Frank McAvennie delivers Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham verdict as Celtic icon compares treble-winners to 1988 centenary team

The former West Ham, Celtic and Scotland striker was speaking as a special guest at Tam Cowan’s ‘Aff The Baw’ night in Glasgow’s city centre.
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Frank McAvennie is hopeful Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will stick around for at least one more season at Parkhead amid strong links to the vacant Tottenham Hotspur job.

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However, Celts icon McAvennie can’t see Postecoglou working alongside Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and reckons it would be a “mistake” if he decides to move on, with the long-term future of top goalscorer Harry Kane also in serious doubt.

Speaking at Tam Cowan’s ‘Aff the Baw’ event at Blackfriars in the Merchant City, McAvennie said: “I think it will be a mistake if he does go, especially to Tottenham because I can’t see him working with Daniel Levy. He’s sacked more people than I’ve ever met. José Mourinho got them to a cup final and he sacked him just two days beforehand.

“Don’t get me wrong, Ange will be offered fortunes. But if Harry Kane decides to leave Tottenham then he’s in big trouble. I’m hoping we’ll get another year out of him, I really do.

“I think he wants another crack at Europe. We’re not going to win the Champions League but if he can get the team finishing third (in the group stages) after Christmas then you get into the Europa League. That will be hard depending on what teams you draw, but that would be my thinking.

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“I’ve heard the rumours about David Moyes but if he comes then his style of play wouldn’t be anywhere near as good to watch. Listen, he’s got some great players at West Ham like (Lucas) Paqueta who plays for Brazil and learned to play football on a beach. He’s passing the ball backwards and sideways and you can tell he’s not happy.”

Asked how Celtic’s highly successful double-winning team of 1988 led by Billy McNeill, which marked the club’s centenary, would compare to the current potential treble-winning squad assembled by Postecoglou, McAvennie replied: “I don’t know, it’s hard to say. I’m obviously going to stick up for my own team at the time because how good would we have been if you weren’t allowed to tackle like you are nowadays?

Frank McAvennie of Celtic celebrates after the 1988 Scottish Cup Final win over Dundee UnitedFrank McAvennie of Celtic celebrates after the 1988 Scottish Cup Final win over Dundee United
Frank McAvennie of Celtic celebrates after the 1988 Scottish Cup Final win over Dundee United

“Players can’t tackle now, they can’t do anything. We had boys who wanted to go and attack the ball like Mick McCarthy, Roy Aitken, Peter Grant and Paul McStay who was world-class. There’s nobody in that current side who would get anywhere near him.

“Myself and Andy (Walker) up front scored a lot of goals. Players so disciplined and ball-watch nowadays, they don’t know what’s behind them. Last week, I saw a St Mirren player launch the ball long at every opportunity because he knew the defence wasn’t up to it. They’re missing (Cameron) Carter-Vickers at the moment.

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“The only player who wants the ball is Carl Starfelt and he doesn’t like to header the ball. I think it would be a good game between us, a lot of goals. People say to me it’s all about fitness now, but we used to run around Strathclyde Park for fun. I hated it but you had to do it and teams don’t do that now. We used to score goals in the 94th minute and had the same mantra as Ange, we never stopped, so they wouldn’t beat us for stamina, that’s for sure.

“I’d love to have seen Mick McCarthy up against wee Kyogo (Furuhashi), I’d have paid to see that! I guess it would depend on which team it was. If it was the Celtic team of last month then we’d have beaten them but the performance against Aberdeen last week, I think it would probably be a bit tighter.

“No matter what, it would be one hell of a game because the first eleven Ange has got is different class. I love watching them, they’re so energetic and superb to watch but they can get bullied a wee bit. I think you’ve got to adapt. I know Ange doesn’t want his teams to defend but when you’re playing a side like Real Madrid in Europe then you’ve got to do that.”

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