Football
Exclusive: Ex-Spurs Player Reveals Why Postecoglou is the Right Man for the Job
Former Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga praises Ange Postecoglou's managerial style and discusses his move to Millwall, their defensive resurgence, and adapting to life in the Championship.
Dylan Hepworth/MB Media/Getty Images
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga firmly believes Ange Postecoglou is the right man for the Spurs’ hotseat.
The former Celtic boss has come under fire this season after a string of inconsistent league results.
That was epitomised in the past week as they put Aston Villa to the sword in a 4-1 drubbing before they were turned over on home soil by Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town, who earned their first win since returning to the top flight thanks to first-half strikes from Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap at White Hart Lane.
But centre-back Tanganga, now plying his trade at Championship Millwall after his 16-year spell at the club ended this summer, told SportsBoom.com: “I think he’s a very good coach, a very good manager. I feel like he’s the right man for the job at the moment.”
“I did pre-season with Ange and that’s when I left to go out on loan with Millwall last season.”
He was very good. In my opinion I was very impressed in what I saw during my time with him and the way he wanted his team to play.
Japhet Tanganga
“In training he wasn’t the most vocal. He was observant and liked to watch, but when it came to matchday you could really hear and feel his presence. That’s what stuck out for me from the friendly games I participated in.”
Tanganga enjoyed his formative years whilst at the North London outfit and went on to make 27 Premier League appearances for the club and earned a Champions League debut against Marseille.
He was a regular during the 2021/22 campaign before a knee injury against Chelsea curtailed his season early, a theme which plagued his time at the club.
“It was always going to be tough leaving Tottenham,” added Tanganga.
“It was my first club, I grew up there really. I was there from when I was nine until 25.”
“It was always in my mind that I needed to go and further myself and my career. I needed to play football and that’s what I’ve got at Millwall.”
Now he is at the heart of the Millwall defence and has helped them fly up the Championship table after an impressive run of results heading into the international break.
Neil Harris’ charges have not lost in over a month and have picked up an impressive 15 points from a possible 21 to leave themselves within touching distance of the play-offs.
It is a string of results which has been built on a defensive foundation, where they have conceded just twice in that time with four successive 1-0 wins epitomising their resilience.
The experience I got from my time at Tottenham is great. It’s something I can use to my advantage, the information I’ve gathered from my time in the Premier League.
Japhet Tanganga
“The Championship is its own level itself and something you can’t underestimate. I’ve had to learn as well.”
“As much as I’ve played in the Premier League, I’ve had to learn what the Championship is like.”
“The boys who have been in this league for many years have really helped me with that.”
Shane is a respected journalist who has covered a range of sports for a number of years.