'We Never Stop' - Why Al Nassr plumped for Postecoglou to sustain success | OneFootball

Replacing Jorge Jesus was never going to be easy for Al Nassr, coming off the back of a championship-winning season in which the Portuguese manager restored belief inside the four walls at the House of Nassr.

So how do you minimise the departure a serial winner of trophies, one who demands the highest excellence on and off-the-pitch all while playing swashbuckling attacking football?

Well, naturally, you appoint Ange Postecoglou. For the Australian is a manager who has become renowned for his immovable devotion to front-fronted football, and one who has lifted silverware everywhere he's gone throughout his coaching career.

Signing the former Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur boss to a two-year deal is a stunning piece of business from the Roshn Saudi League champions given Postecoglou's standing within Europe after he guided Spurs to UEFA Europa League glory last year.

It represented Tottenham’s first trophy in almost two decades; their first continental success in 41 years.

While a short spell with Nottingham Forest last season dented Postecoglou’s reputation a little, his success with the North London club, which with the benefit of hindsight only looks more remarkable given their past Premier League campaign, meant the former Australia national team manager remained linked to many clubs.

Before agreeing to join Al Nassr, Postecoglou was most recently touted for the vacant Scotland national team job. Yet, despite all the offers that would've come across his desk during the past few months, it was the Al Nassr proposal that really piqued Postecoglou’s interest.

Now the Saudi Arabian title-holders, and the RSL at large, will be blessed with a bit of “Ange Ball”.

The positive for Postecoglou as he walks into the newly completed House of Nassr are that the foundations have already been laid by Jesus.

Everywhere else the 2015 Asian Cup-winning manager has gone throughout his career he has had to start almost from ground level. He has been the appointment that clubs made when seeking a rebuild, and that requires a period of pain - the period Postecoglou says he enjoys the most - before the pleasure arrives.

That was true in his homeland at Brisbane Roar, the club that really kick-started the second phase of Postecoglou’s coaching journey. Roar struggled to win a game after he was installed mid-season, with veteran players not receptive to their new manager's perceived radical approach.

Before long, however, after being backed by the club hierarchy, Postecoglou won back-to-back titles while going on a run of 39 games undefeated - an Australian record.

Then came the position with the Socceroos, which again endured some early pain before Postecoglou masterminded their march to the AFC Asian Cup on home soil in 2015.

In Japan at Yokohama F. Marinos, the team were almost relegated in Postecoglou’s debut season as they struggled to adapt to his unique style. In the second campaign? Well, they captured the 2018-19 J1 League title, with Postecoglou honing the talents of players such as Takefusa Kubo and Daizen Maeda.

The inspirational coach’s success in Japan promptly opened the door for an opportunity at Celtic, where Postecoglou famously introduced the mantra “We Never Stop”.

To be fair, during his time in Glasgow they almost never did: Celtic sealed back-to-back league crowns and dominated Scottish football. In all, they took home five of the six domestic trophies on offer across two seasons.

Then at Tottenham, Postecoglou started like a house on fire, winning Premier League Manager of the Month for the first three months of the 2023-24 season as he guided Spurs to the top of the table.

While a succession of injuries would soon hit the team, Tottenham eventually finished fifth, securing UEFA Europa League qualification. That would prove a trophy he’d pick up, too, delivering on his promise that he always wins silverware in his second season.

Now it’s Al Nassr. And, while Postecoglou and predecessor Jesus will differ in their manner and their management, their overall approach to the game is guided by the same attacking principles.

So Postecoglou walks into a dressing room that has already had a season mentored by a relentless, attack-focused manager. One that, ultimately, paved the path towards a first RSL title in seven years.

The expectation, certainly from Postecoglou but surely of the Al Nassr fan base as well, is that he won’t require a second season to land a trophy.

This is not a side that needs a complete overhaul; this is not a team, either, that needs to suffer through pain before it can experience pleasure.

This is a club that can come through, most recently domestically but going forward perhaps on the continent, also. It's the one piece of success missing for both club and manager. For that, Postecoglou will be sure to attack the AFC Asian Champions League Elite just as he will the 2026-27 RSL.

In that respect, this is a slightly different project for Postecoglou, one that is about building on success rather than for it.

Jesus, a two-time RSL winner, was always going to leave big shoes to fill. The hope is that there’s no one more suited to filling those than "Big Ange" himself.