Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[Styopa]

It's funny how all through the Summer every signing we brought in Ange was out the in press conferences telling us how long he'd wanted them, and as such posters on here were happy with them "because they were the ones Ange wanted". Now apparently he was not getting what he wanted and that's why we are struggling.

Not everyone was happy with the window in fairness. I wasn't. Lots of others weren't. It's all there in the post-transfer window thread. Personally I would take what Ange says publicly with a pinch of salt.

 

[nedley]

I mean its all very similar isnt it.

Conte, Mourinho.

They are wanted certain pieces in order to play their style of football.

Neither were given EXACTLY what they needed.

This will end up EXACTLY the same.

And this is why I couldn't give a shiny shite who manages us really.

Maybe the way is to give it to a manager who would be grateful for 11 footballers.

Get Dyche in. The only man left.

 

[Styopa]

Its far more complexed than saying it was decent. But you're right, we shouldnt be putting in these types of performances.

As you suggest, the two things are not mutually exclusive. Ange should be doing better but the club should have been more ambitious too.

And maybe we'll look back at this window as being fantastic. The window before we sacked Ramos, we bought Modric, and the summer before that we bought Bale. But it wasn't enough to save Ramos's job and the following January we bought back Defoe, Keane and Chimbonda to sort out the mess we were in.

 

[Albertbarich]

As you suggest, the two things are not mutually exclusive. Ange should be doing better but the club should have been more ambitious too.

And maybe we'll look back at this window as being fantastic. The window before we sacked Ramos, we bought Modric, and the summer before that we bought Bale. But it wasn't enough to save Ramos's job and the following January we bought back Defoe, Keane and Chimbonda to sort out the mess we were in.

The club and some people will almost certainly look at this window as maybe one of the greatest ever because I suspect either Gray or Bergvall (maybe both) will go on to become absolute superstars for us.

But by then history will likely gloss over just how short it left us for th immediate futute

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

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 with this. We should adapt and have just one fullback invert with the other building up in a back 3 with VdV and Romero/Dragusin.

I want to see more positional rotation with the fullbacks, see them occasionally making late wide runs for crosses and overlaps etc.

Ultimately though unless we fix the wide players we are screwed even if we adapt the tactics.

I think our fanbase are starting to realise how bad we are out wide and how we failed to strengthen there in the summer which was criminal. A lot of people were so focused on getting a striker as if it was going to fix all our problems when the whole time it’s been the wide areas that are destroying our entire system.

 

[thePessimist]

got a worrying feeling last night that the players seemed somewhat lost.

we’ve seen it before that strict tactical instructions can lead to players being shadows of themselves (conte). it feels a little like that to me, that the natural spark is missing and no one is enjoing themselves.

idk, it was the first game for many of them and not our best side so maybe i’m reading too much into it….

 

[carpediem991]

I think its a very lazy conclusion Ange didn't get what he asked for.

Again we have spent lots of millions in new players. Ange said he wanted Odobert and Solanke. Obviously we are still lacking a productive RW and an experienced no. 6 with a strong leader mentality, not sure these were Anges priorities.
And still he needs to do better with what we have. Next to zero flexibility and the line up is always a lazy pick of the more established players. We look so clueless on the pitch, like no one knows how to open up space or make useful runs.

I really would like Spence to start next game. Why? He deserved it by putting an effort in. Udogie did next to nothing so far this season. And with Odobert and Werner out we finally see some minutes for Moore hopefully. His intelligence could be useful.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

I did find his starting line-up and substitutions a bit odd today.

I'm far from a tactical expert but I struggle to understand some of his choices today.

In hindsight I'd have played Gray in the 6, Bents at 8, Spence RWB and brought Reguilon on for Udogie.
Sarr is horribly out of form and our midfield just doesn't work.

 

[Dazzazzad]

For me the polar opposite of league games where we've played very well and the results haven't gone our way. This we genuinely didn't deserve to win but did.

TBF, we're always ropey in the league Cup against lesser opponents. It's our thing.

 

[Stevespurs71]

Gone by the end of the season

 

[panoma]

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.

Well put.

Sadly, Ange seems to believe his philosophy and principles are more important than winning.

A succesful manager like Pep mix it up all the time. He doesn't play Rico Lewis to replicate Walker, he does it to refresh the system and keep the opposition guessing.

That long ball from Ederson to assist Haaland against Brentford last week to win the match, could you ever see us trying something like that instead of playing out from the back?

Ange is way to stubborn and that will probably be his undoing.

 

[Spurs_1981]

Gone by the end of the season

take care

 

[Mattspurs1982]

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

This is what really worries me. Ange said himself he has a major say in recruitment (otherwise, why would he say it).

He's overseen buying players for his system that simply don't suit his system (e.g., Johnson seems more a forward than a touchline winger).

He's also been given a fair bit of money during his reign (€393m - yes partly offset by Kane's sale - but he's still spent the money).

He's led a major player overhaul (Lloris, Sanchez, Dier, Royal, Sessegnon, Rodon, Tanganga, Skipp, Winks, Hojberg, Lo Celso, Gil, Perisic, Lucas) to get a team in his mould.

Its different to Conte, who had to get a tune out of a several players who should have left the club long before they did.

To be in Ange's 2nd season, having turned over almost 14 first XI players, €393m later, and still be unsure on where we're going, is rather concerning.

I like Ange, and really hope he tweaks his system to get the best out of the players he has brought and we improve. Otherwise, we know how this ends.

 

[Gb160]

It’s mental to compare how good we looked so shortly into his tenure, and 12 months later it all looks so fucking bleak.

 

[Stevespurs71]

take care

Why?

 

[Styopa]

Again we have spent lots of millions in new players. Ange said he wanted Odobert and Solanke. Obviously we are still lacking a productive RW and an experienced no. 6 with a strong leader mentality, not sure these were Anges priorities.

We're all just making assumptions, aren’t we? Just because Ange said he was happy doesn’t mean he was really happy. It’s not like he was going to say otherwise when asked about the transfers. It’s the same as when he's asked about winning something this year—he says he’s happy with the squad and mentions that he usually wins in his second season. What’s the alternative? Saying he’s unhappy with the business and we probably won’t win anything this year? Conte tried that, and it went down like a lead balloon.

I think it's safer to be guided by history than hang on every word Ange proclaims at a presser.

 

[Shanks]

It's funny how all through the Summer every signing we brought in Ange was out the in press conferences telling us how long he'd wanted them, and as such posters on here were happy with them "because they were the ones Ange wanted". Now apparently he was not getting what he wanted and that's why we are struggling.

Probably the same people stating that they want wholesale changes to the starting line up last night, wanting the youngsters to be given a chance... then calling on Ange for doing exactly that too...

Maybe people will realise, that even championship level is a ridiculously high standard of football for an 18 year old .... it ain't easy!

 

[Tucker]

We certainly shouldn’t be putting in performances like that after 50 games or whatever it is.

Except, as I keep saying, these kind of performances in cup games are quite typical of every single one of our managers going back as far as Martin Jol. We’ve all seen this kind of performance time and time again when we rotate heavily in Europa league, or league cup or FA cup matches.

It happened all the time under Poch, Conte, Mourinho, AVB, Redknapp etc etc. Even during the peak Redknapp and Poch years, whenever we rotated heavily it was a good chance we’d see something similar to what we saw last night.

There‘s an argument (that I disagree with) that our progress has been poor this season, but people are overreacting to the last couple of games. And nobody should be using last night’s performance as a yardstick for our current state of progress under this manager.

It’s very much par for the course.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

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

I have no evidence for it but I assume it goes something like 5 players are identified for a position - 1 being preferred down to 5, and then Ange signs off on the target list.

But we always get the 5th name. Because thy are the 'financially savvy' ones.

 

[Mellow Man Ace]

Looks like Ange don’t really Carabao us

This post is God's own work. Well played!