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Ange Postecoglou is potentially 90 minutes away from proving he always wins trophies in his second seasons at a club as Tottenham prepares to take on Man United in the Europa League final.
Ange Postecoglou may have uttered the line that defines his time at Tottenham Hotspur before a ball was even kicked in his second season.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, the Australian was characteristically bold: “Usually in my second season I win things. That’s the whole idea. The first year is about establishing principles and creating a foundation. Hopefully, the second year is going on to win things.”
After a rocky start — including a bruising 1-0 home loss to Arsenal — few would have blamed him for tempering expectations.
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Instead, Postecoglou doubled down: “I’ll correct myself — I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year, nothing’s changed,” he insisted. “I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”
It’s more than just bravado. Since stepping into senior professional management in 2009, Postecoglou has built a reputation for delivering silverware in his sophomore seasons — whether in Australia, Japan, Scotland or with the national team.
This week, he has the chance to do the same in north London as Spurs prepare to face Manchester United in the Europa League final — a match that could return European silverware to Tottenham for the first time in over four decades.
The Blueprint from South Melbourne to Spurs
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Postecoglou’s first major triumph came at South Melbourne, where he won the league title in his second year as head coach — a club where he had once starred as a player.
But more than trophies, it was there that his football philosophy was forged under the influence of Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás.
“I spent a lot of time chatting about football with him,” Postecoglou said in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. “People talk a lot about me being an attacking coach, and that was where the seed was sown.”
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Puskás, far more expressive and expansive than the conservative coaches Postecoglou had previously worked under, encouraged ball control, positional freedom, and aggressive attacking play — traits that have become hallmarks of his teams.
From South Melbourne, Postecoglou’s career veered through youth national team roles, an infamous TV interview that nearly derailed his ambitions, and a modest Greek club job. Yet through it all, his belief in his methods never wavered.
Redemption at Brisbane
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His transformation of Brisbane Roar remains a textbook case. Appointed partway through the 2009-10 campaign, Postecoglou used the remainder of that season to lay tactical foundations. Brisbane finished second-bottom — but no one panicked.
With no relegation threat in the A-League’s closed format, he rebuilt calmly, signing technically gifted players and instilling his vision during pre-season.
The next season, Brisbane were unstoppable: 65 points, one loss in 30 games, and a title secured after a dramatic penalty shootout in the Grand Final. The players bought in completely.
“It became an obsession,” said Matt Smith, a defender Postecoglou signed ahead of that campaign. “We were so focused and fascinated by improvement... We knew, with the style of football that we were playing, that we were going to get the results in the end.”
That same obsessive focus on process has helped Postecoglou hold Spurs together in a campaign of highs and lows. As with Brisbane, he’s made tough calls — allowing veterans like Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier and Davinson Sánchez to leave, replacing them with young, physically dynamic players such as Micky van de Ven, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert.
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Winning Australia their first Trophy in Decades
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The parallels with his time coaching Australia are also striking. Appointed in 2013 with the Socceroos in disarray, Postecoglou overhauled the squad, betting on young talent ahead of the 2014 World Cup. The campaign was tough — three group-stage losses — but invaluable.
Just seven months later, his youthful side lifted the 2015 Asian Cup on home soil, riding the momentum of a clear identity and Postecoglou’s rousing man-management.
“He really tapped into his motivational side,” said former Socceroos defender Jason Davidson. “He made every player explain what playing for the national team meant. It brought us together.”
At Spurs, Postecoglou has reached for similar tools — referencing the “Stonecutter’s Credo” (the idea of persistence through unseen effort) before key matches, a metaphor designed to keep belief strong even as results fluctuate.
Could the Trend Continue against Man United in the Europa League Final?
Even as tactical tweaks — such as a more cautious 4-2-3-1 setup in the Europa League semi-final — have shown flexibility, the essence of Postecoglou’s leadership remains unchanged. He builds identity first, demands buy-in, and uses belief as his team’s driving force.
On Wednesday night against Manchester United, he’ll hope to complete the pattern that has followed him across continents and clubs. For Spurs fans, tired of promise without end product, belief in the “Ange Way” could finally yield silverware.
And if he does win?
Then maybe that bold statement won’t just define his Tottenham tenure — it’ll define a legacy.
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