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Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

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RuskyM

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2011
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31,441
Asked Postecoglou about Archie Gray's performances in playing every three days as a centre-back: "And in a position he's never played mate, you know, he's never played. An 18-year-old. Name me another Premier League team that's got two 18-year-olds andone playing out of position consistently. I'm so happy they're at our football club and you know, in two or three years' time, I just pray to God I'm the beneficiary of their talent, mate, because if somebody else is getting it, I won't be happy."
It's not difficult to see why he gets more slack than other managers. The optimism of what he thinks we can achieve, combined with the commitment that he wants to be the one overseeing it: it is night and day to what we've had recently.
 
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newbie

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2004
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Different kind of long though.

There is long, floated ball into thr half way line, or there is s rocketed ball into final third for attackers to run o to, directed I to space.

he also can spot a player and has phenomenal brain speed some of his passing was unbelievable the bend round players.

he seemed to have so much time, quick feet and brain speed, he was very good at spotting players free on the wings.
It's not difficult to see why he gets more slack than other managers. The optimism of what he thinks we can achieve, combined with the commitment that he wants to be the one overseeing it: it is light and day to what we've had recently.

The stadium isn't as toxic as it was under Conte and his name is still being sung I really hope we give him time
 
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McFlash

Without doubt the dumbest & most clueless member.
Oct 19, 2005
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I am slightly frustrated on Bergvall and Gray, they were the absolute standouts in pre-season (i know it's "only" pre season) and they didn't get much of a look in before he had to play them even though we had injuries/tired players/poor performers

Gray has made himself unstoppable and Berg has been excellent.
I don't think either of them really stood out in pre-season at all.
Gray looked ok but Bergvall looked exactly what he was, a talented youngster who was making a big step up.

Nobody was expecting to see as much of them as we have and that's just down to their age, that they've done as well as they have is testament to their ability and maturity but you're being harsh to suggest that Ange should have thrown them in from the beginning of the season, very harsh.

The only player who actually stood out for me in pre-season was probably Deki because he had to play as a "false 9" and really shone in a central area.
 

mawspurs

Staff
Jun 29, 2003
35,559
18,658
Ange Postecoglou has admitted that he would like Tottenham to bring in a new attacker during this January transfer window amid links to PSG star Randal Kolo Muani.

Spurs are expected to be busy this month to bolster Postecoglou's threadbare squad after injuries, illness and suspension ravaged through it, with most recent games bringing double figures in terms of unavailable players. The club have already brought in goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague and are looking to add another couple of players at least to help in various areas of the squad.

Postecoglou was asked on Friday about links to 26-year-old versatile France international Muani but would only say that the club is working hard to bring in new players to help the current overplayed squad. However, when later speaking about Dominic Solanke facing his old club Liverpool he let it slip that he hopes another attacker will be helping the 27-year-old out in the "very near future".

"[It not having worked at Liverpool] was what excited me about him. I knew I was going to get a player who had something to prove. I thought he felt, ‘ok the start of my career wasn’t great but I’ve worked my way back to a big club and now I want to show people I can play at this level and I can make an impact'," said Postecoglou.

"Look, he’s been unbelievable. To think of the way he’s led that front line pretty much on his own. We lost Richarlison all season and he had his own minor setbacks at the start of the season and I don’t even sub him off. I had to leave him out there and the manner in which he plays takes a big physical toll. It’s not like he’s one of these strikers who strolls about. He works his backside off for the team defensively, he leads the line and he’s scoring goals.

"He’s been brilliant for us. Hopefully in the very near future we get some help for him and then I think we’ll see him go to another level."

The Tottenham boss was picked up on that last line and asked whether that meant a new signing was incoming or that players were on their way back from injury?

He grinned before saying: "Both. It's hopefully what we can do but I wouldn't suggest tomorrow.

"Not a centre-forward but I think we need some help in the front half if we can get it. Obviously Wilson's still a fair way off, Richy's coming back but we've got to be really careful with him, we've got to try to keep him back. Again, it's got to be the right fit. Is that going to happen this window? I'm not sure but we know that all being well, in seven days, Richy's back and he'll definitely help Dom for sure."

Muani can play anywhere across the front line and is believed to be a player high on Tottenham's list of potential attacking additions, but they will face plenty of competition for his services despite falling out of favour at PSG. football.london reported this week that former Spurs managing director of football Fabio Paratici tried to sign the Frenchman for the north London club before his £74million move to Paris from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Solanke has certainly started his time at Tottenham well with 11 goals and five assists in 26 appearances so far since his own £65million move from Bournemouth, but would those numbers be even higher if the England international was more of a selfish striker than a willing runner and hold-up man for the team?

"His numbers would be better if we were better. You’ve got to cut these guys some slack," said Postecoglou. "They can’t do it all on their own. We’re struggling as a team for consistency, energy, cohesion - understandably so. You can’t expect strikers to go score hat-tricks on the back of that. Even at the weekend he scored an unbelievable goal, had a couple of headers where he was unlucky, he’s still getting in those areas. He’s doing the absolute maximum and his numbers will get better when we get better."

He added: "He’s becoming [a leader]. I think through this difficult process we’ve been in, there have been things that have emerged. Guys like Dom and Kulusevski have definitely become much more pivotal in what we do, with the way they play, and the way we tackled the tasks we’ve got at the moment.

"We’ve seen enormous growth in Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Djed Spence. There is some good stuff happening but it does get masked by the fact were not in a great space in terms of our results right now. We need to change that."

It was announced on Tuesday that Spurs had taken up the option to extend Son Heung-min's contract by another year until the summer of 2026. Postecoglou was asked whether it's important now for Tottenham to sort out the 32-year-old South Korean star's long-term future as well.

"Only if it’s important to Sonny as well. I think with all these kind of things, it has to be …. when you’ve got a player like Sonny who has such a standing at a club, and I know how highly the club regards him, and I know how much he loves the club … I just think it’ll all happen mutually," he said.

"It’s not something that needs to be forced one way or another. I don’t think the club will be in a position of trying to force anything or Sonny would try and force anything. There is enough respect and credit between both parties that those kind of discussions will happen naturally, and I think will come to a conclusion that everyone is happy with."

Son has to travel more than most each year with his international commitments and some have suggested that all those seasons of travelling around the world might have caught up with the forward's form and energy levels. This season has still brought seven goals and six assists but he has not hit the heights of previous campaigns with inconsistent displays.

When asked about his previous comparisons between Son's tough patch and Mohamed Salah's, Postecoglou fiercely defended his captain.

“You’ve always got to give context. Mo is an unbelievable player but he’s playing in a fantastic team that are flying at the moment. I’d hazard to say that if you put Sonny in Liverpool’s team, I reckon his goalscoring return would be decent," he said. "It’s hard for our players at the moment. Guys like Solanke and Kulusevski and Johnson, they’re trying awfully hard to be the best they can be, but there is context to that in that we are a team that is very disrupted, that is not playing with a fluency that it can play with.

"We’re asking players to play in positions that they are totally unfamiliar with. That has an effect. To me, it’s about context, but when we’re at our best, I still think you’ll see Sonny’s return, in terms of his ability to score goals and be really effective for us, I don’t think that’s diminished at all. Yeah, he’s going through a tough trot but we’re going through a tough trot. That goes hand in hand."

On the travelling being responsible, Postecoglou said: "No, the opposite. It's been unbelievable how he has been able to maintain that level of consistent performance, but I know everyone is focusing on it now but even last year his season was incredible for us. People need to have a little bit of context. Mo is a world class player but if you put him in our team now I'm not sure he'll have that same level of performance because of the situation we're in as a group," said the Australian.

"His attacking play, who do you need? You need a team that's kind of in good form creating opportunities, playing on the front foot, having a really solid foundation of a defence that is cohesive. None of these things exist at the moment. We're relying on individual moments and you can say the same about Dom, Kulusevski and Brennan because they are playing all the time. They're doing the best they can."

On those miles Son has racked up, Postecoglou added: "It's more of a testament to him in how he's been able to maintain such a high level of performance across many years.

"Obviously coming from that part of the world I can tell you it's the hardest trip you can do. Coming from Asia back into Europe on a consistent basis, I hate to know the kind of mileage he's put in through his career, but he's been able to maintain an unbelievable level of performance which is a testament to him as a person as much as a footballer.

"They are the things you take into mind because Sonny has found a way of maintaining an unbelievable standard. More concerning is how many players have not realised their potential because of similar circumstances."

Son and Salah will come face to face this week as Spurs look to get past Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, with the first leg on Tuesday night.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy did not mention the only trophy won during his quarter century tenure at the helm - the 2008 League Cup win - among his top three achievements at the club during a fans' forum this year, but Postecoglou is hoping lifting a trophy would have an impact at Spurs.

"After sitting here for 18 months and [everyone] telling me what a trophy is going to do for this club, I kind of hope it has a little bit of an impact on everybody!" he said. "I don't get weighed down by those kinds of things in terms of allowing them to really impact what I think is important for this football club. That is we’re having a tough season. Our league form is really poor, we need to improve, but we are in a semi-final of a competition and with the group of players we’ve got at the moment, if we can achieve something where they are in their careers, I think it does set you up really well for what we’re trying to build here.

"I think it does. It’s not the be all and end all, as I’ve said many times, but if we get a final and happen to win a trophy, we’ll look back on this period of where we are, a small group of players having to rise above and beyond to get there, I think that will be as worthy of the achievement as actually winning it."

It was pointed out to Postecoglou that Jose Mourinho was sacked by Levy just days before a league cup final so would getting through these semi-finals actually give him any extra job security?

"So just drop out at the semi-final, you reckon?" he joked. "I don’t need greater security. Look, all I see is I’ve got a group of players who are giving absolutely everything they can. I see every person at this football club pushing hard every day, whether they are involved in football or not, to try and help us through this situation. I don’t need any more than that.

"It’s my responsibility, the results are on me. It’s my responsibility to change that, and if it doesn’t change, then, of course, I’m the one who should take whatever ramifications there are to it. But I don’t need any more security than seeing what I see every day that the club, everyone at the club is totally supportive of what we’re trying to do, trying to help me and trying to help us get through this. That’s all any manager needs, I’m not interested in security."
 

spurs9

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
12,828
39,439
He or whoever the next manager is just needs better quality wingers. Son and johnson just isn’t going to cut it. We need to really invest in both those positions as it would help us out both defensively and in attack. Two starting wingers is required. We won’t get them obviously but thats what we should be trying to do. It would transform our team.
Hopefully it ends up being a short term issue with Odobert, Moore, Yang and Williams-Barnett all high potential players.
 

spurs9

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
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39,439
I am slightly frustrated on Bergvall and Gray, they were the absolute standouts in pre-season (i know it's "only" pre season) and they didn't get much of a look in before he had to play them even though we had injuries/tired players/poor performers

Gray has made himself unstoppable and Berg has been excellent.
Both were getting minutes off the bench and Bergvall in particular was looking way off the pace at the time. Adapting to a new country is tough and the PL is notoriously the toughest league to physically adapt to.
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
24,978
93,825
It can't be, right? It certainly looked like it was by design, and even if it wasn't planned he has to have seen how much of a positive it was. The uncertainty of what we were going to do was a real issue for Pool, and it'll mean teams can't just set up to press knowing we will only try to play through them. It will also give us more space when we do play through the lines. It really was a breath of fresh air watching us go long with purpose and precision.
Yeah I agree.

I do wonder if Ange wanted to do this much earlier but felt like Vicario doesn't have that range? Or perhaps preferes to use Romero to progress the ball?

One thing I think that is often overlooked or even not spoken about is that Ange definitely wants fast forward passes. That defines his methods.

Sure, not just aimless long balls and you do need to coax the opposition out but we all know he hates going back all the time.

So perhaps the players (GKs) haven't been taking in hid ideas well enough or he just hasn't been confident enough in them?

If Lange has used data to find Kinsky then he absolutely has to have used 'long pass' metric in that search. I'm certain it was one of Ange's musts.

My feeling is he liked Vicario, and there wasn't much else out there, so took him. But after last season and this season, he's realised that Vic isn't best suited to some aspects and Ange himself has probably realised that he needs a more dynamic GK in this league.

Whatever it bodes we'll because Slavia's defence immediately tightened up (they got caught out in some games and couldn't break down some teams) yet as soon as Kinsky was in, both those issues were resolved
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
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93,825
Was looking into Poch's early part if his reign.

Up until when I think it really got going (over Xmas 2015).

He won 39 games out of 80.

Ange has won 35 put of 71.

So not a lot of difference.

They both have had/had big wins followed by poor losses.

The big difference was under Poch we tended to draw games and didn't score as much.

I think you fo have to take into account Ange's injury issues that have probably shaved a fair few good results of his tenure.

But I'd say they've actually had similar results up until a similar stage.

Not saying Ange will be like Poch but I do think he's still a way off having his system/team fully implemented like Poch did.
 

Misfit

President of The Niles Crane Fanclub
May 7, 2006
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40,368
Someone on hear once made a joke/quip after we played Citeh under Conte that Ederson would probably be the best/most progressive passer we'd have in our midfield.

Similar vibes, although obviously not wrt to our current midfield.
 

Luka Van der Bale

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2011
6,167
14,198
We need to go back to being the club that spotted and signed up talents like that early.

Would we have signed Modric from Zagreb if he could do it all over and was a 23 year old now? More likely he goes to a Brighton or a Brentford and in a few years become unattainable for us.
If anything, fans have literally been complaining that too high a proportion of our business is this type of signing, with not enough focus on immediate impact signings. We're actually very good at this since around the time Paratici took over - Kinsky, Spence, Dragusin, Van de Ven, Vuskovic, Udogie, Gray, Bergvall, Sarr, Yang, Odobert. All signed at the age of 21 or younger (bar Micky who was 22).
 

gibbospurs

SC Supporter
Aug 28, 2010
5,257
7,291
I'm hoping he's decided his philosophy needs tweaking occasionally because of the opposition and not only because we are struggling with pace at cb. Surely the penny has dropped he can't continue going bonkers forward. Fickle. I was Ange out after the Chelsea and Liverpool games. But I think I'm now Ange in again. As long as he mixes it. 🤞
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
24,978
93,825
He's prickly at times with good reason.

Some of these pundits and journos have dismissed him from day one. People like Gary Neville accused him of just copying Pep with the full backs.

Carragher is quick to tell Ange his way won't work (despite never coaching).

He gets asked the same irritating question about his system every week.

He got the same question for weeks about set pieces and he tried to tell them it's just one aspect of organising a team.

He's had people say he doesn't have tactics.

He's had people call him naive (despite coaching for 20+ years)

He's had people belittle him because he is from Australia - a non-footballing nation.

So you can forgive him for biting and giving it back or being prickly during defeat because he feels like his whole existence as a coach is being questioned.

You would do too in your job.

What they don't realise is, this all feeds him to show them they are wrong and gives him more fuel to succeed.

I bloody hope he does.
 

carpediem1906

COYS singapore spurs
Sep 3, 2011
953
3,108
Agreed.
The current conversations surrounding Ange seem to be dominated by revisionism and excuses. At present, injuries are being cited as the primary reason for the team’s struggles, which I agree is a valid and significant factor. However, the sheer volume of injuries we’ve faced raises questions about deeper underlying issues, perhaps related to training, conditioning, or squad management.

What frustrates me is how quickly the narrative has shifted. Not long ago, we were just a few points off 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place as you say. Now, we’re in 12th, and some fans seem to have accepted this as inevitable or even justified. Worse, there’s now talk of framing our squad as “mid-table quality,” with claims that clubs like Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, or Fulham have better squads. In reality, these teams are thriving due to well-coached systems and tactics tailored to their strengths, not because their players are inherently better.

When our injured players return, I fear the excuses will simply evolve. If inconsistency continues, the blame will likely shift to injuries to the front line, the youthfulness of the squad, claims that the players need more time to mature, or the absence of certain key signings and calling for patience until the next transfer window prolonging this cycle.

To be clear, I am not calling for a managerial change. I want Ange to succeed because his success directly benefits Tottenham, and that’s what ultimately matters to me, regardless of who is in charge. However, I struggle to understand why some fans are so unwaveringly loyal to him despite the alarming trajectory of our form, both with and without injuries. What’s more, anyone who offers a differing opinion or constructive criticism is often shut down.

I’m more than willing to support a long-term project if there’s tangible progress and a clear vision for the future. What I can’t get behind is blind faith in a process that seems to be causing more harm than good. My only request is for Ange to make slight adjustments, particularly to address our defensive vulnerabilities, while maintaining the attacking philosophy. Without these tweaks, it’s difficult to believe we’ll reverse the concerning trends we’re currently seeing.
Do you see it now?
How one GK changes the build up game play with ability to be composed as well as passing range.
heck it’s one game but dare I say Kinsky has Allison handling abilities with Ederson’s passing

Give Ange the tools.
It’s not blind faith. It’s evident in how much we (players and fans) are enjoying our football and scoring goals and beating top opposition

You say it’s difficult to believe and claim “more harm than good” but if only more fans make the effort to listen to his every press conference, he does explain where we are, why it is working or why it isn’t. It’s not excuses, poor results yes, but he is trying to build new processes and culture and it takes time.

Google kaizen or 1% cumulative gains or process performance outcome or British cycling and you’ll see how hard it is to change process and culture but at the same time, if you get the small elements right and drill it, the gains are tremendous.

there are a lot of tangible progress and a clear long term vision since the beginning, derailed and curtailed by circumstances

Faith is belief and hope even when there is lack of evidence.

but there has been plenty of evidence that Ange can get it right
 

Clark28

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2016
2,299
13,252
Do you see it now?
How one GK changes the build up game play with ability to be composed as well as passing range.
heck it’s one game but dare I say Kinsky has Allison handling abilities with Ederson’s passing

Give Ange the tools.
It’s not blind faith. It’s evident in how much we (players and fans) are enjoying our football and scoring goals and beating top opposition
Lange seems to be very competent at identify players who fit the system, we need Levy to sign off on more of them.
 

thekneaf

Well-Known Member
Jan 18, 2011
2,125
4,513
If we were looking at Raya, it makes sense that direct accurate long passes are something Ange sees value in.
 
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