Ange Postecoglou has ventured back into Premier League territory to assess Liverpool as part of his new role as a UEFA technical observer. It has been a bruising period for the Australian since he guided Tottenham to Europa League glory last season.
Postecoglou's Recent Setbacks
Postecoglou paid the price for Spurs' 17th-place Premier League finish, being shown the door just weeks after that final victory over Manchester United in Bilbao. He subsequently lost his position at Nottingham Forest after 39 days in charge.
New Role as UEFA Technical Observer
However, the former Celtic manager has returned to work after being appointed as a UEFA technical observer. Among his first duties, he was sent to assess Arsenal in the Champions League in January, while one of his most recent assignments brought him to Anfield for Liverpool's second leg encounter with Paris Saint-Germain.
Postecoglou's breakdown of the match, which PSG won 2-0 to seal a 4-0 aggregate victory, has been made available on the UEFA website. The 60-year-old opens the piece by commending Liverpool's pressing style, saying: "Ryan Gravenberch and Dominic Szoboszlai did a really good job of closing down the midfield space. They denied PSG that central area they like to play in."
He then praised the manner in which Luis Enrique's outfit adjusted by opting for a more direct style of play. Postecoglou said: "Liverpool's approach really made it difficult for them and if they'd just persisted in trying to play like they normally do, they may have got unstuck."
Reflections on Pragmatism
During his time at Spurs, Postecoglou was frequently criticised for not reining in his attacking approach when circumstances called for it. Yet, as he reflected on PSG's victory, he insisted that Tottenham showed flexibility when needed throughout their Europa League campaign.
He said: "A key thing is to understand that, rather than having a predetermined idea about how things could transpire, you need to understand the game in front of you and the immediate task at hand. For coaches, experience teaches you that."
"The reality of it is, whether it's pragmatism or simply understanding what the actual challenge is on the day, the paramount thing is being successful, particularly in Champions League knockout football because the margins are so fine."
"You can't abandon your foundations, and if you look at Luis Enrique's approach, there were still the elements you always see. But there was also a recognition that there was a different challenge to overcome."
"There's a difference to knockout football in Europe, and the approach you take and recognising that, at certain stages, it's not an abandonment of philosophy, it's an acknowledgement of the challenge that's before you and doing what's required."
"And that certainly was our approach with Tottenham in the Europa League final last year, and it wasn't saying that everything we've done up till now doesn't matter."
