Top 30 Angelos Postecoglou Quotes

My origins are I was a massive fan of Johan Cruyff, massive fan of that Ajax team, and my father was. That sort-of led me to look at the aesthetics of football, rather than just the end result.

I was obsessed with the game somewhere deep inside me even as a young boy. I kind of knew that whatever journey I was on, football was going to be at the middle of it.

You can’t have square pegs in round holes. It’s not just about getting talented footballers, it’s about getting people who fit into my football.

Im keen to keep coaching for a very long time. Im not in old at 52 in coaching terms, Ive still got quite a few years ahead of me and Ill back myself in any league or in any position to have success.

The reality of it is there is still a massive stigma against Australian coaches and where we come from and I dont think that has changed or will necessarily change very quickly.

My parents did not have a better life, they went to Australia to provide opportunities for me to have a better life.

I dont think any of the players will ever say they got close to me. Id never sit down and have a coffee with them.

I always had this thing in side of me that I just felt my calling or what I’d be good at was being a manager.

I see other teams playing aggressive, attacking football, they are games I switch on and watch. They are the football teams I want to produce.

The one thing you dont want to do is deny young boys and girls, people that want to play the game and support the game, the opportunity to do so because of limited spots.

I was alright as a player. I played for the Socceroos three or four times but I was a battler – hard at it as we say in Aussie terms.

Im not an adrenaline junkie, but the unknown of football and it being on a knife edge every week, I love it.

Even historically, in Australian football there has been a Dutch influence. Guus Hiddink took us to the World Cup in 2006 and since then weve seen people from Holland and the Netherlands acknowledging us.

You can learn from others but you have to be yourself. You can’t start out with the idea that you have to copy others, you have to play to your strengths.

Even in Australia, where I’ve had success, I never assumed that people would follow me because of who I am.

Being Australian, I sometimes feel I’ll never walk into a dressing room and get that instant credibility because of where I’m from. But that’s fine. Even in Australia, where I’ve had success, I never assumed that people would follow me because of who I am.

Even for myself, Ive been lucky enough to walk around Glasgow with my family and you see all the different nationalities and different establishments – whether thats restaurants, businesses – and its obvious that people have come from all over the world to make this city a great city.

If we don’t qualify, if we didn’t win the Asian Cup, if we went into the last World Cup and you know, we got embarrassed in any way, I would be the man in front of that.

Maybe Australian football and me need a bit of a trial separation, just for both of us to feel good about ourselves.

Unfortunately, from my days as national coach were going backwards in terms of we dont see it as an investment, we see it as an expense. We just have too short-term thinking, there just arent enough people with a broader vision as to how we can actually we can make Australia a force in world football.

I like to keep a distance between me and the players because the biggest responsibility I have is to make decisions.

My dad never told me he loved me, he didn’t give me cuddles. He was my biggest critic all the time. I am a totally different father, I kiss and cuddle my kids every day and tell them I love them, which is terrible because I am making them too soft.

I did seven years as national youth coach and four-and-a-half years as national coach.

People sort of misinterpret the immigration story. I often hear people say that, well, you know, they emigrate to another country for a better life. That is not what the story of the immigrant is. They go to another country to provide opportunities for the next generation.

Football has not just been a sport, it’s been a vehicle in my life.

I dont really care what other people think, Ive always said that. At the end of the day its really about us and we want to play our football against a good opponent – whether other people like it or dont like it is pretty irrelevant to be honest.

I can’t start off with the premise that a coach is better than me just because he’s from Europe or South America.

All I remember is my father working hard. He’d be gone for work before I ate my breakfast and come home at night, have dinner, sit on the couch and fall asleep and go and do the same thing the next day. The only time I ever got to see any joy in my dad was when we went to the football on a Sunday.

Even when we’re keeping possession, I don’t want to see the ball move slowly. What does that mean? When we pass it, we pass it with purpose.

If you dont invest in grassroots and if you dont invest in youth football, then its inevitable that youll pay the price somewhere down the track.