It seems a world away now, but Ange Postecoglou could have been a success in English football long before he went on to success at Celtic, and now Tottenham Hotspur, when he was passed over for the Huddersfield Town job in 2019.
The Spurs boss, who has made quite a start in the opening months of the season, was interviewed for the then vacant position at Huddersfield by David Webb the club’s Director of Football.
Despite a forward-thinking approach he missed out to Danny Cowley, despite being among the final four in contentions. The former Lincoln boss taking over at the Yorkshire side. The Terriers had been knocked out of the League Cup by Cowley’s Imps, so they knew of his credentials first-hand. This gave him the edge.
Phone Calls
Webb told The Sun. “We had a couple of long-distance phone calls. I spoke to him and really liked him as a person. He was someone who I felt would have fit Huddersfield really well because of his values and I liked the way he played.
“I like authenticity and he was just himself. This is me, this is how I am, this is how I play, this is what I do. He’d done his homework on the Huddersfield squad. But where he was situated, we couldn’t move quick enough to get him over the line where we needed it to be.”
Cowley though didn’t last long as he won just 13 of his 40 games in charge before being relieved of his duties in the summer of 2020. Postecoglou had to wait a little longer before leaving his post in the J-League where he was in charge of the Yokohama Marinos. Celtic came calling in the summer of 2021, and the rest is history.
Writer’s View
Ange Postecoglou is one of the most respected managers in the Premier League right now. His honest approach has earned him high praise. It is always a gamble when taking on a new manager, and Huddersfield would’ve had no idea just how good and successful the likeable Australian would become. Danny Cowley was a red-hot proposition that was proven in the lower leagues, so it was less of a gamble. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
