Paul Merson has told Ange Postecoglou to alter his style so that Tottenham Hotspur’s fortunes can change.
The English pundit warned the former Celtic boss that he isn’t managing in Scotland anymore and that his methods won’t always work at an elite level.
It comes after yet another stinging defeat for Spurs on Sunday. Despite leading Chelsea by two goals to nil, they eventually lost 4-3, making it back-to-back losses as the pressure mounts on Postecoglou. His side have won just once in their last seven outings.
Speaking live on Sky Sports (via RecordSport) after yesterday’s defeat, Merson warned the 59-year-old about his methods: “I don’t want to have a go because I like Ange and I like watching Tottenham play,” he said.
“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 counter-attack’.”
While Postecoglou’s setup might come under fire, he will never change, and that’s something Merson, and several figures within English football, just don’t get.
The ex-Celtic boss is stubborn and set in his ways regarding his tactics because wherever he has gone, they have brought him success and, most importantly, silverware.
The fruits of Postecoglou’s labour aren’t yet coming through in North London, but if the owner and fans grant him enough time and trust his proven track record of winning trophies, their fortunes could change.
Although Postecoglou hit the ground running and brought success to Celtic immediately, elsewhere, that hasn’t been the case. He’s taken a while to settle into several clubs and fully see the benefits of his endeavours shine through. That looks to be the case at Tottenham, yet fans are growing increasingly impatient with the current results.
