Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[IfiHadTheWings]

Free Ass Ange?

The man deserves as much free ass as he can eat.

 

[cockerel downunder]

Anyone know when the final squad list is due? Be interesting to see who is left out of dier/ndom. I’d have thought dier given better attitude but with Phillips on bench at the weekend who knows?

Ange has always been ruthless with cutting out established senior players who didn’t fit the new system, but he’s never had to deal with such big contracts / transfer values before so very interesting to see how he handles this next but and what pressure comes from the club.

 

[muppetman]

Anyone know when the final squad list is due? Be interesting to see who is left out of dier/ndom. I’d have thought dier given better attitude but with Phillips on bench at the weekend who knows?

Ange has always been ruthless with cutting out established senior players who didn’t fit the new system, but he’s never had to deal with such big contracts / transfer values before so very interesting to see how he handles this next but and what pressure comes from the club.

I don't think he will care about contracts and transfer values - whether Levy does and tries to interfere could be interesting, as you say.

 

[thelak]

I don't think he will care about contracts and transfer values - whether Levy does and tries to interfere could be interesting, as you say.

I think with many of these players entering the last year or so of contracts combined with evidence of a total lack of interest in many of them transfer values for the most obvious names are a moot point

 

[14/04/91]

Anyone know when the final squad list is due? Be interesting to see who is left out of dier/ndom. I’d have thought dier given better attitude but with Phillips on bench at the weekend who knows?

Ange has always been ruthless with cutting out established senior players who didn’t fit the new system, but he’s never had to deal with such big contracts / transfer values before so very interesting to see how he handles this next but and what pressure comes from the club.

15th Sept I believe

 

[rebrab]

I love what he says about players just being trusted to take up spaces, rather than following distinct patterns. It makes us so much less predictable and in theory will mean that we improve as the season goes on rather than getting 'found out'.

 

[rebrab]

15th Sept I believe

13th

 

[Rosco1984]

They weren't frauds were they? I mean you might not like their style of football but they are accomplished managers.

with unlimited budgets or in pragmatic leagues. Not when they dont have the best player in the league in each position.

 

[alfie103]

with unlimited budgets or in pragmatic leagues. Not when they dont have the best player in the league in each position.

Well most managers who win competitions tend to have the best players. There is a reason the biggest clubs spend a lot of money buying players.

 

[Rosco1984]

Well most managers who win competitions tend to have the best players. There is a reason the biggest clubs spend a lot of money buying players.

Not always true. Not so long ago PSG were beaten to the french league title and they have far suprior players than anyone else in that league. A good manager gets the best out of what is available. Conte and Mourinho were very far from achieving that at spurs look how good bissouma is, Conte barely played him prefering boring shyte.

 

[muppetman]

I think with many of these players entering the last year or so of contracts combined with evidence of a total lack of interest in many of them transfer values for the most obvious names are a moot point

I think it was Wenger many years ago who said that he thought more and more players would wind down their contracts and then get a better deal elsewhere on a free.

Certainly feels that way and not just with us - Maguire at Utd etc.

 

[thekneaf]

They were wrong for us and there is definitely a younger generation of managers who are playing great football while getting good results, but Mourinho has done a pretty decent job at Roma since leaving us.

You think Jose is doing well at Roma? He's one the lowest trophy available yes, but he's spent a lot to do that without any improvement in the league

 

[Ghost Hardware]

I have to say it makes a huge difference to me when Son is central, I don't know if I'd prefer a single player through 1v1 with the keeper over the last 5 years than Son in world football. For some reason, Conte didn't want that to happen. However 1v1 vs a defender, Son struggles. So when we're playing Son - Richarlison - Kulusevki, it's hard not to think about Kane missing but when you play Son, central, it just feels like a completely different approach given his style. Suddenly it becomes: Solomon/Richarlison fighting for one spot, Son central and Kulusevki/Johnson fighting for the other spot.

Those little switcheroo's make all the difference to the complexion of the front line. Don't get me wrong, if we finish 2nd, I'll still be saying, if only we kept Kane, but I feel our frontline options look far greater with this switch.

The big test for Son as a CF and the tactics in general is how he will do against a packed box. Against a team like Burnley who sit high and have plenty of space in behind Son will run riot but when we come up against a team that sits deep, crowds the box and doesn’t leave any space behind that will be the real test. I’m honestly not sure how he will come through that, he will definitely need to work on his movement within the box. He also only has 4 PL goals from headers so high cross won’t be a viable option.

A lot of it will come down to the support from the wings and the midfield. We will have to be very precise with our support play and passing. I’m sure Ange will have this in mind, assuming he sticks with Son at CF rather than Richy, and be working on it in training. It’s possibly in situations like this that Ange might well prefer Richy who is the more physical of the two but in general I’d be surprised if Son isn’t the starting CF.

 

[jimbo]

The big test for Son as a CF and the tactics in general is how he will do against a packed box. Against a team like Burnley who sit high and have plenty of space in behind Son will run riot but when we come up against a team that sits deep, crowds the box and doesn’t leave any space behind that will be the real test. I’m honestly not sure how he will come through that, he will definitely need to work on his movement within the box. He also only has 4 PL goals from headers so high cross won’t be a viable option.

A lot of it will come down to the support from the wings and the midfield. We will have to be very precise with our support play and passing. I’m sure Ange will have this in mind, assuming he sticks with Son at CF rather than Richy, and be working on it in training. It’s possibly in situations like this that Ange might well prefer Richy who is the more physical of the two but in general I’d be surprised if Son isn’t the starting CF.

I think it would probably depend on where the space is conceded by that team, if it's in wide areas and we need to cross high then I'm with you - Richarlison would be the better option as he's much stronger in the air. If there's space outside the box centrally, then Son is pretty deadly from there and so is Maddison. Kulusevski, Solomon, Porro are all pretty handy long-range shooters as well. I think we will see more adaptation to our line-ups and tactics than we've been used to, and that will be an interesting thing to keep an eye on this season. We do seem to have multiple goal threats in the core team and I'm hoping that will help us to unlock the more stubborn, defensive sides we might face.

 

[JacoZA]

You think Jose is doing well at Roma? He's one the lowest trophy available yes, but he's spent a lot to do that without any improvement in the league

Yes. First silverware in 11 years, 2 cup finals, and European qualification in both seasons. Net spend for those two seasons was 38.77M pounds.

I think most of the people on this forum would have bitten your hand off for that before Ange.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Not always true. Not so long ago PSG were beaten to the french league title and they have far suprior players than anyone else in that league. A good manager gets the best out of what is available. Conte and Mourinho were very far from achieving that at spurs look how good bissouma is, Conte barely played him prefering boring shyte.

We can’t use exceptions to argue the rule, in general, the teams with the best players win their respective leagues.

 

[thekneaf]

Yes. First silverware in 11 years, 2 cup finals, and European qualification in both seasons. Net spend for those two seasons was 38.77M pounds.

I think most of the people on this forum would have bitten your hand off for that before Ange.

Roma where qualifying for Europe long before he showed up. He does win things, but things he wins and the outcomes are diminishing in prestige. Just like the job opportunities he is given. I do believe he could have won us that Carabao Cup - he is a winner, especially in those circumstances.

It's also not that far in the distant past where Roma where challenging for the league. They have got no where near that under him in arguably a less challenging league given the upheaval at the other clubs.

 

[JacoZA]

Roma where qualifying for Europe long before he showed up. He does win things, but things he wins and the outcomes are diminishing in prestige. Just like the job opportunities he is given. I do believe he could have won us that Carabao Cup - he is a winner, especially in those circumstances.

It's also not that far in the distant past where Roma where challenging for the league. They have got no where near that under him in arguably a less challenging league given the upheaval at the other clubs.

For sure - I'm not suggesting he's performed some kind of miracle at Roma. I'm saying that I think the view that he (and I'd bet Conte as well) is a has-been is much exaggerated.

Objectively he's done a good job at Roma. Could he do better - sure. Is he washed - I don't think so.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Life can be funny sometimes. I know people were not thrilled that, once again, Arsenal open at home, while we were away, and faced 3 away matches in the first 4.

But, in hindsight, it's been a brilliant transition for Ange - away support is almost always better and more supportive than home support. And this year, the away support has been above and beyond - and I think the team feels that. So, being away while working out some of the issues, has, in a small way, helped the squad, and built a really positive atmosphere around the club.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

I hope the energy he brings evolves our home games in terms of fan noise over the next few months so the stadium can become a fortress again, teams should be scared to play us at home. If any manager can get the fans working as our twelfth man again, it’s Ange.