The hunt for a new manager at Tottenham is finally at an end with Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou named as the new head coach in N17.
After failing in attempts to make Julian Nagelsmann and Feyenoord's Arnie Slot the new Spurs boss, Postecoglou emerged as the front-runner for the position following Antonio Conte's departure from the club in March. And the Lilywhites have appointed the Australian on a four-year contract.
Postecoglou had been at Celtic for two years, with the 57-year-old leading the Hoops to a domestic treble this season after beating Inverness 3-1 in the Scottish Cup final. The Australian's style of play would be very different from what Spurs fans have experienced over the last few years, with Postecoglou's preference to attack rather than sit back and defend.
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So, could Postecoglou make a successful jump from Celtic to Spurs? We simulated next season with him in charge to try and find out.
Spurs' 2023/24 season simulated with Ange Postecoglou
To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2023 to arrange for Postecoglou to join Spurs as manager on July 1, 2023, using FM23 to run the simulation. We then simulated the 2023/24 season to see how well the Lilywhites could do with their new boss.
Postecoglou's first task as Spurs manager was transfers, and the Australian made a big call that would possibly anger some fans, with the 57-year-old opting against signing Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent transfer, instead bringing Jota with him from Celtic. Along with the Portuguese winger, Postecoglou signed RB Leipzig duo Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Simakan, Southampton and former Spurs defender Kyle Walker-Peters, whilst the gap left behind by Hugo Lloris was filled by Brentford's David Raya.
At the end of the 2023/24 season, Football Manager 2023 put together an overall best Spurs XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Full Spurs best XI: (4-3-3): Raya; Porro, Romero, Simakan, Perisic; Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Szoboszlai; Jota, Kane, Son.
Four of the five summer signings were included in Spurs' best XI, with Walker-Peters missing out as Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic occupied the full-back positions. It was another poor season for Richarlison who scored just once all season, whilst Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur joined Szoboszlai in the midfield three, despite Tanguy Ndombele having a great campaign on his return to the squad under Postecoglou.
Spurs' results with Postecoglou from the 2023/24 season
The Australian found life in N17 difficult for the first few months of the season, with his side shipping goals and struggling for points. After 13 games, Spurs had picked up just four wins with the pressure mounting on Postecoglou, but he avoided the sack, leading his side to an eighth-place finish.
A much-improved second half of the season saw Spurs shoot up the table, with the Lilywhites winning eight of their last 10 games in the Premier League. Seventeen wins, seven draws and 14 defeats saw Spurs end the season with 58 points, two less than the 2022/23 season.
Levy opted to give Postecoglou time and build his project at Spurs, with his side ending the season as one of the better sides in the league. With no European football, Spurs only took part in domestic competitions, but the games fell during their worst spell as they exited both cups early.
A 2-1 loss to Championship side Southampton saw Spurs eliminated from the Carabao Cup in the quarter-finals, despite starting a full-strength side. Postecoglou went strong in the FA Cup as well, but a 3-1 defeat at home to Everton saw the Lilywhites exit the competition in the fifth round.
Overall, the Football Manager simulation predicts that Postecoglou may struggle in his first year at Spurs, with the Lilywhites missing out on a European spot for the second consecutive season in the simulation. A poor start to life in north London saw the Australian's job come under threat, but Levy gave him time, and with time came results as they ended the season with eight wins in their last 10.
Do you think Postecoglou would be a good fit for Spurs? Let us know in the comments below!
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