"A time of chaos, literally."

Global 'The Athletic' noted on the 8th (Korea time) that "Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Tottenham was marked by a coexistence of light and darkness. In the early phase of his term, he created a stir with his strong attacking football, and towards the end of his term, he lifted a trophy with defensive football," adding that "however, the league's worst record in Tottenham's history is attributed to an incomprehensible level of underperformance compared to the philosophy."

Tottenham announced through the club's official website on the 7th that "after considerable deliberation, the club can announce that Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties," stating, "Winning the UEFA Europa League this season is one of the truly great moments, but we cannot make decisions based on emotion. We thank Postecoglou and wish him well for the future."

It was a decision by chairman Daniel Levy. Just before the official announcement, the United Kingdom's 'Telegraph' reported that "Postecoglou will be dismissed as Tottenham manager. His firing was decided just weeks after winning the UEFA Europa League," adding that "Tottenham is expected to finalize the terms of Postecoglou’s dismissal on Friday afternoon after he returns from vacation. Club officials learned that Daniel Levy made the final decision, and an official announcement is expected shortly."

Postecoglou, who hails from Australia, took the helm of Tottenham in the summer of 2023. He was the successor to Antonio Conte, who parted ways during the season. There were many concerns since Postecoglou had no European experience aside from Celtic in Scotland, but he sparked a surge that took Tottenham to the top of the Premier League early in the season.

At this point, it seemed that Postecoglou’s confidence in 'attacking football' was bearing fruit. However, this did not last long. The monotonous attacking tactics began to create gaps, and injuries due to rigorous training and play occurred, causing a collapse in the second half of the season.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou did not lose his confidence. He boasted that he always won in his second year and the Tottenham board invested a record transfer fee to sign striker Dominic Solanke. However, Tottenham fell into deeper underperformance. Even if they occasionally fought and won against strong teams, they repeatedly stumbled against weaker teams, failing to collect points.

As a result, Postecoglou fulfilled his promise by lifting a trophy. Tottenham defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League final, rising to the top. Son Heung-min also finally achieved his first career victory.

However, Tottenham could not escape the worst slump in the Premier League. Particularly right after winning the Europa League, they finished their season with a final record of 11 wins, 5 draws, and 22 losses, achieving 38 points with a goal difference of -1 (64 goals scored, 65 conceded), suffering a 1-4 defeat to Brighton in their final match. Their ranking was 17th, the worst in club history in the Premier League. The previous lowest record was 15th in the 1993-1994 season.

The record for the most losses in a single season was also broken. Tottenham had not recorded more than 20 losses in a 38-game format since the 1912-1913 season, but this time they added two more losses, achieving a total of 22 losses, tying the record for the most losses in a season in club history.

'The Athletic' noted, "Postecoglou was a strong leader. He would firmly reject clumsy questions and showed trust in his players," adding, "However, despite his firm football philosophy, Postecoglou collapsed due to critical weaknesses such as injuries and rotation."

The outlet stated, "Postecoglou left respectable results on relatively smaller stages in the past, such as Celtic, Yokohama, and the Australian national team. However, he was not up to the challenge in the Premier League," adding that, "The Europa trophy was also gained through a defensive strategy that abandoned his football philosophy."

Indeed, the achievement of winning the Europa League also means "the trophy obtained by breaking his football philosophy should be acknowledged," emphasizing that "such a Postecoglou may not be suited as Tottenham's long-term manager. It started well and ended beautifully, but the chaos in between could not be avoided."

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