Tottenham Hotspur has seen its fair share of rebuilds, resets, and revivals.
But few managerial eras have left behind such distinct fingerprints as those of José Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte, and Ange Postecoglou. Each arrived with a different promise. Each left with a story that still stirs debate.
José Mourinho came with pedigree. The kind of pedigree that fills boardrooms with belief. Hired in November 2019, he was meant to be the winner Spurs needed. He nearly delivered.
Tottenham were sitting in first place early in the 2020-21 season and made a run to the Carabao Cup final. But the ride never felt smooth. Mourinho’s pragmatism clashed with the club’s attacking traditions, and the football turned dour. Players bristled. Fans disengaged. He was also fired just days before the cup final.
The Special One’s win percentage, 51 percent, matched expectations. But silverware never came, and harmony never returned.
Mauricio Pochettino, by contrast, was a builder. Appointed in 2014, he transformed Spurs into a regular in the Champions League and a title contender, despite having a budget that was less than that of their rivals.
At his peak, Pochettino had Tottenham finishing second in the league and within touching distance of Champions League glory. He elevated players like Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Heung-min Son into global stars. His pressing system was ahead of its time in England.
However, five years without a trophy, coupled with squad fatigue and a decline in form, led to his exit in 2019. Still, his win percentage—55 percent—is the highest of the group, and he remains a benchmark for modern Spurs ambition.
Antonio Conte arrived in late 2021 with the intensity and track record of a serial winner. His first full season ended with Champions League qualification, a high point that suggested stability had returned.
His win percentage, nearly 54 percent, sits second only to Pochettino. But his tenure was defined more by volatility than vision. He clashed publicly with the squad, questioned the club’s ambition, and exited in March 2023 after a scathing press conference that summed up his frustration.
Like Mourinho, he left without silverware, despite delivering short-term results.
Then came Ange Postecoglou, the charismatic Australian who arrived from Celtic in the summer of 2023. Postecoglou’s opening months were electric. Spurs played fearlessly, pressing high and scoring freely.
Even after Harry Kane‘s departure, they surged to the top of the league in autumn. Injuries hit. Form dipped. But belief never quite died. Not in the stands. Not in the way Postecoglou spoke.
“When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride,” he wrote in a farewell letter released by his agency. The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.
That glory came, finally, in May 2025. Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao to win the Europa League, the club’s first major trophy in 17 years and its first in Europe since 1984.
Postecoglou, arms raised and smiling wide, became only the third manager in Spurs history to lift European silverware.
And yet, two weeks later, he was sacked.
Tottenham had finished 17th in the Premier League, winning just 11 matches and losing 22—a record for a non-relegated team in a 38-game season.
Despite the Europa League win, Spurs were unwatchable at times domestically. The club reportedly prioritized European success, knowing a Champions League berth was on the line. But the trade-off was brutal.
Postecoglou ended his tenure with a 47 percent win rate. That’s lower than not only Mourinho and Pochettino, but also Antonio Conte (54 percent) and Nuno Espirito Santo (53 percent). The latter only coached 17 competitions.
The numbers tell one story. The emotion another.
Where Mourinho felt like an outsider and Pochettino a craftsman, Postecoglou was something else entirely: a bridge.
| Manager | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % | Trophies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauricio Pochettino | 293 | 159 | 62 | 72 | 54.27 | 0 |
| Antonio Conte | 76 | 41 | 12 | 23 | 53.95 | 0 |
| José Mourinho | 86 | 44 | 19 | 23 | 51.16 | 0 |
| Ange Postecoglou | 101 | 47 | 14 | 40 | 46.53 | 1 |
Between the fans and the pitch. Between the club’s fractured identity and a renewed sense of belonging. His boldness endeared him. His candor won people over. And even when the results faltered, many felt something was being built. Something honest.
“We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success,” Postecoglou added in his statement. “I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.”
Daniel Levy didn’t share that optimism. The chairman swung the axe just as the club tasted success, citing the need to “compete on multiple fronts.”
In doing so, he removed the first manager since Bill Nicholson to win a European title with Tottenham. What comes next is unclear.
But what Postecoglou gave—a trophy, a voice, a sense of joy—might just resonate long after the final scoreline fades.
Who brought success to Spurs?
If you judge by statistics, Pochettino was the most consistent, Conte the most effective in the short term, Mourinho the most experienced, and Postecoglou the most erratic.
But if you judge by spirit, Postecoglou delivered something rare at Tottenham. He turned apathy into excitement. He turned a Europa League campaign into a historic night. And he did it while speaking openly about the weight of the job, the bond with fans, and the pride of leading Spurs.
Success, as ever in North London, defies simple definitions.
