When Ange Postecoglou sat down with Gary Neville and the Stick to Football panel, he did not arrive quietly. He came armed with stories from the “factory floor” of Australian football to the summit of European competition, a journey that has taken him across continents and delivered silverware in four different countries.

It was vintage Postecoglou. Relaxed but defiant. Reflective but unwavering. And as the conversation turned to the biggest job in English football, he did something else. He positioned himself, indirectly but unmistakably, as a man capable of handling Manchester United.

Whether that ever materialises is another matter entirely. But what is certain is this: the Premier League is rarely dull when Postecoglou is involved.

When Neville asked what it takes to manage Manchester United, Postecoglou did not hesitate.

“My view is that Manchester United is the hardest job in world football. The scrutiny that the club has, and the spotlight it’s constantly under, beholden to the history it has, it’s going to take a unique individual to be able to overcome.”

He then laid out the blueprint.

A manager must front over 100 press conferences a year. In his second season at Tottenham Hotspur, Postecoglou did more than 130. He must handle winning runs without euphoria and defeats without implosion. He must cope with winning and not winning “in the right style”. He must carry history like a shadow.

“So it’s going to have to be someone who’s prepared to accept all that and be strong enough as an individual to say, ‘I will do it, but I’ll do it my way’.”

You did not need to read between the lines. Postecoglou was describing himself.

His tenure at Tottenham Hotspur was a study in contrasts.

On one hand, he delivered European silverware. Spurs’ 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final ended a 17-year wait for a trophy and finally silenced the “Spursy” narrative that had lingered for nearly two decades.

On the other, domestic inconsistency undermined his standing. His side famously began his Premier League reign with 10 unbeaten matches, winning eight, only for a chaotic 4-1 defeat to Chelsea to trigger fierce scrutiny of his attacking philosophy. Down to nine men, Postecoglou refused to abandon his principles.

Later in Europe, he adapted. The final was pragmatic, Spurs enjoying just 26.7 per cent possession and registering a single shot on target. It was not pure “Ange-ball”, but it was effective.

Even in triumph, there were debates about style.

After his departure from Spurs, Postecoglou made what he now openly calls a mistake by taking over at Nottingham Forest almost immediately. The stint lasted just 39 days.

“It was a bad decision,” he admitted.

In an era where managerial missteps are often cloaked in vague diplomacy, Postecoglou’s candour is refreshing. He owns failures as loudly as he owns success. That authenticity resonates with supporters and viewers alike.

It is also part of the reason why he continues to dominate football discourse despite not yet reaching 100 Premier League matches as a head coach.

If there were any lingering doubts about whether he would soften his approach after recent turbulence, Postecoglou dismissed them quickly.

“If a club starts talking to me, it’s not like I’m going to walk in and do things differently. Do they really want what I have to offer? I’m going to play this way, I’m going to train this way, and I want to win things. I’ve done that my whole career.”

It is a philosophy that has brought success in Australia, Japan and Scotland, notably with Celtic, before translating into European silverware in England.

But it is also a high-wire act in the Premier League. English football culture is unforgiving. Results and style are dissected relentlessly. Long throws and VAR decisions become cultural flashpoints. Postecoglou, a self-confessed traditionalist, has frequently lamented both.

Yet that friction between ideology and environment is precisely what makes him compelling.

Would Manchester United seriously consider Postecoglou if they move on from interim head coach Michael Carrick?

On paper, it feels unlikely. United’s global stature, commercial weight and expectations often push them towards established names with sustained success at elite European level. A short-lived spell at Forest complicates his case.

Yet the club’s history is littered with bold decisions. From Sir Alex Ferguson’s arrival from Aberdeen to more recent experiments, United have often oscillated between pragmatism and idealism.

Postecoglou would certainly not lack belief.

And perhaps belief is exactly what Old Trafford needs.

If not United, then where?

He ruled out returning to a previous club. That likely removes Tottenham and Forest from contention. The usual elite contenders already have entrenched projects in place.

Could he one day follow David Moyes at Everton, guiding them into a new era at their state-of-the-art stadium? Might his trophy-driven mindset appeal to ambitious fanbases such as Newcastle United or a rebuilding West Ham United?

The options in England appear limited for a manager who equates achievement with lifting silverware rather than finishing fourth.

But football has a way of creating unexpected opportunities.

Beyond tactics and trophies, there is something else.

Postecoglou is box office.

The Stick to Football episode featuring him became the fastest in the show’s history to reach one million views, outperforming appearances by icons such as David Beckham and Rory McIlroy. That is not accidental.

He speaks in complete sentences. He challenges narratives. He refuses to dilute his philosophy for convenience. In a media landscape often dominated by rehearsed caution, his directness feels almost radical.

Whether you agree with him or not, you listen.

And that, in the hyper-commercial ecosystem of the Premier League, has value.

Is it audacious for Postecoglou to imply he could handle Manchester United? Perhaps.

Is it bold? Undoubtedly.

But audacity has defined his career. From Australian domestic football to European finals, he has consistently bet on himself. Sometimes he has fallen short. More often, he has lifted trophies.

The question now is not whether he believes he can restore a fallen giant. It is whether a giant believes in him.

For all the scrutiny, press conferences and historical baggage, one thing remains certain. If Ange Postecoglou is in the dugout, the story will never be dull.

And English football, for all its turbulence, is richer for that.