Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[Dave1882]

Reading his comments of no quick fix is concerning. He’s been here over a year and we’re getting worse again. He trains, picks and should be part of the transfer committee. What’s his excuse…

 

[sidford]

Suppose I can't say much more than alreadys been said but this stat is so damning against a championship team.

 

[E17yid]

Doing the bare minimum as always.

I think it’s a much bigger problem that we look like a badly coached side. Personnel is the least of my worries at the moment.

 

[Mr Pink]

Reading his comments of no quick fix is concerning. He’s been here over a year and we’re getting worse again. He trains, picks and should be part of the transfer committee. What’s his excuse…

Did he say there's no quick fix?

We should be seeing progression of some sort going into a second season, and thats not an unreasonable expectation.

At the moment we're actually regessing.

Big Ange needs to get a grip of this before the whole squad looks shot of confidence.

 

[Mr Pink]

I think it’s a much bigger problem that we look like a badly coached side. Personnel is the least of my worries at the moment.

I agree mate, but our recruitment doesnt look like its good enough - just in terms of pure quality ready to go difference makers (Solanke will come good if we click)

Investing in potential is smart but it shouldnt be the bulk of your business.

Our confidence as a group looks shattered.

 

[Styopa]

Doing the bare minimum as always.

It's the same story every transfer window, even when we've been in strong positions to push forward.

Ange is facing a lot of criticism right now, and some of it is fair. But the reality is, he's limited by the players at his disposal. Werner, Son, Johnson, and Odobert aren't top-tier attackers. A couple of them might develop into top-six quality in the next few years, but one is clearly on the decline and another has already peaked.

I don't agree with @E17yid that personnel is the least of our problems. We've hired a coach with a distinct style of play, but we haven't given him the right players to execute it properly. If we weren't fully committed to this approach, we should've chosen a different coach. It's the same mistake we made with Conte and Mourinho. While future transfer windows might fix this, it's hard not to be cynical when the club keeps repeating the same errors. If you hire a specialist coach, you need to provide him with the specialist players he needs, and only then can you fairly judge him. But here we are, clutching at straws, hoping that a few 17 or 18-year-olds, who’ve never even played in the Premier League, will make an immediate impact.

Unfortunately, we're more likely to switch managers again, enjoy a brief new manager bounce, and then find ourselves in the same position in a year or two—stuck in another painful "rebuild". We've been painfully "rebuilding" for the last six or seven years.

 

[nedley]

We've bought three wingers since he's been here. I don't believe we're signing players that he doesn't want.

Not premium choices.

 

[E17yid]

It's the same story every transfer window, even when we've been in strong positions to push forward.

Ange is facing a lot of criticism right now, and some of it is fair. But the reality is, he's limited by the players at his disposal. Werner, Son, Johnson, and Odobert aren't top-tier attackers. A couple of them might develop into top-six quality in the next few years, but one is clearly on the decline and another has already peaked.

I don't agree with @E17yid that personnel is the least of our problems. We've hired a coach with a distinct style of play, but we haven't given him the right players to execute it properly. If we weren't fully committed to this approach, we should've chosen a different coach. It's the same mistake we made with Conte and Mourinho. While future transfer windows might fix this, it's hard not to be cynical when the club keeps repeating the same errors. If you hire a specialist coach, you need to provide him with the specialist players he needs, and only then can you fairly judge him. But here we are, clutching at straws, hoping that a few 17 or 18-year-olds, who’ve never even played in the Premier League, will make an immediate impact.

Unfortunately, we're more likely to switch managers again, enjoy a brief new manager bounce, and then find ourselves in the same position in a year or two—stuck in another painful "rebuild". We've been painfully "rebuilding" for the last six or seven years.

They’re his fucking players or do you think he had no say in Werner, Johnson etc.

 

[Albertbarich]

I think it’s a much bigger problem that we look like a badly coached side. Personnel is the least of my worries at the moment.

I wonder if the loss of Chris Davies has hit us pretty hard. Last night was really really disjointed, much worse than I can remember from last season. Even when Newcastle gave us a spanking it was more us being hit on the break.

 

[Oh Teddy Teddy]

Did he say there's no quick fix?

We should be seeing progression of some sort going into a second season, and thats not an unreasonable expectation.

At the moment we're actually regessing.

Big Ange needs to get a grip of this before the whole squad looks shot of confidence.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m not sure I agree. We’ve all collectively touched on how generally performances pre-Coventry have been good, but with a team unable to take advantage of opportunities or a team that’s still liable to switch off at one pivotal moment. Understandable, given the high risk, high reward nature of their play.

At the moment, we all seem to be reacting game to game. Granted, last night was very poor, but a week or so ago, before the NLD, I think most could see areas we’d started to improve in.

As others have said, poor cup games and performances have been part and parcel for Spurs for years. Not that it’s any less acceptable, but let’s take one problem at a time.

 

[E17yid]

I wonder if the loss of Chris Davies has hit us pretty hard. Last night was really really disjointed, much worse than I can remember from last season. Even when Newcastle gave us a spanking it was more us being hit on the break.

Yeah maybe but even if that’s true Ange is paid the big bucks and he needs to sort it out.

 

[Mr Pink]

It's the same story every transfer window, even when we've been in strong positions to push forward.

Ange is facing a lot of criticism right now, and some of it is fair. But the reality is, he's limited by the players at his disposal. Werner, Son, Johnson, and Odobert aren't top-tier attackers. A couple of them might develop into top-six quality in the next few years, but one is clearly on the decline and another has already peaked.

I don't agree with @E17yid that personnel is the least of our problems. We've hired a coach with a distinct style of play, but we haven't given him the right players to execute it properly. If we weren't fully committed to this approach, we should've chosen a different coach. It's the same mistake we made with Conte and Mourinho. While future transfer windows might fix this, it's hard not to be cynical when the club keeps repeating the same errors. If you hire a specialist coach, you need to provide him with the specialist players he needs, and only then can you fairly judge him. But here we are, clutching at straws, hoping that a few 17 or 18-year-olds, who’ve never even played in the Premier League, will make an immediate impact.

Unfortunately, we're more likely to switch managers again, enjoy a brief new manager bounce, and then find ourselves in the same position in a year or two—stuck in another painful "rebuild". We've been painfully "rebuilding" for the last six or seven years.

Im going to say this right now, I dont like the system, particularly inverting the full backs.

It worked initially and we had space with lots of attacking overloads.

Now teams are droppinvg ten yards back and there's no space, our full backs still inverted and its a congested nightmare which slows it all down.

It plays into the hands of the opposition knowing they can pick us off with gilt edged chances....they dont even to have to work for them with intricate play....they can just smash us on the transition with our high line. Newcastle's winner etc

The best managers at this level can, and do, adapt when required.

Ange is going to have to do this or it ends in tears.

You can still stick to your principles but evolve tactically for different situations.

 

[Styopa]

Yeah maybe but even if that’s true Ange is paid the big bucks and he needs to sort it out.

Not such big bucks apparently, didn't someone post an article recently that Ange is paid the same as Dyche?

I agree, though, either way, he needs to sort it out because if he doesn't he'll be one to lose his job.

 

[Albertbarich]

Im going to say this right now, I dont like the system, particularly inverting the full backs.

It worked initially and we had space with lots of attacking overloads.

Now teams are droppinvg ten yards back and there's no space, our full backs still inverted and its a congested nightmare which slows it all down.

It plays into the hands of the opposition knowing they can pick us off with gilt edged chances....they dont even to have to work for them with intricate play....they can just smash us on the transition with our high line.

The best managers at this level can, and do, adapt when required.

Ange is going to have to do this or it ends in tears.

You can still stick to your principles but evolve tactically for different situations.

I’m still hugely pro Ange but I don’t get the insistence of having two full backs inverting so high.

Surely we would be better off having better attacking players in those spaces? And Porro and to a lesser extent Udogie have a game that would suit playing high and wide better.

I absolutely don’t want to lose our attacking intent but I don’t see why we can’t tweak certain positions.

 

[E17yid]

I agree mate, but our recruitment doesnt look like its good enough - just in terms of pure quality ready to go difference makers (Solanke will come good if we click)

Investing in potential is smart but it shouldnt be the bulk of your business.

Our confidence as a group looks shattered.

I think our recruitment over the last couple of years, generally soeaking, has been pretty good to be honest. Obviously 1 or 2 questionable buys but that’s the same for most clubs transfer dealings.

Ange has said before it’s not about signing 20 world classs players and it’s about finding people with the right attitude and he’s flexible. He’s signed off on these players, I assume no one has been forced on him as he’s also said we won’t sign anyone he doesn’t want but now apparently there’s no quick fix. With his rhetoric drastically changing in the last 24 hours it’s starting to feel like the beginning of the end.

 

[Styopa]

They’re his fucking players or do you think he had no say in Werner, Johnson etc.

Personally, I doubt it's that straightforward. It rarely is with this club. But maybe you're right. If they really were Ange's choices, then that's worrying I think.

 

[Mr Pink]

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m not sure I agree. We’ve all collectively touched on how generally performances pre-Coventry have been good, but with a team unable to take advantage of opportunities or a team that’s still liable to switch off at one pivotal moment. Understandable, given the high risk, high reward nature of their play.

At the moment, we all seem to be reacting game to game. Granted, last night was very poor, but a week or so ago, before the NLD, I think most could see areas we’d started to improve in.

As others have said, poor cup games and performances have been part and parcel for Spurs for years. Not that it’s any less acceptable, but let’s take one problem at a time.

I dont think the chances we created against Newcastle and Leicester were that great but I take your point to an extent .

We did create plenty of promising situations, but our final ball, decision making was really poor. So I wouldnt say we played really well im those games....just played well to a point.

 

[stevel]

Yes he used the term quick fix but, from my listening, he didn't mean it in the way it's being interpreted here. A journo asked him if this result could be a turning point in the season and he said that one game doesn't make a difference, "there's no quick fix". But I think that was more to do with his general philosophy of how teams evolve, rather than the current situation we're in.

In terms of the current situation, he believes the first team is playing well and dominating, but missing the belief and the relentlessness to do what it takes to go to the end of games and get wins, like we did last season. We showed that today, so it was positive.

The other point he made was that this is not the first team, it included a number of players who haven't had many minutes including a couple who were starting a competitive game for us for the first time. The game was about getting minutes into them so they are ready to be a rotation option through the season.

Having listened to the post match press conference I'm happy with his approach to this game.

 

[Typical Spurs]

Im going to say this right now, I dont like the system, particularly inverting the full backs.

It worked initially and we had space with lots of attacking overloads.

Now teams are droppinvg ten yards back and there's no space, our full backs still inverted and its a congested nightmare which slows it all down.

It plays into the hands of the opposition knowing they can pick us off with gilt edged chances....they dont even to have to work for them with intricate play....they can just smash us on the transition with our high line. Newcastle's winner etc

The best managers at this level can, and do, adapt when required.

Ange is going to have to do this or it ends in tears.

You can still stick to your principles but evolve tactically for different situations.

Agree. We're very easy to play against.

The inverted fullback thing just doesn't work. I'm sick of seeing Porro and Udogie in the final third whilst Maddison drops back to get the ball off the defenders. It nullifies players like Maddison because the central attacking areas are clogged up with our bloody defenders!

 

[Albertbarich]

Personally, I doubt it's that straightforward. It rarely is with this club. But maybe you're right. If they really were Ange's choices, then that's worrying I think.

If the club presents a list of five players and ange gets a say in terms of preference after speaking with them then it would all depend on who the five are.

Take Wilson for example. I’m sure we’re all happy we have taken a punt, as Ange is but I’m also sure that Ange like us would have loved it if we had got a top winger in to really make an impact now.