The writing was on the wall long before Bilbao. In fact, Ange Postecoglou knew in his heart of hearts that he was going to be sacked no matter the outcome of the Europa League final. And anyone who suggests differently is not in tune with the soap opera which has been Tottenham’s bizarre season. Postecoglou was a likeable fella, his sound bites were nearly as entertaining as his football but ultimately the Tottenham hierarchy had no alternative but to pull the trigger. Tottenham feared they would just be repeating the mistake that Manchester United made with Erik ten Hag by getting sucked in by the emotion of winning a cup final. United were ready to sack ten Hag, the Dutchman won the FA Cup and they stuck with him - only to then get rid of him a few months later. They wasted time and money by allowing loyalty and sentiment to creep into what had to be a cold hearted decision on the manager. That was a brutal lesson for Spurs who won their first trophy in 17 years under Big Ange and are back in the Champions League. But what is the point of being there if they end up losing every game? It is obvious what did for Ange. The 22 defeats in the Premier League and finishing just a place above the drop zone is just unacceptable for Tottenham. The fans loved their European glory and that wonderful night in Bilbao after beating Manchester United. But you days later, they got thumped 4-1 by Brighton. They went from the sublime to the ridiculous. And it had been happening all season. Make no mistake. Postecoglou never lost the dressing room. He kept motivating them. His tactics were bewildering and naive at times. The players, by the end, were not convinced he could turn it round for next season. The fans loved Postecoglou in the first half of that first season. They topped the table, were great to watch and yet fell away so badly, ended up in fifth and missed out on a Champions League spot. However, Postecoglou’s reign was more memorable than Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo all put together. It was fun. And the Spurs fans were still torn up until last Christmas. There were injuries - and didn’t Ange let us know - and, despite a lot of spending, the club did not back him with very good signings. The Europa League run was the salvation. They could lose at home to Leicester and Ipswich - yet still get past Eintracht Frankfurt. It made no sense. Postecoglou was also a piece of work. In more than 30 years of covering Spurs games and press conferences, no manager has read every word of every piece like Big Ange. How on earth did he find the time? And do we really matter that much? Yes, according to him. Postecoglou pulled me up when I wrote on April 7 that he would - and indeed should - be sacked even if Tottenham won the Europa League. It was opinion and also backed up by the “growing feeling” within the club that he would go. Most managers would go mad. Not Big Ange. He actually went back and said he had no problem with the piece as it reflected the “general sentiment” of how people perceived his situation. You could not help but like Postecoglou. I did think even a suggestion that he could be a “clown” as one colleague wrote, was so harsh. Postecoglou deserved more respect. But even one diehard season ticket holder, so jubilant after the Europa League final, rang in a fury after the Brighton game. The party and celebrations did not last long. And that is the risk that Tottenham could not take. They have to appoint a manager with a stature, determination and gravitas to lead them into the Champions League. Even though Postecoglou won a trophy, it was not enough to save him. The club, in its statement, said it was a “tough decision.” But the reality was different. The statement said: “Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. “However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. “This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. “Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. “It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. “This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. 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