Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[theShiznit]

Went to the driving range to forget the result. Couldn't.

Surely that should be...

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

What did Ange say after the game? Anything interesting?
I switched it off straight after the final whistle.

 

[mil1lion]

Some moronic opposition fans saying we are making excuses after the Chelsea game........ no its not an "excuse" to have 7/8 first team starters unavailable. It's an injury and suspension led crisis - that very, very few teams ever have to deal with. Even Man City would struggle with that and they have the deepest squad depth in the Prem due to money and more importantly being able to offer Champions League football. Its not remotely realistic - or financially sensible - to sign 4 or 5 extra "top 6" level players to improve the squad and replace the remaining deadwood players we have, without offering them either 1st team football or rotation options in Europe - and anyone who thinks otherwise knows absolutely nothing about football.

I see the arguments made re playing some of the youngsters and I have sympathy for that view....but let's not pretend that that's the solution. We are still going to find it very tough until Xmas regardless. Hopefully Maddison is back by say mid/late December and Romero being back in 3 games time will help also. Big January needed with 2/3 players in early.

Liverpool had this issue a few years ago. Had an injury hit season and dropped down the table. They missed Van Dijk for a lot of games similar to us with VdV now. Their defence suffered a lot so I'm seeing a lot of similarity with us. They were in need of a stronger squad and we're no different. We simply don't have the depth just yet but this was always a transition season. We've had Ange a few months so of course we're not there yet. How long have Pep and Klopp needed?

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Liverpool had this issue a few years ago. Had an injury hit season and dropped down the table. They missed Van Dijk for a lot of games similar to us with VdV now. Their defence suffered a lot so I'm seeing a lot of similarity with us. They were in need of a stronger squad and we're no different. We simply don't have the depth just yet but this was always a transition season. We've had Ange a few months so of course we're not there yet. How long have Pep and Klopp needed?

Spot on and the good thing and difference is that like Pep and Klopp, Ange wants to be here(at the club) and is building a project and recruiting players to suit his set style of play whereas Conte & Jose didn’t want to be here or commit to building and developing a young squad.

We knew there would be ups and downs, I just hope we sign a top back-up CB early in the Jan window and ideally a CM and attacking mid also as our squad still lacks depth, we are going in the right direction but whilst Ange is a miracle worker, he’s not the 2nd coming of Christ and he nor any other manager can get Dier, Davies, PEH to play in a modern high pressing high line high possession quick style as they just can’t do it so until those guys are moved on, if/when we have to rely on them we will continue to have problems, simple as that.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

They weren’t causing us any problems but what we did was rush every opportunity we had to run the clock down . Hojberg taking that quick free kick at the end and giving it straight back to them sums up how we saw that game out .

It also sums Hojberg up perfectly good at passing to the opposition.

 

[Sp3akerboxxx]

Yep you’ve nailed it although I think we have a clear 4 year project with Ange this time and we are now only 3-4 top signings away from a very strong well rounded squad.

If we had say signed a Lloyd Kelly and he’d played today instead of Dier or Davies maybe we’d have drawn or won today who knows.

But yea completely get the sentiment and frustration, just have to hope we give Ange what he needs this Jan and next summer, if we do that we could be really rocking next season even with a similarly crazy injury and suspension crisis.

Deja vu

 

[Trix]

Maybe europa conference league would have benefit this season. Giving the reserves a chance to play how manager wants

The reserves can't play how the manager wants full stop. Having extra games isn't going to make senior pro's in the latter stages of their careers faster, more mobile or technically better than they are.
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I know fans want to defend him to the hilt but no player or manager is devoid of criticism. Yes he's just won manager of the month for the third time and deserves huge amounts of praise for that, but he equally got it very wrong against Wolves. Something has to change from that side going forward be it in the selection or tactics or we are on a hiding to nothing every week going forward.

 

[Trix]

It's easy to blame, but dier and Davies have probably played less than 180 minutes between them all season. Match fitness could have been an issue.

And why is that do you think?

 

[sidford]

The reserves can't play how the manager wants full stop. Having extra games isn't going to make senior pro's in the latter stages of their careers faster, more mobile or technically better than they are.
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I know fans want to defend him to the hilt but no player or manager is devoid of criticism. Yes he's just won manager of the month for the third time and deserves huge amounts of praise for that, but he equally got it very wrong against Wolves. Something has to change from that side going forward be it in the selection or tactics or we are on a hiding to nothing every week going forward.

This is something that a number of people, both spurs fans and others don't seem to get, if he doesn't change tactics or personnel at all to adapt to a situation then doesn't that sound an awful lot like our last permanent manager?!
Every manager needs a philosophy and a style and speaking as a fan his is a lot more inline with how I want my club to play but he has to adapt it at times otherwise his refusal to do so is as bad as Conte's was.

 

[Metalhead]

The reserves can't play how the manager wants full stop. Having extra games isn't going to make senior pro's in the latter stages of their careers faster, more mobile or technically better than they are.
------------------
I know fans want to defend him to the hilt but no player or manager is devoid of criticism. Yes he's just won manager of the month for the third time and deserves huge amounts of praise for that, but he equally got it very wrong against Wolves. Something has to change from that side going forward be it in the selection or tactics or we are on a hiding to nothing every week going forward.

I'm sure that he'll make changes to the playing side but he ain't changing his approach.

 

[Metalhead]

This is something that a number of people, both spurs fans and others don't seem to get, if he doesn't change tactics at all to adapt to a situation then doesn't that sound an awful lot like our last permanent manager?!
Every manager needs a philosophy and a style and speaking as a fan his is a lot more inline with how I want my club to play but he has to adapt it at times otherwise his refusal to do so is as bad as Conte's was.

It's not what people want or don't want - it doesn't matter what we think.

 

[McGoose]

I'm sure that he'll make changes to the playing side but he ain't changing his approach.

I think he wants to stick to the philosophy he wants the team to play long term even if it will hurt us short-term - we could see that against Chelsea when we were down to nine men as well, high line and kept playing out from the back.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Ange should have changed things around and gone more pragmatic. That way the players who let us down multiple times could have let us down once more, but hey, they'd have let us down resorting to type Hell, they are taking pelters anyway which surprises me seeing as it's Ange 'not adapting'.

We buy into it or we don't. Or was the 'more entertaining' thing just so much fucking horseshit. Ange is getting this club to do it a certain way and he will, quite rightly, stick to that and at times it'll cost us. We bought into that and have been thrashing around SC jizzing all over threads in excitement. Then we lose a couple of games and suddenly............

I don't know what's more vomit inducing, the past two results or the wildly over the top reaction to them from us.

 

[AustrianHotspur]

And why is that do you think?

Because of Romero, van de Ven and Udogie. It's not particularly unusual not to rotate much in this area. The former three are simply the better players and so they play when they are available.

 

[Mr Pink]

Ange didnt have a lot of options yesterday.

I understand why he started Dier and Davies.

Its easy to say start Phillips etc.

The one perplexed me more was not starting Lo Celso instead of PEH.

Sort of went against his MO there.

 

[Nebby]

This is something that a number of people, both spurs fans and others don't seem to get, if he doesn't change tactics or personnel at all to adapt to a situation then doesn't that sound an awful lot like our last permanent manager?!
Every manager needs a philosophy and a style and speaking as a fan his is a lot more inline with how I want my club to play but he has to adapt it at times otherwise his refusal to do so is as bad as Conte's was.

I, for one, hope he never compromises. Ange wants the team to play, from first minute to last, regardless of the score - or how many players we have on the pitch.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I'm sure that he'll make changes to the playing side but he ain't changing his approach.

Nor should he. You don't change the culture of a team/club if you abandon your philosophy at the first sign of adversity.

 

[Gilzeanking]

The reserves can't play how the manager wants full stop.
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I know fans want to defend him to the hilt but no player or manager is devoid of criticism. Yes he's just won manager of the month for the third time and deserves huge amounts of praise for that, but he equally got it very wrong against Wolves. Something has to change from that side going forward be it in the selection or tactics or we are on a hiding to nothing every week going forward.

Yep 3rd time winner..he's done well. In the last few months the general football world has been open mouthed in amazement at Ange and his system. Endless YT/MSM pieces about his brilliant effect on Spurs and are we going to win the title etc.

I've loved this period as much as anyone, but was always commenting here on how the praise was not being shared properly with the recruitment staff. The Fulham cup defeat spoke loud and clear. Ange.style was working so well...because of the brilliant players he had at his disposal. Take those away and our effectiveness drops like a stone.

It could be argued and some have, that we fall particularly far without our top guys because Ange won't adapt the style to fit the 2nd string qualities of the replacement players. In the SPL with a budget multiple times bigger than the oppositions maybe it all works, but the Prem is unforgiving.

Flexibility is something Ange will need without our elite players.

 

[mattspur1]

I think yesterday's result is the combination of a number of things. Injuries, suspensions, fatigue etc. That said, we obviously don't have the squad depth to maintain our superb start to the season. Also, in my opinion, I think the high line is predictable and easy to play against. It just allows the opposition too many chances.

 

[Japhet]

Ange didnt have a lot of options yesterday.

I understand why he started Dier and Davies.

Its easy to say start Phillips etc.

The one perplexed me more was not starting Lo Celso instead of PEH.

Sort of went against his MO there.

Pretty difficult away game judging by recent results. I guess he just wanted to try to protect the selotape and chewing gum back 4 he had to use. Nearly pulled it off too.