Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has suggested that some of the criticism directed his way is “offensive” and down to his “silly accent.”
The Australian manager has been routinely lambasted for his stubborn attacking approach at Tottenham since taking over as manager last summer. The criticism has been amped up this season, with Tottenham in 10th place in the league, having won just two of their last seven games in all competitions.
Spurs’ perennially front-footed approach was again evident in their chaotic Carabao Cup quarterfinal win over Manchester United, where the hosts nearly succumbed to late comeback despite going 3-0 up.
Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher questioned Postecoglou’s tactics after the game, calling on Spurs players to take a stand against their manager and adopt a more pragmatic approach.
Postecoglou said he welcomes criticism of his football philosophy but said the tenor of some of it is unacceptable.
“I think with someone like Jamie, he’s there to give his opinion. He’s not going to stand there and say, well, I’ve got nothing to say. He’s going to give an opinion. Some of the other stuff that I don’t understand because I think it’s just about getting some headlines. But again, if you react to that, then it’s more about yourself than anything else,” he told a news conference on Friday.
“There’s some stuff out there that I find, and at the appropriate time, I’ll call it out, just offensive towards me. I’ll just think, you know what? I know. I’m up here. I’ve got a silly accent. Maybe they take things as seriously as people want me to and fairly dismissive of me. But that’s all right. I love my life, and I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, mate.”
The 59-year-old has found a surprising source of support in Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who has praised him for re-establishing Tottenham’s identity ahead of the Premier League clash between the sides on Sunday.
“I appreciate the kind words from somebody who is making his own impact in the game. I think most fellow managers whether they agree with my approach will understand where I’m coming from. That respect is mutual for me. We’ve all got really difficult tasks and we go about it in our way. I appreciate the sentiment,” he said.
“Arne has come in and it is not easy when you are taking over from somebody with the status of Jürgen Klopp but you know they’re very settled as a team, they’ve got quality within the starting XI. They’ve dealt with things, you know last week, they were a man down, they’ve got real belief at the moment,” he added.
“They are the stand out team in the competition so far. But again, on our day when we play our football we’re a pretty good opposition.”
