Since his appointment as Tottenham’s head coach, I’ve been following Mr Ange Postecoglou more closely, mostly through his games and interviews. Being more intrigued about his philosophy and approach, I decided to pick up and read one of the books written about him, the most recent one, Revolution: The Man, The Methods And The Mastery by John Greechan.
I got to know about Ange Postecoglou during my days in Australia when he was just starting out as a new head coach for Brisbane Roars – one of the big football (soccer) clubs in Queensland. At that time, I still remember how soccer wasn’t at all popular in high-school. I always thought it was odd how few of my classmates in Australia knew about the Champions League. To the contrary, there I was, presenting powerpoint presentations about my all-time football idol Ricardo Kaka during english class. In this scenario, to my disadvantage, I couldn’t really navigate through football to make friends and hence had to pick up other sports such as cricket and Aussie rules fairly quickly to fit in better.
Having lived through this, I can easily relate to Postecoglou when he speaks about his challenges back in the day and how Australia as a nation is still to this day, yet to fully embrace this global sport and provide the necessary resources for it to flourish with Australian talent. All I can say is that there’s definitely potential, and it would be a shame not to give it a proper try.
Now, returning to the man himself, as I mentioned earlier, I quickly developed a liking for him after just hearing him speak a few times. I believe that most football fans in the UK at the moment, are also growing fond of him, regardless of whether they support Tottenham or not. He possesses many qualities that make him an excellent communicator, an outstanding leader, and an overall remarkable individual. Reading in-depth about the events of his life and understanding how he got to where he is today was exciting. I think he’s someone to keep an eye on, even beyond the world of football.
Below I’ve noted a few aspects of Ange that I admire; his characteristics and beliefs, which I think can resonate with anyone aiming for significant achievements in their life while intending to make a positive impact:
- Hone your own philosophy – “your philosophy (in this case for team management) has to come from something within you, reflect who you are as a person. It starts with understanding who you are as a person. When you are under pressure, you will fall back on who you are.”
- Communication, get the message across well. Even under challenging circumstances, Ange successfully communicated his message to a Japanese team of players who didn’t speak English – “How was I going to be able to implement my ideas, when I’ve got a pretty clear sense of how I want a team to play, but the most powerful tool I use is language?”
- Having an offensive mentality – Through this approach you improve your odds of being in control and having more opportunities – “I’m going to bring you an attacking style of football you will be proud of. You won’t sit on your arse – you’re going to stand up and applaud it.”
Without a doubt, during Ange’s reign at Tottenham, the team will have my full support. If the ‘Ange effect’ replicates itself in the Premier League (which I think it will), then the club is in for a thrilling, exhilarating, and rewarding journey.