Ange Postecoglou, former manager of Nottingham Forest, looks on during the Premier League match between Burnley and Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor on Sept. 20. Postecoglou was fired this weekend.
Getty Images
Ange Postecoglou’s short tenure as Nottingham Forest manager came to a fiery end this weekend without a single victory in eight matches managed.
Before that, after a solid 2023-24 campaign with Tottenham Hotspur, in 2024-25 he endured a Premier League season so poor even helping Spurs win the Europa League couldn’t save his job.
And yet, only hours after his dismissal following Sunday’s loss to Chelsea, oddsmakers installed the Australian-Greek manager as the favorite to be the next boss at Old Firm powers Celtic FC, where he previously managed for two seasons.
None of this is to explicitly say that Postecoglou doesn’t deserve another shot at Celtic or other European jobs. Only that it’s impossible to imagine, say, Jesse Marsch, surviving a similar plight without taking a much bigger hit to his reputation.
And in a strange way, the stability of Postecoglou’s stock highlights just how uniquely difficult American managers have it, even when compared against others from similarly unorthodox bavkgrounds. Because Postecoglou’s is actually very similar to any American who might try to make it as a coach in the European game.
Australia, America, Australia, America
Yes, Postecoglou has Greek heritage. But from age five, he grew up in Australia and spent his entire playing and formative coaching career there until finally moving to the J League in 2017.
And as a sporting nation, Australia is among the most similar to the United States in terms of where soccer ranks on the athletic hierarchy. It’s a wealthy country with a stable league and growing interest, and the national team has produced some moderately successful European playing careers. But the sport ranks at best fourth in popularity in the nation, behind Rugby, Australian Rules Football and Cricket.
To be fair, it’s not that Postecoglou never faced questions about his background, with his initial hiring at Celtic in 2021 drawing plenty of criticism. But once he succeeded at the Old Firm, his unusual background became an afterthought.
But while Postecoglou was from country where soccer isn’t quite in the mainstream, he wasn’t from America, which also carries sorts of additional cultural baggage, and in the eyes of European football fans, most of it negative.
Mirror Image?
Marsch’s entrance into Europe was quite similar. His first managerial post came at Red Bull Salzburg, a club of similar profile to Celtic as a big side in lesser league. From there he had a short, unsuccessful stint at RB Leipzig and a slightly longer, mixed spell at Leeds United, where he helped the club survive one relegation scrap before he was ultimately fired amid a second, less successful battle against the drop.
Zeroing in closer on his Leeds tenure, while Marsch’s sides were never scintillating, they performed better under him in two seasons in the EPL than under any of the three other managers to take the reins in that span. And that’s a list that includes two all-time legends, Argentinian Marcelo Bielsa and Englishman Sam Allardyce.
EPL ppg with Leeds United, 2022-2024
Marcelo Bielsa: 0.88 (26 games)
Jesse Marsch: 1.03 (32 games)
Javi Garcia: 1.00 (11 games)
Sam Allardyce: 0.25 (4 games)
Yet Marsch never quite escaped the focus on his novelty as an American in the Premier League, from questions about his thoughts on Ted Lasso, to the focus on his decision to hold an on-field huddle after one of this first games in charge. And while he was briefly linked with Southampton, he never appeared to be a serious contender for another European role before he took the Canada national team job.
To be fair, Marsch’s nationality isn’t the only thing at play. Postecoglou’s attack-minded tactics are often considered more kindly among neutrals than Marsch’s gagenpressing. Personalities are also a factor: it’s not that Marsch is considered particularly unlikable, but Postecoglou is considered by many asw one of football’s most affable characters.
Even so, it’s a useful exercise to imagine the men in reversed positions, with Postecoglou earning a bit over a point per match at Leeds and Marsch leading Spurs to its worst league finish since suffering relegation from the old First Division in 1976-77, followed by a disastrous run at Forest.
And if you don’t see Marsch remaining in many fans’ good graces in the way Postecoglou has, it’s worth asking why.