Ange Postecoglou has been discussing the working relationship he has with his Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy. And, by the sounds of it, he won’t be following Mauricio Pochettino’s example any time soon.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing Postecoglou and Pochettino. Both managers have become known for their penchant for attacking football and their general likeability when speaking to the press.
The two popular figures obviously have strong connections to Tottenham, and despite Pochettino now managing bitter rivals Chelsea, few Spurs fans will be quick to forget what he did for their club during his tenure.
Pochettino’s positive relationship with Daniel Levy was well-documented over the course of his five-year spell with Spurs. Now, Postecoglou is the one trying to navigate that particular dynamic, and he appears to be going the right way about it.
Postecoglou just wants Daniel Levy’s trust
In his latest press conference (via Football.London), Postecoglou made it clear he is not looking to be best friends with Levy, he just wants to earn his trust.
He said: “My relationship with Daniel is pretty consistent with the relationships with all the people I’ve worked with at other clubs that have major influence as decision-makers.
“I need them to believe in me. That’s the basic core of it and you can get to that space in many different ways. It doesn’t mean you have to socialise with them, it doesn’t mean you have to talk to them every day.
“It’s about gaining their trust and belief, because without [that], I can’t do what I want to do. I can’t make decisions around staff, bringing players in, all these things unless the people above me have total faith and trust.”
As an aside, Postecoglou was asked whether he would be planning a trip to Argentina to go white water rafting with Levy, just as Pochettino once did. As you may expect, the Australian had a fun response: “Nah, it’s not happening. Nothing against Daniel but I’m not going white water rafting.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I’m still yet to hear an answer from Postecoglou on any topic that is anything less than perfect. The guy just gets it, on every level. From his tactics, to his man-management, and now down to this working relationship he’s got. He just gets everything spot on.