Ange Postecoglou’s success came in his second season in the far east

In the summer of 2023, Ange Postecoglou became the first Australian manager in the Premier League by being appointed by Tottenham Hotspur. 

For the last two seasons, he has guided Celtic to back-to-back Scottish Premier League titles, and domestic treble in 2022-23 season. Although this remarkable feat should be one of the main reasons that Spurs’ hierarchy picked him as a new coach, his time in Japan could generate positive expectations from the North London fanbase.   

Postecoglou had started to manage Yokohama F. Marinos from the start of the J1 season in 2018. The club has rich history in the far east, having founded in 1972 as Nissan Motors Football Club, and had been established as a powerhouse by achieving domestic treble (the league was called Japan Soccer League, JSL at the time) for two consecutive seasons from 1988 to 1990. In 1980’s and 1990’s, Nissan and Yomiuri Club (currently Tokyo Verdy) were called “Big Two” in Japan club soccer scene.

After the J.League was launched in 1993, Marinos has won the top division three times in 1995, 2003, and 2004. However, the club started to decline since the last one, mainly because the likes of Gamba Osaka, Kashima Antlers, Urawa Reds, Kawasaki Frontale and so on emerged as strong teams and won the J1 League. When Postecoglou was appointed in 2018, Marinos had not won the league for 14 years and tended to be called a “once top-rated team in the past”. 

In his first season, the Australian manager had been criticised for his style, which could be regarded as attacking football but also looked a little too risky, especially in the early days. Marinos finished 12th out of 20 teams in the league, scoring 56 goals (second best in the season) and conceding 56 goals (third worst).

No matter how big noises were around him, Postecoglou kept his faith and said right before the 2019 season.

Postecoglou’s Marinos showed very thrilling, much enjoyable football

“Of course I will keep this attacking football in the new season. I think we’ve made a foundation in the last season. It was a very challenging season for me, especially because it was my first season in Japan. We tried to change not only the playing style of the team but also the philosophy. Honestly there were ups and downs, it’s true. But it could happen when you try to change something drastically. Anyway, I am very positive and confident to show better football in this season and hope the fans will enjoy it.”

True to his words as always, Postecoglou’s Marinos showed very thrilling, much enjoyable football from the beginning of the 2019 season. Through the course of the season progressed, the results were getting stable. From the late summer, Marinos recorded 11 consecutive undefeated streak, 10 wins and one draw, towards the final day, becoming the J1-League champions for the first time since 2004. Postecoglou became the first Australian coach to win the J1-League title. 

“I think the J.League is the top of Asian club football,” said Postecoglou. “so I wanted to try and prove myself here. It was a big challenge for me with a different language and culture but I like to challenge, because there are a lot of challenges in football. The more difficult the challenge is, the more I can be driven.”

After leaving Yokohama, he went on to another big challenge at Celtic and enjoyed two successful seasons. And now, Postecoglou is facing the biggest challenge in his career at Tottenham, another club can be called “once top rated team in the past”. It could take time for him to implement his ideas to the team. But if he is given a certain amount of time, the fans could see a brand new Tottenham Hotspur.