“I told you”: Ange Postecoglou left a shocking message to Tottenham after sacking his replacement
Ange Postecoglou left a shocking message to Tottenham after sacking his replacement
Ange Postecoglou has admitted that Thomas Frank’s dismal Premier League form ultimately made his dismissal from Tottenham Hotspur feel unavoidable, acknowledging that results at the highest level often dictate a manager’s fate regardless of wider circumstances. Frank was officially relieved of his duties on Wednesday after Spurs suffered a 2–1 defeat at home to Newcastle United, a result that intensified pressure on the Danish coach and left the north London side alarmingly close to the relegation battle. The loss to the Magpies saw Tottenham slump to 16th place in the table, just five points above the drop zone, deepening concerns among supporters and club chiefs alike.
Frank’s departure means he becomes the second full-time Tottenham manager to lose his job in the space of only seven months. Ironically, the man who preceded him in the role, Postecoglou, suffered a very similar fate not long ago. The Australian was dismissed at the end of last season after Spurs endured a miserable domestic campaign and finished 17th, narrowly avoiding relegation. Even though he guided the club to Europa League glory during his tenure — a significant continental achievement — it was not enough to convince the hierarchy to keep faith in him.
Speaking roughly eight months after his own Tottenham exit, and just four months on from another managerial setback at Nottingham Forest, Postecoglou reflected candidly on Frank’s situation. Drawing on his recent experiences, he expressed sympathy for the former Brentford boss and highlighted how brutal football management can be when results turn sour. In an appearance on The Overlap, Postecoglou said it is always difficult to watch another manager lose his job, especially when you have personally gone through similar circumstances in such a short space of time.
He suggested that it is rarely fair to place all the blame on one individual, noting that problems at a club are usually more complex than they appear from the outside. According to Postecoglou, anyone who studies the game closely will recognize that Tottenham’s struggles cannot be attributed solely to Frank, just as they could not be pinned entirely on him during his own spell. He also pointed out that the transition between managers may not have been seamless, explaining that he had built a squad tailored to a specific playing philosophy over several years, while Frank arrived with different ideas and methods.
Postecoglou went on to describe Tottenham as a “curious club,” implying that there are deeper structural or cultural issues that make the job uniquely challenging. His remarks hinted that managerial changes alone may not be enough to resolve the team’s ongoing inconsistency, as underlying problems can persist regardless of who is standing in the technical area.
In essence, Postecoglou’s comments painted a picture of empathy rather than criticism. Having experienced the same harsh realities himself, he appeared to understand why Frank’s tenure came to an abrupt end, while also stressing that the situation reflects the unforgiving nature of modern football, where patience is scarce and results often outweigh long-term planning.