Ange Postecoglou believes that waiting for top teams to “slip” is not the formula for Tottenham mounting a serious Premier League title charge.
With Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool this summer and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City contract expiring next year, the Premier League’s managerial juggernauts who competed at the top of the league for six seasons may soon be gone.
Surely that can only present opposition teams with newfound belief to push for the title but Postecoglou thinks it’s foolish to adopt such thinking. The Aussie has revitalised Tottenham this season and not for a string of injuries to key personnel, their position in the table may be different.
Tottenham’s journey to the Premier League summit will be an arduous one, and Postecoglou’s mindset for success will not be aided by transitional periods going on at other clubs.
“If that’s your only hope, waiting for the top ones to slip, I just don’t think you get there. I really don’t,” said the Australian. I’d rather them be at their best and we match them, get up to their level and exceed it, rather than hope they slip up. I just don’t think that’s a strategy. It is more of a wish.
He added: “With those kinds of things, it depends. It depends on everyone else. The one thing you know is managers like Pep and Jurgen, they’re not going to stand still. It’s not like it’s a stationary target you’re trying to hit. They’re going to keep pushing the envelope to be better and improve.
“It’s up to everyone else to match that and get up to that and try to exceed it and not shy away from the challenge. They have been very, very dominant teams for quite a while now, but there’s only one way to break that cycle and that is for others to rise to that challenge.”
