Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou responds to Arne Slott’s praise with a Monty Python joke to the Liverpool head coach | Football news

Ange Postecoglou has channeled the spirit of Monty Python to play down talk that he is inspiring fellow Premier League players with his attacking style, following Liverpool boss Arne Slott’s glowing praise of his methods.

On Friday, Slott said he hoped Postecoglou would lift the trophy at Tottenham after the two sides were drawn together in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup – meaning they meet three times in the next two months, starting with Sunday’s Premier League clash live on Sky Sports.

Asked to respond to Slot’s comments, Postecoglou jokingly quoted the 1979 Monty Python film Life of Brian, only to initially dismiss his interlocutor’s kind words.

He laughed, “I’m not an evangelist. To quote Monty Python, I’m just a naughty little boy!

“(Slot’s opinion) is what I love about football. There has to be differences, people who are willing to do things a little bit differently.

“There’s that variety, that opinion and that allows the emotion to come into it. I hate to think that people think I’m just some kind of showman or something. I want to win.

“It’s still the core of my being, I hate to lose, I want to win and I want to be successful.

“I’ve been so driven by it every day and my whole career, but I feel like if I can play like this and win, it makes an impact.

“We all want a little bit of a mark and I want it to be mine. We were successful and we won, but maybe in a slightly different way. I think it stays in people’s minds a little longer.

“Will we ever get there? Some people will say we’re a long way off. Who knows, but I’m determined to bring success to this football club in a way that I hope will have an impact.”

The movie references continued after Postecoglou was compared to Maximus from Gladiator, to which he replied: “I love the movie. I love Russell Crowe! I haven’t seen the new one yet but it’s a great story. That’s all I’ll say about got into trouble with Monty Python.”

Slot: Spurs fans tell me they want us to play this way

Postecoglou has at times faced criticism from some Tottenham fans – who he admitted some were sore about here – for his refusal to change his tactics, with the club on a run of two wins from nine before hosting Man Utd on Thursday night.

He lashed out more extensively at “offensive” criticism of his methods and wondered if his “silly accent” played a role.

But ahead of Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he remained adamant about his style, championing his philosophy long before Spurs chose him as Antonio Conte’s permanent successor in the summer of 2023.

“When I came, I made it clear and I think the club knew what it was about,” he said. “I didn’t come and do anything I haven’t done before.

“My impression is that this is what the club wanted. Of course, they want to win things – everyone does. But they wanted to do it in a certain way, and that excited me.

“I’m not sure if the fans understand or appreciate it as a whole, but I get the sense from the Tottenham fans I’m in contact with out there that that’s what they want.

“They want to win, but they want the team to play with this intention.

“It’s human nature these days – we get something, we want something more, it doesn’t satisfy us. I just think whatever makes you happy, hold on to it and cherish it, embrace it.

“It doesn’t have to be more. You appreciate something for what it is – but we all have people like that in our lives. We also have that uncle who says it’s raining outside, even if you’ve just won the lottery. It’s about your outlook on life. “

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