Ange Postecoglou spies on Arne Slot's Liverpool after agreeing to new role

Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as a UEFA technical observer and attended Liverpool's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield as part of his new role, providing a tactical analysis of the match

Ange Postecoglou has landed a new job since being fired by Nottingham Forest(Image: Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou has returned to Premier League circles to evaluate Liverpool as part of his new position.

It has been a challenging period for the Australian since leading Tottenham to Europa League success last season. Postecoglou paid the penalty for Spurs' 17th-place Premier League finish, being dismissed just weeks after that final triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao. He subsequently departed Nottingham Forest after just 39 days at the helm.

Nevertheless, the former Celtic boss has returned to employment following his appointment as a UEFA technical observer. Among his initial responsibilities, he was dispatched to evaluate Arsenal in the Champions League in January, while one of his latest assignments took him to Anfield for Liverpool's second leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Postecoglou's analysis of the match, which PSG won 2-0 to secure a 4-0 aggregate triumph, has been published on the UEFA website.

The 60-year-old begins the piece by praising Liverpool's pressing approach, stating: "Ryan Gravenberch and Dominic Szoboszlai did a really good job of closing down the midfield space. They denied PSG that central area they like to play in."

He went on to commend Luis Enrique's side for adopting a more direct approach. Postecoglou remarked: "Liverpool's approach really made it difficult for them and if they'd just persisted in trying to play like they normally do, they may have got unstuck."

Postecoglou assessed Liverpool's Champions League defeat by PSG(Image: Getty Images)

Throughout his tenure at Spurs, Postecoglou faced regular criticism for failing to temper his attacking philosophy when situations demanded it.

However, while analyzing PSG's triumph, he maintained that Tottenham demonstrated adaptability when required during the team's Europa League run.

He explained: "A key thing is to understand that, rather than having a predetermined idea about how things could transpire, you need to understand the game in front of you and the immediate task at hand. For coaches, experience teaches you that.

"The reality of it is, whether it's pragmatism or simply understanding what the actual challenge is on the day, the paramount thing is being successful, particularly in Champions League knockout football because the margins are so fine.

"You can't abandon your foundations, and if you look at Luis Enrique's approach, there were still the elements you always see.

"But there was also a recognition that there was a different challenge to overcome.

"There's a difference to knockout football in Europe, and the approach you take and recognizing that, at certain stages, it's not an abandonment of philosophy, it's an acknowledgment of the challenge that's before you and doing what's required.

"And that certainly was our approach with Tottenham in the Europa League final last year, and it wasn't saying that everything we've done up till now doesn't matter."