Tribal Football

Tottenham boss Postecoglou feels for Ten Hag over Man Utd job pressure

Paul Vegas
Tottenham boss Postecoglou feels for Ten Hag over Man Utd job pressure
Tottenham boss Postecoglou feels for Ten Hag over Man Utd job pressureAction Plus
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou says he has sympathy for Erik ten Hag over the speculation with his job at Manchester United.

Spurs go to Old Trafford this weekend.

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“It’s hard for me to say, because I think everyone deals with it differently”, Postecoglou said.

“You have to understand that it’s just part of your existence these days as a manager.

“I don’t know who coined the phrase ‘the impossible job’, but I think it’s become even more impossible now because it seems like success is not enough if it doesn’t have identity, identity is not enough unless it’s followed by aesthetics. Aesthetics are not enough unless they’re followed by legacy.

“There’s always another layer. It seems like no one is doing a good job unless you win the competition at the end of the year.”

Postecoglou added: “There doesn’t seem to be any sort of understanding of progress or the circumstances that people have to work under at times.

“But it’s just the nature of the role. I don’t think that’s going to change. I guess it’s about how you respond to it, how you react to it, how you let it affect you.

“The more experience you have maybe the better you deal with these things.

“Although maybe a young manager who is growing up in this maybe deals with it even better than somebody who is like me and come through different eras of how managers are assessed.”

Ten Hag has won the FA Cup and League Cup as United manager, but remains under pressure.

“I think if Erik hadn’t won anything last year, they would be saying he’s just got to win something and everything will be alright”, Postecoglou said.

“That’s probably why I rail against it, because it’s a trap you can fall into, thinking all I have to do  is win something and everyone is going to love me and think I’m doing a great job. That doesn’t exist.

“That’s why I keep saying the focus is on trying to build a group that can have the opportunity to have sustainable success. I think you need to do that because success isn’t guaranteed.

“But if you can create something that gives you the opportunity for it on a year-on-year basis, then I think you’ve got more chance of creating a period where the club can undeniably see itself as a contender.”