Ange Postecoglou has claimed his job is harder than Sir Keir Starmer’s and that running a Premier League team is harder than running the country.
“How often does he have elections?” the Tottenham boss said ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final at home to Manchester United. ‘I have one every weekend. There are elections every weekend and you can vote in or out.
‘People will say that managers have always been fired. I just think it’s gone beyond that now that we forget there’s a human being involved.
‘This job is the most difficult job in any sector right now. You can say politics, but this is harder than any job. The tenure and longevity of this role means that you go into it now and few will come out unscarred.”
On Sunday, Southampton sacked Russell Martin and Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil. Martin was away just over an hour after losing 5-0 at home to Spurs on a night when thousands of angry Saints fans shouted at him to go.
“You don’t even get fired in the morning now,” Postecoglou said. ‘You have to change the song. It’s crazy, I don’t get it. The idea that clubs want to bring in managers and build things doesn’t exist because we all understand that there will be some doubts and that they will come from all directions.
Ange Postecoglou claimed football management ‘is now the hardest job in any sector’
The Tottenham boss also stressed that he has a tougher job than Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Postecoglou’s Spurs side are preparing for a crucial match against Man United on Thursday
“We have lost any kind of respect in our society, where boys have jobs and put up names of who is going to replace them while they are still working. We’ve now crossed that line and it’s pretty much open season.
“We’re so quick to just throw people in the trash and move on without thought or care.”
The win at Southampton eased the pressure on Postecoglou but he knows criticism will increase if his depleted team are dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester United following his comments about always winning the trophy in his second season.
Spurs have not won anything since this competition in 2008 and were desperate to end the wait, but rejected the idea that a piece of silverware would solve everything.
“Based on the general sentiment since I got this job, it feels like a trophy will turn this place into something,” Posteocglou said. ‘I personally want more than that. I don’t think it’s just about winning a trophy.
‘If you want to build a successful, sustainable club by competing for trophies every year, there is more to it than that.
“I may be a dinosaur in this regard, but I still believe in legacy coaching. I still believe in doing things that last and make a difference. It goes against everything else that’s happening in the football world.”