Ange Postecoglou’s brutal response to ‘passionate’ Arsenal comment ahead of first North London Derby
Postecoglou, the manager of Tottenham Hotspur, has stated that there is no comparison between his own progress and that of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, who is on the verge of becoming the second manager to have won each of his team’s first four North London derby appearances, following Terry Neill’s success in 1977 to 1980.
Spurs, meanwhile, are in the process of rebuilding their squad, and their new manager has impressed many supporters with his charismatic leadership and aggressive style of play.
Spurs’ unbeaten start to the season, which is their best in 50 years, has seen them win four games in a row, including two against Manchester United and a come-from-behind victory over Sheffield United.
The true extent of their power will be determined by how they fare against Arsenal, who finished second last season with the same number of points as Spurs and are looking to challenge City for the league title.
Postecoglou, who will be in charge for the first time in a North London derby, says he could see Mikel’s passion for the game from the moment he was offered the job in Yokohama.
“I stayed at City for a week when I was first offered the job, thanks to them inviting me,” he said, “but I didn’t really talk to anyone. I just watched the training and it was clear Mikel had a passion for the game and wanted to be a manager.”
“Tim Cahill was always speaking very highly of him both as a player and as a person. He’s had a different journey but he’s made the impact.
“In terms of similarities… I’m 58, he’s whatever. I’ve had 26 years, he’s five years into it. He’s managed in one country, I’ve managed in a few. I’m not sure how he’s got a great head of hair… He’s a lot fitter than I am. I don’t know mate, there’s not a lot of threads I can sort of join between us.”
Tottenham Hotspur are looking to record their 200th away win in the Premier League.
