom not the cause and is secondary to this.

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I do see your point, and yes some of the quality drop is big in the first team, but squad - perhaps not.....

Lets see who we are missing last week

Solanke, Romero, VdV, Vicario, Richarlison, Bentancur. The equivalent in 2018 would be
Kane, Jan, Toby, LLoris, Llorente, Wanyama or sissoko.

So our starting 11 would have been

Vorm or Gazzaniga
Trippier Sanchez Dier Rose
Sissoko, Ali, Eriksen
Lamela Jansen Moura

Not so great either.

 

[Phomesy]

Dearie me - there's a lot of bollocks spouted on this forum but the idea that Daniel Levy appointed Ange Postecoglou as a way to tap into the lucrative Australian market is quite possibly the single stupidest thing I've ever read*.




*Except for thinking Darren Bent has anything to say of any interest about Spurs. That was definitely stupider.

 

[AussieYiddo]

Ange is just the first Aussie to manage in the PL. That's a big deal for them.
We could have appointed Rolf Harris and they would have defended him to the hilt.
Not his fault he didn't have a digereedoo mate.

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Yeah the fact he was Australian must have won him the titles in Japan and Scotland too, if only another Aussie had thought to do that.

 

[AussieYiddo]

Was he fucked over? Or was he hired because he'll just accept this shite, smile and carry on? IE, the total opposite to Mourinho and Conte who will happily voice annoyance at being sent into a gun fight with a small blunt knife.

Our fans overhype every kid from the academy. They struggle to understand that a kid can look like Messi in the U18's but be well below average in mens football. Because even the worst footballers in the PL would destroy an U18's league.

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Does that really seem like the type of person Ange is from the way he talks in press conferences? If there is one trait he's known for, positive of negative, it's stubbornness. He's far from yes-man, sure Conte and Jose are the type to pour gasoline on the fire they create before they exit but I'm not sure that's a positive trait in a manager. He walked away from his dream job because of fractures with the FFA, doesn't sound like a yes-man to me.

 

[Deuterz]

Does that really seem like the type of person Ange is from the way he talks in press conferences? If there is one trait he's known for, positive of negative, it's stubbornness. He's far from yes-man, sure Conte and Jose are the type to pour gasoline on the fire they create before they exit but I'm not sure that's a positive trait in a manager. He walked away from his dream job because of fractures with the FFA, doesn't sound like a yes-man to me.

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Course he’s a yes man. This job is way bigger than he is, it’s his dream come true. A premier league job for a top six club? He’s never been even close to this level before. His bank balance has probably trebled.

He knows if he acts up in the press and fights back, he will lose his job and other clubs in the league might think twice. As it is when he’s sacked he might get a job at another prem club who are just happy to be fun.

 

[HampshireSpur]

100% agree on this. Archie Gray did exactly what Skipp did in the Championship but people were talking as if we signed a new world class 6. I hope he gets there someday but he was never going to be starting ahead of Bissouma and Bentancur. He has a long way to go to getting ahead of them.

Lankshear and Bergval are very much in the Gill, Scarlett, Veliz level of having bags of potential but are at best championship level for now.

Perspective always gets lost when talking about talent. Mickey Moore had a good game against AZ which I loved but I was seeing Yamal comparisons after it. Its a massive step to going from being a top class talented u20 player to becoming a consistent Premier league level player

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If you want a good laugh find the Tanganga thread on here.

 

[Phomesy]

The comments on some of those during pre season were embarrassing. Delusion beyond belief.

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Incredible! And yet all these happy clapper Levy Lovers would have you believe our manager was given a Top 3 squad that should be competing for cups...

Wait... what?

 

[Phomesy]

Course he’s a yes man. This job is way bigger than he is, it’s his dream come true. A premier league job for a top six club? He’s never been even close to this level before. His bank balance has probably trebled.

He knows if he acts up in the press and fights back, he will lose his job and other clubs in the league might think twice. As it is when he’s sacked he might get a job at another prem club who are just happy to be fun.

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I didn't get the impression Ange was a "yes man" but I do suspect that IF he was really comfortable about the "project" rather than the "now" he would be starting Lankshear over Son against Fulham.

But to be fair if I was him I'd be looking for any points I could get on the board.

 

[Deuterz]

Incredible! And yet all these happy clapper Levy Lovers would have you believe our manager was given a Top 3 squad that should be competing for cups...

Wait... what?

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Our squad is actually alright. I’ve said this quite a bit. I don’t like our wide players and we could do with more in central midfield but I think it’s a half decent team.

The youth were given a run out in pre season for various reasons. They did well but .. it’s only pre season.

 

[Kaz Hirai]

Was he fucked over? Or was he hired because he'll just accept this shite, smile and carry on? IE, the total opposite to Mourinho and Conte who will happily voice annoyance at being sent into a gun fight with a small blunt knife.

Our fans overhype every kid from the academy. They struggle to understand that a kid can look like Messi in the U18's but be well below average in mens football. Because even the worst footballers in the PL would destroy an U18's league.

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Both i think.

no doubt Conte stressed the board out for their lack of ambition, as did Poch in the last year, so i feel it was a mandate to get a coach in who promotes academy and integrates young players (great way to save and make money) play attacking football to keep fans off their back unlike nuno and won't complain that we dont act like a Big Club come transfer window time

But I also think he was done real dirty in the summer signing 4 18 year olds and dom solanke , all while knowing that richarlison is injury prone, and was injured all summer even. not to mention zero cover at full backs hoping that genoa would pay 8 mill for spence so they could probably sign another 18 year old on minimum wage no doubt

But he's happy to take this, for now

 

[Deuterz]

I didn't get the impression Ange was a "yes man" but I do suspect that IF he was really comfortable about the "project" rather than the "now" he would be starting Lankshear over Son against Fulham.

But to be fair if I was him I'd be looking for any points I could get on the board.

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No prem manager will do this. They can’t afford to focus on the future. It’s now. You can lose a handful of games and get sacked.

 

[Mrs Perryman]

We never win a cup and have a strong season in the league.

Granted we often don’t win a cup and are shite in the league.

But it warms my heart seeing us being shit in the league again this year - it means there is a chance in the cup a small glimmer that won’t stop me dreaming until probably mid to late March.

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I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this post. You're so right (apart from the Double season, obviously), and as long as we finish in a respectable position in the league, I'd rather win a trophy than finish 4th.

 

[AussieYiddo]

Course he’s a yes man. This job is way bigger than he is, it’s his dream come true. A premier league job for a top six club? He’s never been even close to this level before. His bank balance has probably trebled.

He knows if he acts up in the press and fights back, he will lose his job and other clubs in the league might think twice. As it is when he’s sacked he might get a job at another prem club who are just happy to be fun.

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How is it being a dream job a negative? I'd much rather that than a Jose or a Conte gloating about past achievements and not giving a damn about us. And before you say 'that's because you're Australian', that goes for Poch too, it's like we all forgot that before Ange got appointed we were dreaming of a manager who wouldn't treat it as a burden.

We'll agree to disagree that he's a yes men, as recently as this morning he basically admitted that Reguilon and Spence weren't good enough or seriously in his plans, he also said that we need to spend more in the final third in upcoming transfer windows. But moreso isjust because he isn't going into a presser calling every player shit, and dampening expectations at every turn, doesn't mean he's not having this conversations behind closed doors, if he thinks the squad isn't good enough, I don't really give a shit if he's saying it in pressers - that's lip service for us, I'd rather him be telling the person that (unfortunately) will always call the shots.

 

[Phomesy]

Our squad is actually alright. I’ve said this quite a bit. I don’t like our wide players and we could do with more in central midfield but I think it’s a half decent team.

The youth were given a run out in pre season for various reasons. They did well but .. it’s only pre season.

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You mean the FIRST 11 is actually alright.

The "squad" has many holes and not enough robust first 11 quality to push for spots or cover when injuries strike. We went into the season with no decent cover at right back OR left back. Richarlison can't get on the pitch so if Solanke's out there's no cover.

 

[Deuterz]

How is it being a dream job a negative? I'd much rather that than a Jose or a Conte gloating about past achievements and not giving a damn about us. And before you say 'that's because you're Australian', that goes for Poch too, it's like we all forgot that before Ange got appointed we were dreaming of a manager who wouldn't treat it as a burden.

We'll agree to disagree that he's a yes men, as recently as this morning he basically admitted that Reguilon and Spence weren't good enough or seriously in his plans, he also said that we need to spend more in the final third in upcoming transfer windows. But moreso isjust because he isn't going into a presser calling every player shit, and dampening expectations at every turn, doesn't mean he's not having this conversations behind closed doors, if he thinks the squad isn't good enough, I don't really give a shit if he's saying it in pressers - that's lip service for us, I'd rather him be telling the person that (unfortunately) will always call the shots.

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It’s not a bad thing. It’s the biggest positive about Ange!

BUT it’s also a fact - he’s not going to do what Jose or Conte did because he can’t! He hasn’t built up that reputation in Europe and if he threw wobblies he would struggle to get another job here.

I dunno what he’s saying behind closed doors, but Ange is never gonna rock the boat. He will stay quiet, mumble that he’s the manager and it’s his responsibility and rinse and repeat.

 

[Richard Splash]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this post. You're so right (apart from the Double season, obviously), and as long as we finish in a respectable position in the league, I'd rather win a trophy than finish 4th.

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I forgot about the double side - I wasn’t alive to see it either unfortunately.

If I was offered the choice over the next decade - 1. We win faaack all but we finish in the CL spots each season
2. We finish between 8 and 14th over the next 10 seasons but we win a league cup, FA cup and Europa league in that decade.

Easiest decision ever.

Win a cup and no one gives a shit about taking 1 point from Ipswich and Fulham at home.

 

[Phomesy]

It’s not a bad thing. It’s the biggest positive about Ange!

BUT it’s also a fact - he’s not going to do what Jose or Conte did because he can’t! He hasn’t built up that reputation in Europe and if he threw wobblies he would struggle to get another job here.

I dunno what he’s saying behind closed doors, but Ange is never gonna rock the boat. He will stay quiet, mumble that he’s the manager and it’s his responsibility and rinse and repeat.

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This is true of most managers though, right?

Certainly anyone who agrees to come knows the score by now, so it's not gonna change whoever Levy hires next

 

[Ionman34]

No prem manager will do this. They can’t afford to focus on the future. It’s now. You can lose a handful of games and get sacked.

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EVERY Prem manager focuses on the future when they're building a squad. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.

The most successful manager in Prem history was continually looking to the future. That's how he managed to dominate the Prem for so long.

Under Poch, we were told it was a 5 year project, but he over performed. Wasn't he focussing on the future when he was saying the squad needed refreshing? Wasn't it looking to the future when it's a 5 year project?

Wasn't Arteta looking to the future when he was rolling out the "trust the project" meme?

Players age and get bought. Every club has player churn, so they are constantly looking at succession planning for the future.

For fans it's about the now. The only managers who would be thinking about the now are those brought in to save a sinking ship. Even then, they'll still have an eye to the future should they successfully save that sinking ship.