Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou will be happy to disappoint the King and relegate Burnley on Saturday despite a midweek trip to Buckingham Palace.
Postecoglou was invited to Buckingham Palace on Wednesday by the Australian Government and was joined by Aussie compatriots Scott Munn, Spurs’ chief operating officer, first-team coach Mile Jedinak and Charlotte Grant of the women’s team.
The Tottenham contingent did not get to meet Charles, but enjoyed the visit to the royal residence in Westminster and Athens-born Postecoglou joked he would only have asked about the Parthenon Marbles, the ancient Greek sculptures which now reside in the British Museum in London.
☀️📸Great day at Buckingham Palace.
🤝Even got to meet big Ange Postecoglou, absolute gentleman. pic.twitter.com/THbp0gvEMk
— James (@jamesgould23) May 8, 2024
A more pressing concern for Postecoglou is his efforts to end Spurs’ four-match winless run and that would result in relegation from the Premier League for Saturday’s visitors Burnley, who Charles revealed in 2012 he supported.
“Probably why they kept him away from me,” Postecoglou laughed when told of Charles’ football allegiances.
“I would be happy to disappoint him on that front. No problem.”
On the Buckingham Palace outing, Postecoglou said: “We got an invite from the Australian government. Me and the other Aussies in the group, Mile, Scott, Charli Grant from the women’s team. It was nice, a different experience.
“Just really inspiring because the people we met there work for charities, great causes, military people, people who are real heroes for society.
“They know who I am and come up and say hello, but just asking them about who they are and their life, you see so many fantastic people who do so much in communities, often without a lot of heralding from the wider public acknowledgement.
“I could see how happy they were to be there because finally there was some acknowledgement for them. Bizarrely enough, the sun was shining in London so we had a really nice afternoon.
“I didn’t get within 10 feet of the King and if I had of got closer I probably would have asked him about the Parthenon marbles and I would probably have got thrown out!
“It was nice for me and my wife. These are experiences you are just fortunate because of the position I hold, not necessarily who I am.”
Postecoglou has remained defiant amid a run of four consecutive defeats, but has some key decisions to make on Saturday.
Midfielder Oliver Skipp impressed as a makeshift left-back when substituted on for the final 30 minutes of the 4-2 loss away to Liverpool and Richarlison scored in an impressive cameo.
Both could start against Burnley and Postecoglou is eager to return to winning ways in the penultimate home match of the season.
“Our supporters have been unbelievable this year for us,” Postecoglou said.
“They’ve stuck with us and been a real source of encouragement for the players, home and away.
“It is an opportunity these last two home games for us to hopefully send them off into the summer with not what we wanted to achieve this year, but with the hope that come next year they will be ready to get behind us again.”