Risky Spurs job may get Ange’s juices flowing
ANGE POSTECOGLOU is no stranger to having his name on a list. For football clubs, he’s the perennial Plan B, C or D. Tottenham have failed to land Julian Nagelsmann and Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, so the Celtic manager is now reported to be under serious consideration. Former Melbourne City and City Group executive Scott Munn checks in at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the club’s chief football officer on July 1. And the appointment of another Aussie, suited to the way Spurs play the game, carries a certain logic. Spurs fans who think the SPFL is a pub league are less sure. With Postecoglou, it was always thus. Pitching up in Glasgow when Eddie Howe had a late change of heart, journalists and Celtic fans struggled to see past the Australian passport. Two years later, he stands on the cusp of five trophies in two seasons. And people — in Scotland at least — have grown used to the taste of humble pie. While Celtic will try to keep their manager at Parkhead, there has to be some realism here. Born in Greece, raised in Australia, Postecoglou might relate to the values the club stand for. That doesn’t mean he’s bound to them. Hurtling towards his 58th birthday, his managerial stock might never be hotter than it is now. And there’s no way of knowing when — or if — he’ll reach a tipping point at Celtic. If a club as trigger-happy as Tottenham come along waving a cheque for £10million a year, it might feel like danger money. Compared to the familiarity of four games a season against Motherwell and Dundee, an element of competitive risk might get the juices flowing. Circumstance will dictate how any move is perceived. While Brendan Rodgers bailed out mid-season, a move to a substantial club in the close season would be easier for supporters to swallow. No one should harbour any illusions over this. Managers now take jobs at Celtic and Rangers with one eye on the English Premier League. They come, they go and the world keeps on turning.