Crystal Palace Roy Hodgson boss not surprised by Postecoglou’s impact at Tottenham
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson says he isn’t surprised by the impact that Ange Postecoglou has had at Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Both managers have had wildly different careers. Hodgson has switched jobs over 20 times since first entering the managerial world in 1976 with Swedish club Halmstads BK. Postecoglou has also managed several different teams but in different corners of the world.
But there was a brief time when their paths kind of collided. Postecoglou was the manager of Australia from 2013 to 2017, while Hodgson was set to be brought to the land Down Under by Melbourne City FC in 2017 in an advisory role.
It seems the two got to know each other there. The two are now set to face each other in the Premier League on Friday night at Selhurst Park as Spurs aim to cement their spot at the top of the table.
Friends from different corners of the world
Asked to assess Postecoglou’s impact at Tottenham this season, the English tactician said at his pre-match press conference (h/t BBC):
“I knew Ange many years ago when I worked for a short period in Australia. I always knew his qualities as a coach and been impressed with him as a leader.”
The two seem to be on good terms with each other and we shouldn’t expect any fiery interactions on the touchline. It should always be about football once the game kicks off, anyway. Palace have had a good start to the season, with 12 points from nine matches so far.
Postecoglou’s impact at Spurs is there for all to see. We are the only team in the Premier League that is undefeated across competitions. Full stop.
That should tell you all there is to know. We have played with 10 men, against 10 men, chased the game, eked out narrow wins after protecting slender leads, and avoided defeat when the refereeing decisions were arguably going against us.
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23 points from nine games…. Spurs have never had that kind of a start to the season before. It will be interesting to see how the team reacts to having such a strong foundation and being the leaders rather than the chases.
