Ange insider makes 'growing pressure' claim over Tottenham boss as Rangers factor into massive 3-game stretch
A pundit has weighed in on Ange Postecoglou’s tactical approach ahead of Rangers vs Tottenham.
On Thursday evening, Rangers will take on Tottenham Hotspur in the group stage of the Europa League - and the opposition will have a familiar face leading them in the manager’s dugout.
It will mark the first time that Rangers have squared off against Ange Postecoglou since he left Celtic to join Tottenham in the summer of 2023. Their fortunes against the Australian head coach have been mixed - but former Manchester United player Mark Bosnich thinks he knows what Postecoglou’s key tactical weakness is.
Bosnich is very familiar with Postecoglou’s work, having been a pundit in Australia during his time as manager of the Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory. Furthermore, Postecoglou also managed the Australian national team from 2013 to 2017.
One thing he noticed about the Spurs boss is his stubbornness with his tactical setup - even in the face of a hard counter, Postecoglou will not alter his approach. While Bosnich thinks this is an admirable mindset to have in football, he thinks it is inevitable that he will need to ‘tweak things’ over the course of a season.
He thinks this is especially true in the Premier League, where nothing is ever certain. Furthermore, he feels it is unrealistic to stick to one plan when so many games are played over the course of a season.
During his playing career, Bosnich turned out for clubs such as Aston Villa, Chelsea and Sydney United. He also made a handful of appearances for the Australian national team, winning 17 caps for his country and scoring a single goal along the way.
What did Mark Bosnich say about Ange Postecoglou?
Speaking with Sky Sports, Bosnich said: “I've always had this debate with Ange, going back 12 years when he began coaching in Australia and I worked on TV. I understood his point that any manager should not change his philosophy.
“But I said to him all those years ago, there will be a time when you're managing in the Premier League and you will be playing three games a week. You won't have all your players because of injury and suspensions, and you'll find you need to tweak things.
“His stock reply was, 'My Plan B is to do Plan A better'. Ange is finding out right now that when you get to the very top level you need the ability to tweak things a bit when things aren't going so well.
“What's getting on a lot of Spurs fans' nerves is the inconsistency. They have a massive week ahead of them now. They have Rangers and Southampton away, and then the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Manchester United at home.
“Ange is under growing pressure, there's no doubt about that. It all comes down to the fact that their results this season are just not good enough for a team of Tottenham's calibre.
“It's now time for him to have a heart to heart with the players, and understand there are things some of his squad can do and things some players just can't do. There's no problem with that, but you just have to cut your cloth accordingly.”