{"id":5010,"date":"2025-10-22T09:35:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T02:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=5010"},"modified":"2025-10-22T09:35:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T02:35:40","slug":"ange-postecoglous-sackings-may-say-more-about-the-premier-leagues-attention-span-than-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/ange-postecoglous-sackings-may-say-more-about-the-premier-leagues-attention-span-than-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Ange Postecoglou\u2019s sackings may say more about the Premier League\u2019s attention span than\u00a0him"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by two Premier League clubs in four months: Tottenham Hotspur in June (two weeks after winning the Europa League), then Nottingham Forest in October after just 40 days and eight games (with six losses and two draws).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His time at Forest was the shortest non-interim reign in Premier League history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Premier League\u2019s average tenure for managers is short and trending shorter, currently around two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remove the combined 15 years of Pep Guardiola (nine years at Manchester City), and Mikel Arteta (six years at Arsenal), and that two-year average plummets for the remaining 18 managers, highlighting a league-level state of constant reset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what does Postecoglou\u2019s latest sacking say about his coaching style, and the team owners and boards who make these decisions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Where did it go wrong for Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BBCFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BBCFootball<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NFFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NFFC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cagkuPYexB\">pic.twitter.com\/cagkuPYexB<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BBCMOTD\/status\/1979573440731652125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 18, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is \u2018Ange-ball\u2019?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"973\" src=\"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ange_Postecoglou_cropped.jpg\" alt=\"(Photo by By \u041a\u0438\u0440\u0438\u043b\u043b \u0412\u0435\u043d\u0435\u0434\u0438\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0432)\" class=\"wp-image-5011\" style=\"width:233px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ange_Postecoglou_cropped.jpg 703w, https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ange_Postecoglou_cropped-217x300.jpg 217w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Postecoglou\u2019s playing style, nicknamed \u201cAnge-ball\u201d, is brave, attacking and high-intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a style that has delivered multiple league titles and cups across three continents \u2013 Australia, Asia and Europe \u2013 and the 2015 Asian Cup with the Australian national team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the ball, Postecoglou uses \u201cinverted full-backs\u201d (left- and right-sided defenders who can move into midfield to create a numerical advantage), and prioritises quick passes and build-up play from the back rather than playing the ball long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without the ball, his sides press high up the field and try to win it back fast, accepting risk in the space left behind the high defensive line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s exciting and effective when executed properly, but is vulnerable if personnel don\u2019t fit key positions or if players are still learning their roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was these vulnerabilities that may have proved his downfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Was Nottingham Forest a great fit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nuno Esp\u00edrito Santo, the manager Postecoglou took over from at Forest, was the opposite to \u201cAnge-ball\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His team was comfortable sitting behind the ball with a compact shape and lower defensive block. With the ball, he prioritised quick and direct counterattacks and a threat at set-pieces (such as corners and free kicks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Essentially, it was a \u201cminimise chaos\u201d model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Swapping to Postecoglou\u2019s controlled chaos overnight is like taking a fleet of delivery vans to a Formula One grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which begs a basic question: if Forest wanted instant results, was Postecoglou the right choice for a squad that was recruited and set up to play a contrasting style?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you change any operating system, you must accept a period of bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Postecoglou\u2019s method asks for lightning-quick centre-backs, midfielders who can resist pressure and keep the ball, and full-backs who can step into midfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you haven\u2019t recruited for that and you don\u2019t allow time for players to learn it, you\u2019re setting the coach up to fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s telling that \u00a3120 million (A$247 million) of Forest\u2019s summer signings were not included in Postecoglou\u2019s final team selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Systems change is behaviour change. It needs repetition, role clarity, and a bit of psychological safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>None of that happens in a few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;No one wanted a dramatic change, the odds were always against Postecoglou&quot; \ud83d\ude2c<br><br>Dan Kilpatrick believes that Ange Postecoglou&#39;s departure from Nottingham Forest was inevitable, with it being too difficult of a task to apply changes after the legacy left by Nuno \ud83c\udf33 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QOtvkJplMu\">pic.twitter.com\/QOtvkJplMu<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SkySportsNews\/status\/1979825813315887453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 19, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Postecoglou\u2019s style unsustainable?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Elite sport is a performance business and Postecoglou\u2019s performances were deemed untenable at both Spurs and Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But do proactive coaches like Postecoglou succeed at the very highest level?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, when clubs support the vision. Pep Guardiola\u2019s Manchester City, Mikel Arteta\u2019s Arsenal and Roberto De Zerbi\u2019s (former) Brighton all play with brave positioning, pressing and attack-minded structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, they recruit or develop players who fit that philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Postecoglou was mostly unwavering in his risk-and-reward style, yet he showed he could adapt. He won the Europa League by playing a more measured and defensive style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, after two years in charge at Tottenham, he was let go after a poor Premier League finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nottingham Forest sacked him minutes after a 3\u20130 loss to Chelsea, before the players could even take their boots off, let alone settle into their new roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udea8 \ud835\udddd\ud835\udde8\ud835\udde6\ud835\udde7 \ud835\udddc\ud835\udde1: A complete breakdown of how Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Nottingham Forest yesterday, as per The Athletic.<br><br>He was informed he has been sacked within roughly 10 minutes of the final whistle at the City Ground, during a brief conversation with George Syrianos,\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/66drGZlwr6\">pic.twitter.com\/66drGZlwr6<\/a><\/p>&mdash; The Touchline | \ud835\udc13 (@TouchlineX) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TouchlineX\/status\/1979862690123129240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 19, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Owners, control, and the \u2018do something\u2019 button<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sacking a coach provides a visible lever, a perceived control mechanism that calms headlines and fan unrest, even though research on managerial turnover shows in-season changes don\u2019t always generate improvements and can increase performance variance in the short term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, you might get a brief \u201cnew manager bounce\u201d but you also amplify unwanted noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the business world, a new chief executive needs roughly 18 months to show a transformation is working, and about two to three years to complete a full turnaround. And this assumes they can assemble the right team in their first six to nine months, and the board stays the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If global businesses give leaders time to show a plan is working, then sacking a football manager after a handful of games isn\u2019t \u201celite standards\u201d \u2013 it\u2019s absurd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Either club owners need to rethink their timelines, or they should stop pretending they want real transformation at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If owners want true transformation, they must resist reaching for the \u201cdo something\u201d button at the first bump and tolerate some initial mess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to from here?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No one more than Postecoglou will understand that from a league results standpoint, he failed at both Spurs and Forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps his full-throttle approach in the world\u2019s toughest league was naive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to know whether other clubs will be put off by these recent sackings and Postecoglou still has a place in top-level management. Time will tell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/scott-mclean-271696\">Scott McLean<\/a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068\">University of the Sunshine Coast<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ange-postecoglous-sackings-may-say-more-about-the-premier-leagues-attention-span-than-him-267848\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by two Premier League clubs in four months: Tottenham Hotspur in June (two<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[63],"class_list":["post-5010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-football"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22.jpg",1100,720,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22-300x196.jpg",300,196,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22-768x503.jpg",640,419,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22-1024x670.jpg",640,419,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22.jpg",1100,720,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22.jpg",1100,720,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22-825x575.jpg",825,575,true],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22-590x410.jpg",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/category\/international\/\" rel=\"category tag\">International<\/a>","tag_info":"International","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1100px-Nottingham_Forest_F.C._vs_Huddersfield_Town_A.F.C._Play-Off_Final_2021-22.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5010"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5012,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5010\/revisions\/5012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}