Gary Keown stunned Ange Postecoglou went to Tottenham and not Leeds United
Gary Keown has revealed his astonishment that Ange Postecoglou took the Spurs manager job instead of the vacancy at Leeds United.
The former Celtic boss, 57, was confirmed as the new manager at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday (6 June), signing a four-year contract.
However, writing in his column for the Scottish Mail on Sunday [11 June, page 97], Keown was surprised that the Aussie didn’t succeed Sam Allardyce at Elland Road and take charge of the Championship club.
He wrote: “All the more reason why the Aussie’s agent Frank Trimboli deserves some kind of end-of-season award – never mind every penny of whatever cut he’s getting – for parachuting him into Spurs.
“You could have understood Big Ange getting a Brighton, a Wolves or a Leeds.
“But Spurs? Wow!”
Unrealistic
Although Leeds United is a brilliant job for any manager in the game, the club’s recent relegation to the Championship would have narrowed the pool of candidates they can shop in this summer.
If the Whites had remained in the Premier League, then Postecoglou would have been a brilliant option to look at.
His teams play exciting, attacking football, and he believes that football should be played on the ground – in complete contrast to Allardyce’s somewhat archaic tactics.
Spurs could be getting a real gem in Postecoglou, and it further indicates just what a sucker punch the club’s relegation was to their long-term plans.
Although the likes of Carlos Corberan and Scott Parker have both been linked with the managerial vacancy, neither are at the level of the 57-year-old, who is set to succeed Antonio Conte.
Hopefully, the completed takeover between Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises will allow the club to press on with their search for a new manager and subsequently get going on their transfer business for the summer.
In other Leeds United news, the EFL are still weeks away from given their official confirmation of the takeover deal according to Phil Hay.