Fearful Charlie Nicholas admits Ange Postecoglou leaving for Tottenham would be his ultimate nightmare.
The former Celtic and Arsenal striker is a paid-up member of the Parkhead manager's fan club and his allegiances in Scotland and England have led to the rumour mill putting him on edge. Record Sport understands the 57-year-old is on Spurs' wanted list as they seek their next permanent manager months after Antonio Conte's acrimonious exit.
Tottenham are able to offer Postecoglou a gateway to the world's richest league, however, Nicholas is convinced money will not be his biggest motivation as he stands on the verge of a fifth trophy out of six during his wildly-successful stay in Glasgow's east end. But will Spurs tempt him an offer emerges? Nicholas hopes not and is convinced Celtic provide something more than potential a "torment" which lies in wait if he heads to north London.
Speaking in his Express column, the 60-year-old said: "Becoming Tottenham boss would bring a different torment to Ange Postecoglou, so I hope he doesn't turn his back on Celtic and Champions League football for the Premier League's great non-achievers. There's no denying the Spurs job is an enormous one. It would provide Postecoglou with a passageway to the real big boys in England's top flight and it would be bang-on financially.
"But I don't think money is what floats the Aussie's boat. It would be more about testing himself against the best in one of the world's top leagues. Spurs have brilliant infrastructure in terms of its stadium, academy and training ground but they are renowned for a lack of tangible success.Their last trophy came back in 2008 with the League Cup, which remains their only silverware this century. I know quite a few Tottenham fans and they aren't overly excited at the possibility of being managed by a guy who has done well at a Scottish club.
"They have a track record of appointing high-profile managers such as Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. Another one, Mauricio Pochettino, deployed a similar brand of football to Postecoglou when he was at Spurs and that didn't stop him getting sacked just six months after leading them to the 2019 Champions League final. Another issue at Tottenham is that the club could be bought over, amid reports of various interested parties. Where would a takeover leave Postecoglou? That is why he has to be so careful with his next move and the timing of it.
"I am hopeful he won't take the job because there's too much doubt surrounding Spurs just now. But I understand Postecoglou's agent and allies are quite close to Spurs, so I could be proved wrong. From a personal perspective, it would be the worst possible scenario. As a Celtic supporter and with my Arsenal connections, it would be a double whammy for me. Postecoglou has built something special at Parkhead and I'd love to see him have another crack at Europe's elite with the Hoops."
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