Nottingham Forest’s embattled manager Ange Postecoglou defended his early tenure on Friday, insisting that patience will be rewarded with silverware.
The under-pressure Australian has overseen a dismal start since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo in September.
Forest is winless in seven games and plummeting from fifth to 17th in the Premier League table.
But Postecoglou, speaking at length about his situation, rejected the narrative that he is a “failed manager” and painted an alternative picture of his recent stint at Tottenham Hotspur.
“From my perspective, I just don’t fit. Postecoglou told reporters.
“If you look at it through the prism of I’m a failed manager that’s lucky to get this job… then it looks like this manager is under pressure.
“There is an alternate story. I came to the Premier League two years ago, I took over ‘Spursy’ Tottenham.
“I was told by the chairman this club has to win a trophy. We tried to bring winners in, Jose (Mourinho) and Antonio (Conte), it hasn’t worked, we need something different.
“I see myself as a winner. I was slightly offended, I see myself as a winner… We finished fifth in my first year… But somehow that year has disappeared from the record books.”
Last season, Postecoglou sacrificed Spurs’ Premier League form and put all eggs in the Europa League basket, eventually guiding them to the title and Champions League qualification.
“We win a trophy, we shed the tag of being ‘Spursy’. It’s Champions League football which brings some rewards, opportunity to bring better players.
“But all I’ve heard since I finished at Tottenham is that we finished 17th last year,” he added.
“If you look at that, then yeah, I’m a failed manager… Maybe I’m a manager that if you give me time, the story ends the same — at all my previous clubs — with a trophy.
“I am trying to change the way we play. The players are adapting but there’s been inconsistency in there for sure.
“But some will look at the weeds, I will look at what’s growing.”
Postecoglou said there would always be pressure, even if he wins his first game at Forest on Saturday when they host Chelsea in the early kickoff.
“There’s a difference between pressure and saying that somebody should lose their job after five weeks,’’ he said.
“I mean, I only just found an apartment to move into, which may be a bad decision on my behalf.
“I should have stayed in temporary digs. That’s how early it is. So, there’s a difference.
“The pressure’s there, it’s always there.
“Pressure is part of managing at this level and we’re all judged by our results. And at the moment, the results are suggesting I’m not doing a good job.”
While admitting the constant scrutiny also affects his squad, Postecoglou praised his players’ response during his short tenure.
“Again, it’s just something we have to deal with and try and insulate the players from. As I said, they’ve been great since I’ve come in,” he said.
“But I guess all that stuff is not helpful. I’m sure they read the same stuff that everyone else does.” (NAN)(Reuters/NAN)