Ange Postecoglou says he empathises with Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag and feels constant criticism has made the ‘impossible job’ of football management “even more impossible”.
Postecoglou has recently averted a crisis of his own at Tottenham, with three wins on the bounce easing pressure at Spurs, who had made a difficult start to the season before beating Coventry City, Brentford and Qarabag in the last week.
United, meanwhile, are 11th in the Premier League — one place below Tottenham — and head into Sunday’s meeting with Spurs at Old Trafford on the back of disappointing draws with Crystal Palace and Dutch side FC Twente.
The Spurs head coach was asked what he makes of the constant noise that surrounds United and, in particular, Ten Hag’s position as manager.
“It’s hard for me to say, because I think everyone deals with it differently”, Postecoglou said.
“You have to understand that it’s just part of your existence these days as a manager.
“I don’t know who coined the phrase ‘the impossible job’, but I think it’s become even more impossible now because it seems like success is not enough if it doesn’t have identity, [and] identity is not enough unless it’s followed by aesthetics. Aesthetics are not enough unless they’re followed by legacy.
“There’s always another layer. It seems like no one is doing a good job unless you win the competition at the end of the year.”
An impassioned Postecoglou added: “There doesn’t seem to be any sort of understanding of progress or the circumstances that people have to work under at times.
“But it’s just the nature of the role. I don’t think that’s going to change. I guess it’s about how you respond to it, how you react to it, how you let it affect you.
“The more experience you have maybe the better you deal with these things.
“Although maybe a young manager who is growing up in this maybe deals with it even better than somebody who is like me and come through different eras of how managers are assessed.”
Manchester United have won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in just over two seasons with Ten Hag at the helm, and Postecoglou believes it is harsh that many still feel he should be replaced as United manager despite having won more silverware than most managers in the Premier League.
“I think if Erik hadn’t won anything last year, they would be saying he’s just got to win something and everything will be alright”, Postecoglou said.
“That’s probably why I rail against it, because it’s a trap you can fall into, thinking all I have to do [at Tottenham] is win something and everyone is going to love me and think I’m doing a great job. That doesn’t exist.
“That’s why I keep saying the focus is on trying to build a group that can have the opportunity to have sustainable success. I think you need to do that because success isn’t guaranteed.
“But if you can create something that gives you the opportunity for it on a year-on-year basis, then I think you’ve got more chance of creating a period where the club can undeniably see itself as a contender.”
