'26 years of hard graft' - Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou demands 'more respect' for his work at Spurs amid 'dismissive' criticism as he calls out pundit Jamie Carragher

Despite leading Spurs to back-to-back victories in recent fixtures, including a thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, Postecoglou believes his approach is not being given the respect it deserves. The Australian tactician, known for his attacking philosophy, questioned whether some of the scepticism stems from his background and willingness to defy conventional practices in English football.

Speaking to reporters, Postecoglou said: "It’s not the first time in my career. You kind of feel that 26 years of hard graft [as a manager] should get you a little more respect and I'm not the only one. I have seen it happen to other managers. I saw it happen to Unai. I saw it happen to Nuno when he was here.

“I said last week that we have crossed the Rubicon in terms of how we treat people sometimes. I get that not everyone will be a fan of the way I do things and even the way I play. People will have different opinions – that’s normal, that’s healthy. But some of it has been pretty dismissive.”

In the dramatic quarter-final clash against United, Spurs raced to a 3-0 lead only to weather a late resurgence, ultimately emerging 4-3 victors. While the result showcased Tottenham’s attacking prowess, it also reignited debates over their high-risk tactical approach. Carragher, during Sky Sports' coverage, suggested that Postecoglou’s team “never change how they play" irrespective of the game situation.

Carragher said: “My criticism over Tottenham under the manager is they never change how they play no matter what the game state is. I don’t think football should be played the same from minute 1-90.”

In response to Carragher’s comments, Postecoglou remained unshaken, saying, “Jamie Carragher, mate…you can name him, he’ll enjoy that. People tell me he likes me as a person, so that’s important to me.”

The Tottenham boss added that while differing opinions are natural, he does not seek validation for his methods.

"Look, it’s all valid, it’s all valid but I don’t need validation from anybody to do what I do," he said.

"Whether you agree with my approach or not, there is validity in both and I don’t have an issue with that. I love the fact people are talking about our games and analysing our games. I think that is important as well for this football club and I’d rather that than us be anonymous and no one talk about us, or we’re just grinding out an existence. I like the fact and as I’ve always said, you have to be prepared for scrutiny, you have to be prepared for criticism and it’s how you react to that, that is more important.

"I think it is healthy if it’s coming from the right sort of place. Someone like Jamie, he is there to give his opinion and will not stand there and say, ‘I’ve got nothing to say,’ he’ll give an opinion. Some of the other stuff I kind of don’t understand because I think it’s just about getting headlines, but again if you react to that it kind of says more about yourself than anything else.”

Tottenham face a significant challenge on Sunday when they host Premier League leaders Liverpool. They are 10th in the Premier League standings and will look to build on their momentum by registering a third straight victory.