IS IT POSSIBLE to be a highly successful Premier League manager and also a nice person?
Or as the old RTÉ panel might put it: ‘Would he kill his granny?‘
It’s a question people have been asking for decades.
When Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola initially took over as West Ham manager, critics wondered whether he was “too nice” to be a successful manager.
The fact that Zola never worked more than two years in any of his jobs and hasn’t been active as a manager since 2017 doesn’t exactly disprove the notion.
Another coach frequently accused of being “too nice” is Graham Potter. He did well at Brighton but more recently, lasted just seven months when he was given the opportunity to manage a more high-profile club, Chelsea.
By contrast, ‘nice’ is not a word you would generally associate with elite managers.
When you think of Jose Mourinho, you would think of his treatment of referees — of Anders Frisk as well as the controversy after last year’s Europa League final among countless other examples.
When you think of Pep Guardiola, you think of his reaction to Roberto Carlos being racially abused and the widow of Tito Vilanova warning him not to come to his late assistant’s wake.
When you think of Jurgen Klopp, you think of how his first reaction to Diogo Jota’s late winner against Tottenham last season was to run over and taunt the fourth official.
Even if you are to look at the era before then, there are plenty of examples of top coaches engaging in abusive behaviour, such as Alex Ferguson and the David Beckham boot incident or his regular berating of officials and reporters.
Beyond managers’ behaviour, there are plenty of other reasons to dislike modern football, the latest notable example being today’s revelations in an article by The Athletic that Manchester City’s Premier League charges have been discussed by the UK government and its embassy in Abu Dhabi, or Mohammed bin Salman saying this week that he doesn’t care about sportswashing accusations.
It is consequently easy to feel cynical and disheartened at the state of modern football with its regular reinforcement of the truism that ‘nice guys finish last’.
Occasionally though, football will provide a reminder as to why so many people fell in love with the sport in the first place.
At the moment, Ange Postecoglou feels like an antidote to the abundance of antagonistic, narcissistic and utterly tribal individuals that permeate the game at the top level.
The Australian has taken the Premier League by storm, both in the scintillating style of football he encourages his sides to play and the way he conducts himself off the pitch.
Postecoglou is defying the line of thinking that you have to come across as cold and egotistical in order to thrive in top-level management — Spurs are currently second in the table with four wins from five.
It’s early days of course and previous coaches like Nuno Espírito Santo and Jose Mourinho had hugely encouraging starts at Tottenham before it ultimately fell apart.
But having already achieved superb results at other clubs, Postecoglou is swiftly establishing himself as an inspirational figure in North London.
The positive results help, of course, and you can be sure that Postecoglou’s inherent decency and relatability will be used against him if the situation at Spurs start to go awry.
But for now, watching a top-level manager behave impeccably and speak with such empathy is highly refreshing to behold.
Football Twitter has been flooded with Postecoglou viral videos in recent weeks (you can check out a few below) on topics ranging from immigration to mental health, and accordingly, even for neutrals, it’s hard not to root for such a charismatic, likeable and atypical footballing figure.
Owen meets Ange 🤍
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 22, 2023
A wholesome moment at our Fan Forum earlier this week 🫶 pic.twitter.com/EGFMcyxJj6
It's been a long road to the top for Ange Postecoglou, but now he's living his dream ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2pup6v9SXf
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 22, 2023
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou talking brilliantly about mental health in football ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6zQTR8fhgq
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 15, 2023
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