Tottenham 'not a big club' says former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou has launched a withering assessment of his former employers, insisting Tottenham Hotspur “are not a big club” because of a cautious transfer policy that leaves them unable to compete with the Premier League’s elite.

Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast after the dismissal of head coach Thomas Frank on Wednesday, the Australian said the north London outfit’s wage structure and reluctance to take financial risks fundamentally limit their ambitions.

“When you look at their expenditure and particularly their wages structure, they’re not a big club,” Postecoglou stated. “I saw that because, when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.”

Postecoglou’s critique comes little more than 24 hours after Frank became the fifth permanent manager to leave Tottenham since Mauricio Pochettino’s exit in 2019. Frank departs with the team 16th in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone, having replaced Postecoglou last summer.

During his own tenure, Postecoglou guided Spurs to fifth place in his first season and ended a 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League. Yet a sharp downturn in league form saw the side finish 17th in his second campaign, results that ultimately cost him his job.

The 58-year-old believes the club’s hierarchy failed to recognise the level of investment required to sustain success. “I think they didn’t realise that, to actually win, you’ve got to take some risks,” he said. “I felt like Tottenham as a club were saying, ‘we’re one of the big boys’, and the reality is I don’t think they are.”

Fan frustration has centred on missed transfer targets. Frank had hoped to secure Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White last summer, only to see the player remain in the East Midlands, while Arsenal pipped Spurs to the signing of Eberechi Eze.

Postecoglou, himself sacked by Nottingham Forest after 39 days earlier this season, questioned whether Frank understood the structural constraints awaiting him at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“There’s no guarantee whichever manager you bring in. They’ve had world-class managers there and they haven’t had success. And for what reason?” he asked. “Thomas is walking in and what’s his objective? What’s the club’s objective? Did Thomas know he was walking into that? I don’t know.”

With another managerial search under way, Postecoglou’s verdict underlines a growing perception that until the club’s board adopts a more aggressive approach in the market, on-pitch resurgence will remain elusive.