Tottenham are set to revisit the scene of Antonio Conte’s infamous outburst as they gear up for a clash with Southampton on Sunday, but current manager Ange Postecoglou remains as resolute as ever in his mission to steer the club to success.
It was after a 3-3 draw at St Mary’s in 2023 that Conte unleashed a scathing attack on his “selfish” players and appeared to challenge the board over Tottenham’s lack of silverware.
Within just over a week, Conte had parted ways with Spurs by mutual consent, ending a tumultuous 16-month tenure, paving the way for Postecoglou to take the helm. Despite having been at the helm for two months longer than Conte, Postecoglou has overseen 12 fewer games and is currently navigating an injury crisis that has seen Tottenham’s form dip, with only one win in their last eight games.
Yet, when quizzed about whether he’d consider exiting following a tirade akin to Conte’s in March 2023, Postecoglou stated: “Look, I don’t think it’s fair to comment.”
He added, “Antonio is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that.”
Emphasising his commitment, he declared, “I am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility.”
Ange Postecoglou, the former Celtic boss, has revealed his unwavering determination to see his team through tough times, stating: “I still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasn’t wavered one little bit.”
He also expressed his love for challenges: “I love a fight, I love a scrap, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it.”
Reflecting on Antonio Conte’s infamous 10-minute press conference, Postecoglou acknowledged being aware of the situation during his time at Celtic and offered insight into the mindset of a manager under pressure: “I was on Planet Earth at that time, and yes I was well aware of it,” he said with a smile. “I think you know when a manager gets to that point that there’s obviously some underlying issues.”
He further explained the rationale behind such public outbursts: “I think most of the time when managers do that they’re trying to get a reaction, trying to get some sort of impact on the team.”
Postecoglou himself didn’t shy away from making his feelings known after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Rangers, where he deemed Timo Werner’s performance as “wasn’t acceptable” at Ibrox. Werner, who was substituted at half-time due to a series of mistakes, wasn’t the only player who failed to meet expectations in Glasgow.
Postecoglou, facing a squad crunch with Spurs missing key players, has emphasised the need for fit senior players to step up their game at St Mary’s, particularly Werner.
“I’ve got no choice. Who else am I going to play? I’m pulling kids out of school, I literally am,” he said, referencing the inclusion of 16 year olds Malachi Hardy and Luca Williams-Barnett on the bench.
“That was the reasoning for me pointing it out last night. We need Timo. We need all of them.”
He added, stressing the unusual situation: “In normal times if you have a poor game, there’s a price to pay. It doesn’t exist right now. We need everybody we’ve got.”
