Ange Postecoglou has channeled the spirit of Monty Python to defy talk he inspires fellow Premier League managers with his attacking style, following Liverpool boss Arne Slott’s glowing praise of his methods.
Slott said on Friday he hoped Postecoglou would win the title at Tottenham after the two sides met in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, meaning they would meet three times in the next two months, starting with Sunday’s Premier League clash : Sky Sports.
Asked to respond to Slott’s comments, Postecoglou jokingly quoted Life of Brian from the 1979 Monty Python film to initially neutralize his opposite number’s kind words.
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He laughed. “I am not an evangelist. To quote Monty Python, I’m just a naughty little boy.
“(Slott’s opinion) is what I love about football. There have to be differences, people who are willing to do things a little differently.
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Liverpool boss Arne Slott has heaped praise on Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash.
“There’s that variety, that opinion that lets the emotion seep in. I hate to think that I’m just a showman or something. I want to win.”
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Highlights from Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United on Thursday night.
“That’s still the core of who I am, I hate losing, I want to win and be successful.
“I’m so driven by it every day and have been my whole career, but I feel like if I can play like this and win, it makes an impact.
“We all want to make a little bit of a mark, and I want it to be mine. We were successful and we won, but maybe in a slightly different way. I think it sticks in people’s minds a little bit longer.
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Postecoglou praised the performances of 18-year-old Archie Gray filling in at centre-back after he helped them reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
“Will we ever get there? Some will say we’re a long way off. But I’m determined to bring success to this football club and hopefully make an impact.”
References to the film continued after Postecoglou was compared to Maximus from Gladiator, to which he replied: that, I’m already in trouble with Monty Python.”
Slot: Spurs fans tell me they want us to play like this
Postecoglou has faced criticism from some Tottenham fans, some of which he admitted has been painful here, at times for refusing to change his tactics as the club made it two wins from nine before seeing off Manchester United on Thursday night.
He responded more broadly to “offensive” criticism of his methods and questioned whether his “stupid accent” played a role in them.
But ahead of Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur, he made no apologies for his style, defending his philosophy long before Spurs hand him in as Antonio Conte’s permanent successor in the summer of 2023.
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Jamie Carragher has said that Tottenham are the most entertaining team in England after Spurs’ victory against Manchester United.
“When I came in, I made it clear and I think the club knew what I was about,” he said. “I wasn’t going in and doing anything I hadn’t done before.
“My impression is what the club wanted. Of course they want to win, they all do. But they wanted to do it in a certain way and I was excited about it.
“Whether the fans generally understand or appreciate that, I’m not sure, but I understand from the Tottenham fans I interact with that this is what they want.
“They want to win, but they want the team to play with that kind of intent.
“It’s human nature these days. we get something we want more that doesn’t satisfy us i just think whatever makes you happy keep it and cherish it embrace it.
“It doesn’t have to be more. Appreciate something for what it is, but we all have those people in our lives. We also have that uncle who says it’s raining outside, even if you just You just won. The lottery is about your outlook on life.”
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