It’s not been plain sailing for Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou this season. AFP/VNA Photo

Paul Kennedy

The word mate, used today as a way to describe a friend, dates back centuries. Historians say its origins can be found in the Middle Low German period from the word ‘ge-mate’, which means to eat at the same table.

Over the years that followed, it became a term widely used in working class England, which probably explains why it’s well and truly part of my everyday vocabulary today.

In the years before British lawmakers began sending convicts to the new colony of Australia, Britons, mainly those of the working class in the cities, were commonly using the word.

This was accentuated as many made the voyage to Australia because the convicts were surrounded by associates of the ship’s officers: the surgeon’s mate, the carpenter’s mate and all the rest.

Hence why today, you’ll rarely have a conversation with an Australian without them using the word mate.

One Australian who proves this is Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou. If you don’t believe me, just listen to any of his press conferences, mate.

He joined Spurs in June 2023, and it’s fair to say, things are not going as planned for the team from north London.

Their season so far has been as rough a ride as those early settlers will have experienced on board one of the hundreds of ships that set sail from Great Britain to Australia in the 1700s.

Tottenham battered Manchester United away from home, then lost the following week to Brighton. They beat Manchester City at the Etihad by four goals to nil, the week after losing at home to Ipswich Town.

Tottenham right now are lost at sea.

By the time you read this column, they will have played Rangers in the Europa League with the Glasgow side given the extra incentive do well, as Ange once managed their bitter rivals, Celtic.

Personally I like Postecoglou. His style of play is maybe a little gung ho, but when it clicks, it clicks well. Tottenham should stick with him, give him the support he needs and show confidence in the Australian.

Sadly I don’t think that will be the case. He’s currently the fourth favourite manager to get fired next, and with matches against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and an EFL Cup game against Manchester United in the pipeline, the end of the road could be looming for Ange.

Cracks are clearly appearing. Earlier this month, after losing to Bournemouth in the Premier League, Postecoglou was seen arguing with unhappy Tottenham supporters after the match.

I’ve no idea what the powers that be at Spurs plan to do next. But whatever happens, it’s pretty obvious that the manager needs all the mates he can get right now. VNS