Ange Postecoglou next move after Tottenham predicted as pundit addresses Celtic return with a caveat

Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is on the lookout for his next managerial role of his career after being sacked as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

The 59-year-old was relieved of his duties on 6 June, exactly two years on from his arrival in North London despite guiding the Lillywhites to their first major honour in 17 years. A club statement from the board explained that Postecoglou will always be remembered for guiding the team to victory against Manchester United in the Europa League final. They could not base their decision solely on "emotions aligned to this triumph.”

The Spurs board explained: “"We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

“However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.”

What went wrong for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham?

Ange Postecoglou is known for playing an exciting brand of football with a high-line and plenty of intensity, and it was exactly this which made him so popular at Celtic as he lifted five major honours in two hugely successful seasons. This style transferred excellently to Tottenham when he first made the move as he became the first manager in history to win the Manager of the Month award three times in a row at the start of a Premier League season as Spurs remained unbeaten all the way to 6 November while notably achieving 23 points from their first nine matches.

However, after a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea injuries and results began to take a turn for the worse, and a Spurs side that seemed destined to finish in the top four ultimately slumped to fifth to finish outside the Champions League while in May losing four league games in a row for the first time in 20 years. Despite spending big in the summer of 2024, the same patterns continued throughout last season, as Spurs slumped to 17th - their lowest finish since 1977 while losing 22 games in a single league season for the first time since before World War Two.

Postecoglou cited injuries as the main reason for his team’s problems and prioritised the cup competitions as Spurs became Europa League winners for the first time since 1984. However, despite winning a large section of fans over with the triumph, the Spurs board decided it was time for a change.

What next for Ange Postecoglou?

Celtic icon Ange Postecoglou has been touted by some supporters as a replacement for Brendan Rodgers, if the former Leicester boss doesn’t sign an extension to his contract which expires at the end of next season. However, Former Celtic and Tottenham defender Ramon Vega - who lifted the treble in 2001, is less sure about the chances of their being a second era of Angeball as he slammed Daniel Levy for making a huge mistake in sacking him.

Vega explained, via Record Sport: "Listen, from my point of view, some very, very top teams will go for him. Once you understand the difficulty of managing a team like Spurs, and winning a Cup after 17 years, you realise this man is a winner and can create something special. He just needs to be supported in the right way. In one way, it's actually good for him, because the toxicity we had at Spurs - I don't think that would be good for him anyway. He deserves much better than this, and much bigger as well.

"And I think, mark my words, he will go to a bigger level. If he can go to Celtic, it's always nice because he's been there already. Will he go there in one year's time? I think he might be snapped up beforehand by somebody. Celtic is a different ball game from Spurs. He went into the Champions League - that’s a completely different tournament. But at the same time, he's put down a marker now. He did a good job for Celtic, and he’s done a really remarkable job winning a trophy with Spurs. If he goes back, he’ll return with serious Premier League experience. That would bring massive added value to Celtic in Europe. Celtic and Champions League nights – they’re among the best in the world. Just Celtic is Celtic."

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