Ian Wright issues staunch defence of Postecoglou at Spurs after Roy Keane rant

Ian Wright, a former Arsenal player, defended Ange Postecoglou in response to a query about the manager of both Manchester United and Spurs, Erik ten Hag.

Ian Wright is an unwavering Arsenal supporter. However, it does not prevent him from maintaining objectivity when serving as a pundit.

With regular appearances on Match of the Day and Premier League Productions, as well as his own podcast, Wrighty’s House, and various appearances on other podcasts, the Gunners veteran is highly-liked among football pundits. He appeared on the brand-new Stick to Football podcast this week as part of Gary Neville’s The Overlap on Sky Sports.

The topic of Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou also came up throughout the discussion. Spurs are one of just two teams still unbeaten at this point of the season, the other being Wright’s Arsenal, after winning six and drawing two of their first eight games.

The two clubs from north London are at the top of the standings, with Spurs taking the lead in terms of goals scored. Neville also poses the following query on the podcast: “[Erik] ten Hag or Postecoglou?”

Ten Hag has had trouble getting Manchester United going this season; the Red Devils are now in tenth position after eight games, with four wins and four losses. In a fervent defense of the Tottenham player, Wright also stated that he would choose the manager of Spurs above that of United.

The complete transcript of what he said during his exchange with Roy Keane is provided here.

Wright : The Postecoglou man. at this time? Postecoglou’s accomplishments for Tottenham in a short period of time should not even be compared at this moment. Incredible stuff. Ten Hag has won a trophy when not much was expected; the focus was on the outcomes. You’re telling me that a new season has begun, and what do we see? Ange is demonstrating to us how Tottenham play by coming in under a lot of pressure.

Keane : Who had to deal with pressure?

Wright : Postecoglou

Keane : Not at all, no!

Wrightder How can he be under no pressure coming from Tottenham to Celtic?

Keane : People weren’t expecting much because they sold [Harry] Kane, so there wasn’t any expectation on him to do well.

Wright : What do you mean they didn’t have high expectations?

Keane : He didn’t feel any pressure. He believed that all he could do to overcome everyone’s doubts was to perform better.

Wright :

So what, do you think he won’t be under pressure if he begins and has a season-opening performance similar to…like 10 Hag, and people will say, “Oh, we knew that would happen. He’s not experienced enough at this level.” Gee, man. Ange.

Keane : But he wasn’t under pressure like any of the other managers are under pressure.

Wright : He’s not being pressured, is he? You’re telling me that Postecoglou at Tottenham shouldn’t be under pressure given all that’s happened.

Keane : Everyone started writing off Spurs as soon as Kane left the building.

Wright : What was being said, exactly? Where are the objectives going to come from, they asked? Look at what he accomplished.

Keane :There was no demand placed on him.

Wright : How is it that he is not subject to expectation?

Keane : due to the fact that Spurs have been inactive for 20 (insert profanity) years!

Wright :He would not have been under significant pressure if Spurs had had a poor start; instead, he handled it superbly. This is too much for me to handle; let’s discuss it later.