"With glory and chaos coexisting, the dismissal can be understood."

Tottenham announced on the 7th (Korean time) through its official website, "After significant consideration, the club can announce that Postecoglou has been dismissed from his position," stating, "Winning the Europa League this season is one of the greatest moments, but we cannot make a decision based on emotions. We extend our gratitude to Postecoglou and wish him well for his future."

This is a decision by Chairman Daniel Levy. Just before the official announcement, the UK 'Telegraph' reported, "Postecoglou is to be dismissed as Tottenham's manager. The decision to fire him came just weeks after winning the Europa League," adding, "Tottenham is expected to finalize the terms of Postecoglou's dismissal on Friday afternoon after he returns from vacation. Club officials learned that Chairman Daniel Levy made this final decision, and an official announcement was expected thereafter."

Postecoglou, the manager from Australia, took charge of Tottenham in the summer of 2023. He was the successor to manager Antonio Conte, who parted ways with the club during the season. Although there were many concerns since Postecoglou had no experience in Europe outside of Celtic in Scotland, he created a sensation, raising Tottenham to 1st place in the Premier League early in the season.

At this point, it seemed that Postecoglou's confident "attacking football" was flourishing. However, this did not last long. Issues began to arise with monotonous attacking tactics and excessive game management, causing gradual cracks, and, due to intense training and play, injuries emerged, leading to a collapse in the second half of the season.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou did not lose confidence. He boasted that he always won in his second year, and the Tottenham board invested the club's highest-ever transfer fee to acquire striker Dominic Solanke. However, Tottenham fell into an even more serious slump. Although they occasionally managed to fight and win against strong teams, they continually stumbled against weaker teams and failed to accumulate points.

Naturally, the anger of Tottenham fans exploded. They had been demanding the dismissal of Postecoglou for months, but Chairman Levy remained unmoved. As a result, the boos and criticisms from fans grew louder, and there were instances of clashes with Postecoglou in the stadium.

Ultimately, Postecoglou held up the championship trophy, fulfilling his promise. Tottenham defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final, claiming the top spot. Son Heung-min also finally secured his first career victory. However, Tottenham could not escape a dreadful slump in the Premier League.

Although it was right after the Europa victory, they suffered a comeback loss to Brighton with a score of 1-4 in the final match, finishing the season with a record of 11 wins, 5 draws, and 22 losses, totaling 38 points, a goal difference of -1 (64 goals scored, 65 conceded). Their ranking was 17th, the worst in club history in the Premier League. The previous low record was 15th in the 1993-1994 season.

They also set a new record for the most losses in a single league season. Tottenham's last record for 20 losses in a 38-match system dates back to the 1912-1913 season, but this time, they added 2 more losses. A total of 22 losses ties the record for the most losses in a season in club history, even extending to the 42-match system.

As the calls for dismissal intensified, Postecoglou pushed back. He said, "Honestly, I thought it was really strange to talk about my future after accomplishing something unprecedented," and added, "On the other hand, I also think, 'Why am I receiving such questions?'" However, Chairman Levy remained resolute and chose to part ways with Postecoglou.

Tottenham also has to provide a severance pay to Postecoglou. The Telegraph reported, "Postecoglou will receive about £4 million (approximately 7.4 billion won) as compensation for his dismissal. He received around £2 million (approximately 3.7 billion won) as a bonus for winning the Europa League and securing a spot in the Champions League."

Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager, and Marco Silva, the Fulham manager, are being mentioned as potential successors to Postecoglou. Initially, the coach most desired by the Tottenham board was said to be Andoni Iraola, but he is likely to re-sign with Bournemouth.

The Telegraph stated, "This decision is the most brutal of Levy's long tenure. Postecoglou kept his promises regarding success, changes in playing style, and the performance of young players," adding, "Levy is under tremendous pressure to appoint a successor superior to Postecoglou. The victory sparked enthusiastic cheers from Tottenham fans, and many changed their perceptions of Postecoglou. Levy's decision, ignoring these feelings, is expected to face backlash."

Following the dismissal of Postecoglou, various rumors have emerged. A local media outlet in Britain stated, "The injuries Tottenham sustained last season are also influenced by Postecoglou's management," mentioning, "The medical staff warned about excessive training and tactical direction, but the manager ignored it and insisted on proceeding."

The UK 'Independent' reported on Postecoglou's dismissal, stating, "Pohang University of Science and Technology POSTECH has become a historically exceptional 'irony' team that recorded both the Europa victory and the worst league performance at the same time," noting, "They won the Europa League, lifting a major trophy for the first time in 17 years, but shockingly concluded the Premier League season with 22 losses, finishing in 17th place."

This outlet analyzed, "Postecoglou received praise for reviving 'Tottenham football' early in his first year. However, the dazzling start did not last long. The club earned 26 points from the first 10 matches of the season, but managed only 78 points from the remaining 66 matches, which became grounds for dismissal. Notably, during this period, the only team in the Premier League's 17 teams that recorded fewer points than Tottenham was Wolverhampton."

In fact, the average goals conceded per match was 1.76, with a structure that was tactically overly exposed to counterattacks functioning as a critical weakness. The Independent emphasized, "The problem was not just the performance. Postecoglou reacted sensitively to criticisms that his training methods and player management affected injuries, and ultimately, the POSTECH regime came to an end after one season marked by 'glory and chaos.'"

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Tottenham, Football Insider, Squawka social media.

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