Postecoglou bucks trend by naming new assistants at Tottenham
Postecoglou: "It’s a brave decision to bring in someone you have never worked with before"
Written by Simon Austin — June 27, 2023
ANGE POSTECOGLOU has named his assistants at Tottenham and - perhaps uniquely for a new Premier League boss - none of them have been on his staff before.
There was speculation that the Australian would bring Celtic assistants Gavin Strachan and John Kennedy with him after being appointed Tottenham Head Coach at the start of the month.
However, he has opted for a completely new staff of: Chris Davies (Senior Assistant Coach), Mile Jedinak (Assistant Coach), Ryan Mason (Assistant Coach), Matt Wells (Assistant Coach) and Rob Burch (Goalkeeper Coach). Thy will begin work alongside Postecoglou on July 1st.
TGG hasn't heard of any other manager (or Head Coach) going into a new job without taking existing or previous staff with them. For example, Antonio Conte took nine staff he had worked with before to Chelsea in the summer of 2017.
In contrast, Postecoglou has deliberately named new assistants at each stop of his managerial career. Speaking to Hudl's Ed Sulley for a High Performance Webinar in April 2020 (which you can watch below), the 57-year-old explained why.
“We tend to focus on the players, but I’ve also felt that developing staff and people around me is just as important," Postecoglou said.
“I have always worked with different staff, I’m not the person who takes staff with me. That’s my challenge - if I’m going to have longevity in this game I have to make sure my message is always relevant.
"By bringing in new people, it forces me as to make that message relevant to the new person coming in the door. I have always gone for smart young guys and I take pride in seeing these guys develop.
"It’s a brave decision to bring in someone you have never worked with before when you’re already successful. I don’t want to make the safe or known decision. If I already know the answer to a question it doesn’t really excite me.
"Bringing in people I am potentially going to be challenged by is great for me."
Postecoglou's assistants are:
- Chris Davies (Senior Assistant Coach): Worked alongside Brendan Rodgers on the coaching staff at Swansea City, Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City. Was recently the Head Coach’s job at Swansea himself.
- Mile Jedinak (Assistant Coach): Captained the Australia national team when Postecoglou was manager. Was most recently a youth coach and Loan Development Coach at Aston Villa. Played in the Premier League for Villa and Crystal Palace.
- Ryan Mason (Assistant Coach): Joined Spurs as an eight-year-old and made 70 appearances for their first team. Coached in the Academy before moving up to first-team duties. Has had two spells as interim Head Coach, including at the end of last season.
- Matt Wells (Assistant Coach): Played in Tottenham’s youth set-up and returned to work with their U18s and U23s before becoming Scott Parker's assistant at Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge. Sacked by the Belgian side in March 2023 and as Mason’s assistant in late April.
- Rob Burch (Goalkeeping Coach): Another product of Tottenham’s youth set-up and a goalkeeper with them in the early-2000s. Was Academy Goalkeeping Coach for the club until 2019. Has since then held coaching roles with the Football Association, Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge.
