Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[Mooger Fooger]

Needs to be backed. By the fans and by the club.

This is not a quick fix and never was. Although I am not seeing much improvement in the team at the moment, Ange still has my support.

 

[night-watchman]

I am firmly in the back and have patience with Ange camp. I rate him highly as a manager, and while its true our patterns of play and build up do look utterly predictable at the moment, I dont think we are far off. I am perfectly willing to be patient.

Whats more, even if Ange isnt "the one", I would much rather give someone like him a proper shot at it, who at least has a very clear attacking vision of how he wants us to play, even if it is falling short at the moment.

Where I am losing a bit of patience however is not in the system, but with his persistence with certain players who arent performing up to standard in the system. Johnson obviously, but our entire midfield (Maddison, Bentancur, Sarr, Bissouma who admittedly didnt play today) needs a good kick up the arse. Bergvall's minimal involvement has been the most surprising to me as he looked ready to go after pre-season.

The cups cant come soon enough, where hopefully some of our squad players get a chance to perform and prove themselves and light a fire under some of these "first teamers".

 

[nedley]

I think he should get at least ten games this season before we open the Next Manager thread again.

But it doesn’t matter who the next guy is. That should be apparent by now, to all of us. We’ve had just about every type of manager going, changing the manager won’t change our fortunes in any meaningful way so it’s all a bit pointless really.

Dyche.

The only man for me.

P.S. My tongue is firmly in cheek?

 

[Donki]

I often feel the old phrase 'a camel is a horse designed by committee' perfectly describes our running under ENIC.

I actually don't think any individual is particularly bad. The issue is we have so many different people running so many different areas that there is never any real cohesion.

Jol wanted an experienced centre back and midfielder, and was provided with 2 teenagers. He was fired a few months later.

I don't think our transfer activity was bad. It's what wasn't done was the problem.

We can look to Ange's weaknesses and what needs improving but until the real decision makers put a quality squad together for the right now, it's never going to matter.

A few seasons ago a lot of people were accusing Levy of having too much control? Now he employed others to take on certain aspects of the club he has employed too many?

 

[For the love of Spurs]

I think most people in the club want the club to be successful, the idea that Mr Baldy mad doesn’t want us to be successful has always made me chuckle. We have forums about *laughing at other teams* wasting money, buying too many players, having stadiums that are in ruin. Yet we shout at baldy man for the complete opposite. There is no perfeft club, the sooner people realise that, the sooner you can have a coke and and a smile.

Wanting a team to do well and being desperate for a team to do well are two completely different things. I have never got the sense Levy is desperate for success, more it is a nice to have if it is in a modest outlay of wages and transfers that fit comfortably in our business model.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

You brought it up as an excuse for today, I'm saying it's irrelevant. Imo it doesn't matter how long anyone has been in charge of who ever the opposition is. The game plan to play against us will be exactly the same because it's easy and it works.

I wouldn't say today was a classic rope a dope tactic that we saw at times last season. I saw 2 pretty evenly matched teams that at times stretched each other and at others nullified. They're considerably better than us at set pieces and that told.
We have serious questions about Vicario and Romero imo. Both have weaknesses that although they're quality players they keep repeating. I thought our general play has improved this season but that sloppiness is killing us.

 

[dontcallme]

A few seasons ago a lot of people were accusing Levy of having too much control? Now he employed others to take on certain aspects of the club he has employed too many?

Lol. There are more options than Levy controls the footballing side and lots of people running the committee.

Not going to bother any further than that, your post match posts have been excessively shit.

 

[only1waddle]

It was supposed to be a joke mare…..

That's not the tone you've been setting buddy, nothing you've said in this thread screams, I'm just having a joke.

 

[mpickard2087]

Thought twice about posting, but lets go for it.

Not angry, not surprised. To me this is all inevitable, and it threatens to be a long season.

Tactics are a side issue at this point, you can quibble about what Ange could/should do, adapt, mix it up, go to plan B, whatever. It would be nice to be able to try and carry out plan A somewhat optimally first. Lets get it right, the crux of the problem is that this isn't a particularly great squad, especially for the football it purports to want to play, and recruitment over the summer was shockingly hubristic in tackling the issues.

It's one thing the fans sitting around the campfire all summer smoking the hopium and chanting everything is great, but seems those at the club have been taking that approach also. Honestly, I was astounded over the summer and what we were doing. No one has issues about bringing in young players and getting ahead of the curve, I've advocated that many times myself over the years, but to just sign a bunch of teenagers and signalling we'll just vibe it out on the promise we'll build a great team for 3-5 years time seems delusional to me.

The squad and team is not good enough. The goalkeeper is getting found out. Defenders aren't reliable. Midfield too inconsistent. Wingers are tragic. And forward line is overpriced and hardly inspires. I keep seeing posts along the lines of "we're dominating, we'll be great when we start taking some chances!". Lads, that's the point though. Why would you have any faith in any of these suddenly becoming players who exhibit smart decision making and then executing a pass/cross/shot on a consistent basis? Some we have years of evidence of them not doing that, why would it happen now?

Sorry, but some of you are borderline delusional in your faith in some of these jokers. Take Maddison and Kulu for instance, out of many, squad players at best if you want to reach the top. They ain't taking us there. Why do we need to see any more of the likes of Johnson, Sarr, etc? They might be young, but they're not going to magically discover footballing ability.

I've said it time, and time, and time again now, go look through my post history if you want, if you want to play super intricate football you need technical footballers. Apparently not us though. We've made decisions I fundamentally disagree with across the park; keeper, defence, midfield, wingers, forwards. Everywhere.

I don't know whether it is Ange's fault. If he's sanctioned all/most of these deals since his arrival then quite frankly I think he is a fucking idiot, if not and these players have been given to him then he's been totally shafted. What I do know is that he is really going to have earn his corn to find the solutions with what is available to him and not have this season just meander along tepidly. He'll be the one that carries the can if he can't, grand plans to have a great team in a few years time or not.

Much work ahead.

 

[Donki]

Wanting a team to do well and being desperate for a team to do well are two completely different things. I have never got the sense Levy is desperate for success, more it is a nice to have if it is in a modest outlay of wages and transfers that fit comfortably in our business model.

We were in the top 5 spenders this season though?

 

[ajspurs]

With every passing managerial change, I'm less and less bothered. Every time we recruit a new head coach, the timer starts and it's just a case of how long it takes for the natives to start getting restless.

Same with me mate. I actually feel like I'd be a fool to think a managerial change will solve things, like I have done in the past. We'll see what we always see, a good initial period with a new manager, and when we need to kick on and really improve we will fall short of doing so, every single time, and then back to square one.

 

[Donki]

That's not the tone you've been setting buddy, nothing you've said in this thread screams, I'm just having a joke.

I haven’t been insulting in this thread at all buddy? If u care to point out where I have been il certainly apologise. I just don’t get that much ball ache over a game I was pretty sure we would loose.

 

[dontcallme]

I wouldn't say today was a classic rope a dope tactic that we saw at times last season. I saw 2 pretty evenly matched teams that at times stretched each other and at others nullified. They're considerably better than us at set pieces and that told.
We have serious questions about Vicario and Romero imo. Both have weaknesses that although they're quality players they keep repeating. I thought our general play has improved this season but that sloppiness is killing us.

Problem for me was first half we didn't really create anything. At one point we felt pretty comfortable but we'd had 0 shots to their 5.

Ange's playing style relies on chance creation and being clinical as we do commit many players going forward leaving us susceptible to counter attacks.

I just have to hope we're a work on progress and we will improve.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

Thought twice about posting, but lets go for it.

Not angry, not surprised. To me this is all inevitable, and it threatens to be a long season.

Tactics are a side issue at this point, you can quibble about what Ange could/should do, adapt, mix it up, go to plan B, whatever. It would be nice to be able to try and carry out plan A somewhat optimally first. Lets get it right, the crux of the problem is that this isn't a particularly great squad and recruitment over the summer was shockingly hubristic in tackling the issues.

It's one thing the fans sitting around the campfire all summer smoking the hopium and chanting everything is great, but seems those at the club have been taking that approach also. Honestly, I was astounded over the summer and what we were doing. No one has issues about bringing in young players and getting ahead of the curve, I've advocated that many times myself over the years, but to just sign a bunch of teenagers and signalling we'll just vibe it out on the promise we'll build a great team for 3-5 years time seems delusional to me.

The squad and team is not good enough. The goalkeeper is getting found out. Defenders aren't reliable. Midfield too inconsistent. Wingers are tragic. And forward line is overpriced and hardly inspires. I keep seeing posts along the lines of "we're dominating, we'll be great when we start taking some chances!". Lads, that's the point though. Why would you have any faith in any of these suddenly becoming players who exhibit smart decision making and then executing a pass/cross/shot on a consistent basis? Some we have years of evidence of them not doing that, why would it happen now?

Sorry, but some of you are borderline delusional in your faith in some of these jokers. Take Maddison and Kulu for instance, out of many, squad players at best if you want to reach the top. They ain't taking us there. Why do we need to see any more of the likes of Johnson, Sarr, etc? They might be young, but they're not going to magically discover footballing ability.

I've said it time, and time, and time again now, go look through my post history if you want, if you want to play super intricate football you need technical footballers. Apparently not us though. We've made decisions I fundamentally disagree with across the park; keeper, defence, midfield, wingers, forwards. Everywhere.

I don't know whether it is Ange's fault. If he's sanctioned all/most of these deals since his arrival then quite frankly I think he is a fucking idiot, if not and these players have been given to him then he's been totally shafted. What I do know is that he is really going to have earn his corn to find the solutions with what is available to him and not have this season just meander along tepidly. He'll be the one that carries the can if he can't, grand plans to have a great team in a few years time or not.

Much work ahead.

we lack a Kane, a Bale, a Modric. We don’t in this squad have anyone who can carry us. That has always been the saving grace in the past.

 

[Yid121]

I feel for Ange, his system would work with better players. He isn’t the problem, the signings/squad are.

Archie Gray and Odobert are good signings but all for the future - if we actually had a quality specialist right winger and CM that clearly improved our first XI, we'd be so much better under Ange.

I feel he's very one dimensional and hardly a title winning manager in the Premier league but it's the same old story of transfers not being made by the manager in charge

 

[Trix]

I wouldn't say today was a classic rope a dope tactic that we saw at times last season. I saw 2 pretty evenly matched teams that at times stretched each other and at others nullified. They're considerably better than us at set pieces and that told.
We have serious questions about Vicario and Romero imo. Both have weaknesses that although they're quality players they keep repeating. I thought our general play has improved this season but that sloppiness is killing us.

Between the thirds I agree we have improved, as has our press and even playing out from the keeper. Apart from that I see little to no improvement anywhere else.

 

[Cornpattbuck]

Most frustrating thing is that I still think we should have won four out of four so far this season with the majority of the way we've played.

But stupid mistakes and poor finishing and repeat...

Maybe optimistic but I still feel like it should click at some point. These attacking players are better than they're showing, even if they're not world beaters etc.

 

[Albertbarich]

I think if you look back to person kick off most people thought we were in a good place squad wise.

I agree, go back pre window though and even before the signings. Werner was supposed to be an emergency, then it’s ok it lets us buy Eze and Neto, then we people realised that was it , they pivoted out of genuine positivity to that’s ok we’re building for the future. But are we? Building for the future in this case could well cost the manager his job

 

[Goobers]

Some really good posts this afternoon since the game. Both in defence of and critique of the boss and team.
I can very much see both sides. Polarised and raw because the result today too.
i don't think there is an easy cause to pinpoint or necessarily an easy solution. A rebuild will take time and balls but we must see the long term vision.
I really really want this man to succeed and do great things but equally criticism, if valid, is totally fair enough. It's not necessarily a binary situation.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Problem for me was first half we didn't really create anything. At one point we felt pretty comfortable but we'd had 0 shots to their 5.

Ange's playing style relies on chance creation and being clinical as we do commit many players going forward leaving us susceptible to counter attacks.

I just have to hope we're a work on progress and we will improve.

As you say we're not really creating chances.

We're the best in the league at getting into crossing positions and the worst at creating chances from them.

I'm fairly certain teams are just letting us get into those positions because they know it's actually a limited threat.