Alious
Ange Postecoglou’s reputation continues to grow as his Tottenham side climbs the Premier League ladder, with the Australian manager openly targeting Champions League qualification following an impressive 4-1 victory over Aston Villa.
The win, highlighted by Dominic Solanke’s rapid-fire second-half double, came on the heels of their triumph against Manchester City in the League Cup.
Despite some initial skepticism about his tactical approach after losing four of their first ten games, Tottenham’s current seventh-place position is validating Postecoglou’s distinctive style.
Perhaps most notably, his methods have earned high praise from former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who offers a unique perspective having played under him at Celtic.
Hart, who amassed 266 appearances for Manchester City and won four Premier League Golden Glove awards, has worked with several elite managers including Jose Mourinho, David Moyes, and Sean Dyche.
However, he describes his experience under Postecoglou as mind-blowing, particularly in how it transformed his understanding of playing out from the back.
Speaking to BBC Radio, Hart contrasted his previous managers’ focus on “hard work, dedication, and performing” with Postecoglou’s innovative tactical approach.
The former England keeper explained how Postecoglou demystified modern goalkeeping tactics, clarifying that playing out from the back wasn’t about fancy footwork but rather about intelligent positioning and decision-making.
Hart’s tactical revelation included understanding specific positioning requirements: keeping center-backs wide and maintaining awareness of the defensive midfielder’s position.
He emphasized that this wasn’t just possession for possession’s sake, but rather a purposeful approach aimed at creating scoring opportunities.
Even when facing a high press, Hart learned to recognize when a simple chip to the striker’s chest was the best option.
This tactical philosophy has served Postecoglou well throughout his career, bringing success with Brisbane Roar and the Australian national team before earning him a treble with Celtic in 2022/23.
Now at Tottenham, he’s applying these same principles that Hart credits with fundamentally changing his perception of the game, to the point where the goalkeeper admits he wouldn’t have been capable of such tactical discussions three years ago.
Alious
