Ange Postecoglou does not currently feel worthy of the Tottenham fans’ support but has promised to try bring them joy after being inspired by Australian singer Nick Cave.
It has been a difficult 2023 for Spurs after the club’s trophy drought extended and record goalscorer Harry Kane departed on the eve of the new Premier League season, but there is overwhelming support for Postecoglou.
The new man in the Tottenham hotseat was this week reminded of football’s significance to supporters when he listened to a podcast between Louis Theroux and his compatriot Cave.
“It is not about making the fans happy, it is about giving them joy and joy comes from suffering,” Postecoglou said ahead of Manchester United’s visit on Saturday.
“I am saying that because I listened to a podcast during the week and I thought it was a great description of what football is about.
“I am at that funny stage where supporters have been very, very supportive but I don’t expect that nor do I feel worthy of it.
“I still need to prove myself to our fans and the people at the club by our deeds rather than our words.
“Hopefully at the moment we are giving them sort of belief in what we’re trying to create but we need to back it up on a weekly basis.
“We need our supporters behind us. We want the Tottenham ground to be a place where the energy is all on our side, so hopefully that happens tomorrow.”
Postecoglou was serenaded for a number of minutes by the away fans at Brentford last weekend and a tifo display is planned for his first competitive home match in charge.
But he admitted: “It means a lot but I’m not comfortable with it. You love what it means because for the most part it’s blind faith.
“I haven’t yet delivered anything. Hopefully when the day comes that we deliver as a team it will mean something different then.
“I don’t dismiss it either, that’s people taking a huge leap of faith on me as an individual and I appreciate that. It’s a really good reminder of the responsibility that I have.”
While fans will get behind the team for the 5.30pm kick-off with Erik Ten Hag’s United, a protest will take place hours before arranged by Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust over the club’s decision to increase matchday ticket prices.
The ‘Call to Action’ from THST will ask for the club to reverse the increase – which they insist will price out loyal fans – and Postecoglou backed their right to “express their emotions” during Friday’s press conference.
He is also acutely aware of how important home form can be, adding: “It’s a beautiful stadium, absolutely, but as much as opposition teams enjoy playing in the venue, what we have got to make sure is they don’t enjoy the experience.
“What makes grounds difficult to play on is the experience you give teams, whether that’s the environment the fans create or the football you play against them.
“If you want to make it a place where we see it as an advantage, you have got to make sure the experience for opposition clubs is not a pleasant one.”
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made sure teams did not enjoy travelling to Old Trafford and Postecoglou reminisced about his meeting with the managerial great this week.
Postecoglou was in charge of South Melbourne when they lost 2-0 to United in the Club World Championship in 2000.
And more than two decades later he will try to secure his first Premier League win against Ferguson’s old club.
“I don’t think I take elements in my own game but people like Sir Alex, whether it’s consciously or unconsciously, they have an effect on you,” Postecoglou acknowledged.
“It’s not just football managers. I’m a pretty curious kind of guy and you learn things from all sorts of people and events.
“I’ve always tried to constantly nourish that part of my brain that is constantly curious about things.
“It was significant for me because we were coming from nowhere playing at one of the world’s most iconic stadiums, the Maracana, against one of the greatest teams at that time that football had seen, against one of the greatest managers.
“I had five or six minutes with him and apart from saying hello, I just listened. That’s the best way to have interaction with people like that. There’s no point me talking for five minutes, he’s not going to learn anything off me.”
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 Netherlands: Koeman's side wrap up group stage campaign with away draw
Netherlands ended their Group A3 campaign in the Nations League with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Stadion Bilino Polje on Tuesday.
Ronald Koeman's side, who had already secured their place in the quarter-final heading into the final group fixture, finished with nine points - five fewer than group winners Germany.
Brian Brobbey gave a second-string Oranje the breakthrough in the 24th minute when he headed home a cross from Noa Lang following a short corner kick.
But Ermedin Demirovic scored on the rebound, after Edin Dzeko's initial effort was stopped by goalkeeper Mark Flekken, to help Bosnia salvage a point in the 67th minute, as the hosts finished bottom of the group with two points.
Earlier, Dzeko's shot was cleared off the line by Jorrel Hato in the first half and the Bosnia captain also had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up just past the hour mark, before Sergej Barbarez's side found the leveller.
Data Debrief: Bosnia's spirited comeback
The home side ended the first period without registering a single shot on target and only creating an expected goals (xG) of 0.54, compared to the Netherlands' xG of 1.29.
But they were a much-improved side after the break as they restricted the visitors to zero shots on target while recording three of their own to secure a point. They ended the second half with an xG of 0.46, which bettered the Netherlands' xG of 0.37 despite being lower than their first-half effort.
Prior to this fixture, Bosnia and Herzegovina had lost all four of their 2024-25 Nations League matches in which they were losing at half-time. But they fought back this time to end their League A stay with a draw.
Hungary 1-1 Germany: Late penalty forces visitors to settle for a draw
Germany were denied victory away to Hungary in their final Nations League group game after conceding a 99th-minute equaliser to a Dominik Szoboszlai penalty.
Julian Nagelsmann made nine changes from Germany's 7-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina last time out, with this match confirmed as a dead rubber before kick-off, and they struggled for fluency in the first half.
Germany failed to have a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes and lost the xG battle 0.51-0.17.
Things soon picked up, with Leroy Sane having a goal disallowed following a VAR review before Kai Havertz hit the post with a volley just three minutes later, having only come on as a substitute a minute before. They had their goal after 76 minutes when Felix Nmecha was quickest to react to a rebound to score his first international goal.
But Hungary were not to be denied after appeals for a penalty in the 97th minute for an alleged handball against Robin Koch. Following a VAR review, the spot kick was given and Szoboszlai earned a point for the hosts.
Germany's position as winners of Group A3 had already been secured prior to this match, as had Hungary's finishing place of third. Nagelsmann's side will now advance to the Nations League quarter-final, where they will face a second-placed side from League A. Hungary, meanwhile, will face a second-placed side from League B in a relegation play-off.
Data debrief: Germany keep scoring streak going
Germany extended their run of scoring in Nations League matches to seven consecutive games with their 1-1 draw in Budapest.
Nagelsmann's side conclude their group campaign with 18 goals in six matches, helped by their 7-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina last time out.
Following their draw today, Germany have now scored in 12 straight matches, including friendlies.
Bahrain 2-2 Australia: Yengi rescues point for visitors with stoppage-time equaliser
Kusini Yengi was the hero for Australia after scoring in the first minute and the 97th to help salvage a 2-2 draw away to Bahrain in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The result extended manager Tony Popovic's unbeaten start with the Socceroos to four matches, although three of those have been draws.
Things got off to a great start for the visitors, going a goal up inside 40 seconds after Portsmouth forward Kusini Yengi nipped in to intercept an underhit back pass from Sayid Mahdi Baqer and find the net.
Yengi had the next moment of note after hitting the post on 61 minutes from a Riley McGree cross, before a poor touch let him down when well-placed three minutes later.
Australia were made to pay for not killing the game, when Mahdi Abduljabbar lobbed Mat Ryan from 45 yards to get Bahrain level in the 75th minute. It went from bad to worse two minutes later, when Abduljabbar got his second following a defensive mix-up between Ryan and Hayden Matthews.
But Yengi rescued his side deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to bury a ricocheting ball in the six-yard box. The result was Australia's fourth draw in six matches and leaves them second in Group C on seven points, with teams from third to sixth – including fifth-placed Bahrain – all on six.
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