Tottenham’s sliding doors moment which saw them miss out on control and embrace chaos
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Ange Postecoglou arrived in June 2023 but beforehand the north London club identified Slot as a key target. The manager Daniel Levy gave his verdict on Tottenham Hotspur’s modern-day team. “They are always a joy to watch,” he said. He had been an interested onlooker for years, watching on from abroad, seduced by the glamour of their flair players. “I watch a lot of Match Of The Day and [with] David Ginola, Paul Gascoigne, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart. They have always been a certain brand and a certain identity,” he added.
![[Arne Slot, celebrates after Liverpool beat Manchester City in the Premier League at Anfield on 1 December, 2024]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/20/17/GettyImages-2187726535.jpg)
It could have been his brand, too. Because the man eulogising about Spurs had turned down the chance to coach them. He did not say so explicitly, because that is not Arne Slot’s way. He prefers not to talk about the expiring deals of his players, in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Nor does he want to discuss Tottenham’s attempts to appoint him in 2023. “I think it’s the same answer that I always give you about Mo’s contract situation and those things,” he smiled.
![[Ange Postecoglou after Tottenham drew with Rangers FC at Ibrox in the Europa League on 12 December]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/20/17/GettyImages-2189650327.jpg)
Slot is more comfortable celebrating the man they appointed a couple of weeks after he decided to stay at Feyenoord and signed a new contract. An exhaustive search that seemed to take in Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino, Vincent Kompany, Roberto De Zerbi and Luis Enrique ended with Ange Postecoglou becoming Tottenham manager.
![[Let us entertain you: the Tottenham manager applauds fans after his team’s 4-3 Carabao Cup win over Manchester United]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/20/17/GettyImages-2190740434.jpg)
It would be out of character for Slot to suggest that he ranked higher than the Australian on Spurs’ shortlist. He prefers to praise Postecoglou and otherwise keep his counsel. “I always said that in football and in general so many things that are said are not true,” he explained. “But the problem is that the ones who know do not want to talk about it, and the ones who don’t know do want to talk about it. That sometimes happens in football. There are players or managers who do want to talk to you and tell you off the record what has happened, but that is always one part of the truth.”.
