Ange Postecoglou told he's been a 'breath of fresh air' for Tottenham as Daniel Levy admits Jose Mourinho & Antonio Conte appointments were 'mistakes'

Ange Postecoglu Tottenham 2023-24Getty Images
  • Levy praises Postecoglou
  • Conte and Mourinho hires 'mistakes'
  • Spurs unbeaten in Premier League

WHAT HAPPENED? The Spurs chairman has expressed his delight over the impact of Postecoglou, who has kept the club unbeaten in the Premier League so far in 2023-24 and taken them up to second in the Premier League table. Levy appreciates Postecoglou's straightforwardness and believes he understands the Spurs DNA in a way that his predecessors Conte and Mourinho did not.

WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking at a fan forum, the Tottenham chief said: "It was very easy because Ange I would say is just a normal bloke and it was wonderful to be able to have a conversation with him where we could talk about anything and he was very direct and honest. I like someone who just tells me as it is, no one who plays games, no one who says one thing to me and then one thing to someone else. This club needed to go back to its roots.

"Honestly, there was a lot of pressure on me to bring in somebody that was a big name. I just wanted somebody who understood our DNA, would play attacking football, that would give young players a chance, believe in the academy, would build a relationship with the fans and understand the resources that we have and don't have as a club and be part of a team. Ange, I have to say, is a breath of fresh air."

Article continues below

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Levy added on Spurs' struggles under Conte and Mourinho: "I want to win as much as everybody else, but the frustration of not winning and the pressure from maybe some players and from a large element of the fanbase, that we need to win, we need to spend money, we need to have a big manager, we need to have a big name, it affected me. I had gone through a period where we'd almost won. With Mauricio [Pochettino], we went through some very good times. We didn't quite get there but we came very close and we had a change in strategy.

"The strategy was 'let's bring in a trophy manager'. We did it twice and look you have to learn from your mistakes. They're great managers but maybe not for this club. We want to play in a certain way and if that means it has to take a little bit longer to win maybe it's the right thing for us. That's why bringing Ange in was from my point of view the right decision."

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Daniel Levy Tottenham 2023Getty

Antonio Conte Tottenham 2022-23Getty

Jose Mourinho TottenhamGetty Images

WHAT NEXT? Tottenham will next face rivals Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday.