"When the Australian was given his marching orders by Tottenham after winning the Europa League title in May - the club's first piece of silverware in 17 years - his 'John the Pragmatist' proclamation rang in the ears of Spurs fans around the world. It was almost a decade ago during his time as Socceroos boss that Postecoglou uttered the words: "At some point in time I'll get replaced by 'John the Pragmatist' and you can all be happy and revel in it.""
"As Postecoglou began to globetrot from Japan to Scotland and then England, the quote from the aftermath of a 1-1 draw with Chile at the 2017 Confederations Cup became more and more iconic. With the news breaking in the space of just 14 hours across Wednesday night and Thursday morning AEST that Postecoglou's Tottenham replacement Thomas Frank and his Nottingham Forest successor Sean Dyche had been sacked, the Australian's warning once again rang true."
"Frank traded west London for north London after the Spurs hierarchy identified him as the antithesis of Ange. (FILES) Tottenham Hotspur's Danish head coach Thomas Frank takes the team training session at the Tottenham training centre in Enfield, north London, on January 19, 2026, the eve of their UEFA Champions League league phase football match against Dortmund. Tottenham Hotspur have sacked coach Thomas Frank, the club announced on February 11, 2026."
Ange Postecoglou predicted he would be succeeded by a pragmatic figure and that forecast resurfaced following recent sackings. Postecoglou was dismissed by Tottenham after winning the Europa League in May, ending a 17-year trophy drought for the club. The "John the Pragmatist" remark from 2017 gained renewed resonance as Postecoglou moved between jobs in Japan, Scotland and England. Tottenham sacked Thomas Frank, who had been brought in as an antithesis to Postecoglou, and Nottingham Forest dismissed Sean Dyche within 14 hours. Frank previously managed Brentford for seven successful years, promoting them from the Championship to the Premier League.
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