Followers of my work would know that I am a secret lurker on numerous fan forums. Wherever Australians are playing (at least those who interest me) I will frequently take a peek at the relevant forum to see what the fans think about X player and how he’s doing.

The same applies to managers – or at least one manager.

TAnge divided opinions when still in Australia. His Brisbane Roar side were much admired for the brand of football they played. He was a popular choice for the national manager and vindicated our faith in him by winning the Asian Cup.

He then bemused us all by radically changing shape and system during World Cup qualification, won us back by qualifying… then dumped us straight afterwards, just as we were ready to love him more than ever.

It sounds like the plot from a rom-com gone wrong but at the heart of it is a football manager who does not play by the rules.

Ninety-nine point nine percent of professional managers are focused mainly on keeping their jobs. This means a conservative approach to football with an emphasis on not losing.

Ange, on the other hand, only cares about winning. He does not appear to care about his job.

Of course, the fact that he has been so consistently successful with his aggressive approach means that his job is secure and there would be no shortage of suitors if he left.

What this means for the fans though is a completely different type of relationship with the team and the manager. The fans know Ange is on their side. They know he is producing attractive, goal laden football specifically to entertain them and bring them joy.

The players also are unleashed from the hard discipline of protecting their manager’s figurative life by “not losing”. Ange invites his players to play with freedom. He doesn’t care about losing his job so doesn’t ask his players to do that. He only asks that they be fit enough to play his unrelenting system, then sends them out to wreak havoc – disrupting the conservative approach of other coaches with an enthusiastic high press and super-slick passing.

This builds extraordinary pressure on the opposition and thoroughly entertains the fans.

It’s now old news how most Celtic fans were horrified when he was appointed – no-mark, Aussie who’ll be out of his depth and sacked by Christmas.

They were deeply depressed when he left.

More recently the Spurs fans went into meltdown (at least some of them) and started an internet campaign to have him cancelled. There was no way his naïve tactics would translate to the Premier League!

It’s only two games into the season and already the love of the Spurs fans for their messianic leader has superseded the adoration of Celtic. Anyone who saw the post-match celebrations after Spurs beat Manchester Utd at home would have been stunned by how quickly the softly spoken (yet charismatic) leader had been taken to heart by the Tottenham faithful.

“To Dare is to Do” is their motto and no manager exemplifies that better than Ange Postecoglou. That’s why the fans sang and danced – chanting his name in a wild orgiastic outpouring of love.

After one win!

This is very odd behaviour and I couldn't help but think about some of the traits of major cult leaders over the years.

A charismatic leader: Ange always wins the fans over with his press conferences. His disdainful responses to inane questions are legendary. Fans love that he represents them. He is also famous for knowing the names of all staff and being interested in what they do. He is not just manager of the first team – he is the leader of the entire club. Everyone loves him, even Craig Foster.

A clear vision: Ange speaks constantly about his desire for attractive, attacking football. “We never stop” was his mantra at Celtic – endlessly hassling the opposition into error with superior fitness applied to keeping the ball in play for as long as possible. Combine that with a high press and fast ball movement and you’ll see a lot of late goals. We can expect the same at Spurs and the fans are already licking their lips in anticipation.

A strict adherence to a behavioural code: the behavioural code is the translation of the vision into action on the pitch. Starting with his inverted fullbacks and sixes dropping deep for the ball, Ange’s teams work their way up the pitch by constantly creating triangles in places the opposition are not used to dealing with. (Pep Guardiola’s teams do this also.) It means they always outnumber the opposition and score goals through sheer weight of chances – notwithstanding the parked buses Ange’s teams usually confront. It would have been interesting to see how Harry Kane went in this system and Ange probably does need another world class striker to be a genuine top four chance.

A promise of paradise (only for the converted): To Dare is to Do… Tottenham has a proud tradition of being an attacking team that plays good football. Daring football, no less, and that’s what Ange is giving them. The pathway to paradise can only be trod by the daring and from that perspective, they’re already there. If Ange can also deliver some consistent success – or even a trophy – there will be no limit to the love and worship.

Too often football writers overstrain the analogy between sport and religion, but in Ange’s case the comparison is understandable. The Cult of Ange is a thing – a real thing – and the Spurs fans are revelling in him.

And plenty of Celtic fans are already praying for a Second Coming.

Adrian's books can be purchased at any good bookstore or through ebook alchemy. His first sci-fi novel (Asparagus Grass) was published by Hague Publishing in July 2023. The ebook can be purchased here and the paperback can be ordered here or at your local store.