A brilliant start for Postecoglou at Spurs
Of silverware during his twoyear stay in the country. Now Spurs are just two points off of first place on the Premier League table after losing only two league games this season. The Australian tactician seems to be doing a good job of answering the quest
When Ange Postecoglou was first announced as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager at the beginning of the season, the question on many people’s lips would have been: “Who is this guy?” While he may have been relatively unknown to many football fans around the world, supporters in Scotland were well aware of who he was after he won five pieces Unpacking the enigma
Ange Postecoglou spent most of his club career as a defender for South Melbourne, where he retired in 1993. He then began his managerial career at the same club just two years later. It was the start of the journey that would see him take the reins of the Australian U17 and U20 teams from 2001 to 2003 and, after a five-year absence from the game, Greek side Panachaiki FC from 10 January to 30 June 2009. That same year, he returned to his country, where he managed Brisbane Roar – who in 2011, under his guidance, became the first team to go 36 consecutive A-League matches unbeaten – and Melbourne Victory before becoming the head coach of Australia’s national team in 2013. He was their head honcho for a period of four years, during which time he led the side to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as well as winning the Asia Cup in 2015. His results as manager of Australia increased his appeal on a global scale, and he was snatched up by Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos, with whom he won the J-League title in 2019. Noticing his promise, Scottish giants Celtic secured his services in 2021. His stay in the northern third of Great Britain is one he is able to reflect on with immense fondness. While at the Celts, Postecoglou won five domestic trophies (including two league titles) out of a possible six in two seasons. For a team like Tottenham Hotspur, who had not been able to get their hands on a single trophy since 2008 when they won the League Cup, a manager with an idea of how to attain silverware would have been a welcomed proposition.
A good first impression
Despite losing Harry Kane to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, the Lilywhites have experienced a fantastic start to life under the Australian. After 12 matches in the league, the side has managed eight wins, two draws and two defeats, setting a new record in the process. No other manager has ever started life in England’s top flight by taking 23 points from their first nine matches. Some noticeable results in Spurs’ remarkable run of form include a convincing 2-0 win over Manchester
United, a 2-1 victory over Liverpool, and an enthralling 2-2 draw with fierce north London rivals Arsenal. The former Celtic manager had previously admitted that he likes his teams to play football that all players want to play and all supporters want to watch. “I’ve always been intent on building teams that supporters love to watch and the way 99% of footballers want to play. We start off as seven-, eight- or nine-year-olds playing in the street with the ball at our feet and we loved scoring goals. We loved to tackle; we loved the action. We weren’t worried about tactics or results then, we just wanted to play the game, and I’ve tried to come up with a system that replicates that but also knowing that ultimately I’m going to be judged by winning games of football and I love winning, so I’ve tried to marry both, and so far it’s worked well.”
His system has so far benefited the London club greatly. As a result of trying to stamp his philosophy and style of play on to the team, the side has netted an impressive 24 goals, while they’ve conceded only 15 times so far this season, and have also proved to be one of the league’s better teams when it comes to controlling matches. The Lilywhites have recorded an average possession of 60% and have proved a nightmare for teams who are on the back foot, recording a total of 2 351 touches in the attacking third of the pitch. The 58-year-old also claimed that his footballing philosophy is “all-encompassing” and that the defensive work begins at the front, with his three forwards being the team’s first line of defence. This means that a lot of the defensive work his sides do is not in their own box but further up the field, and the 39 tackles Postecoglou’s players have made in the attacking third are a good indicator of the brand of football he wants to play. It’s a style of play that has so far worked out very well for the boss and his new boys.
A completely different team
In a recent interview, Australian midfielder Jackson Irvine, who played under Postecoglou for the Socceroos, praised the manager’s ability to give team talks that make players do everything they can to win matches for him. “He used to do his team talks about three hours before the game, before we have even done the pre-match. Because, honestly, you get so emotional and so hyped up that you want to run through a bowl of spaghetti and stick your head in it. He would have you so hyped, I think it would have been unsafe to send us directly on to the pitch after one of his talks. We’d have been sent off after about 10 seconds!”
The Tottenham players seem to now be a highly motivated bunch, contrary to how they looked under former manager Antonio Conte not too long ago. While new signings like Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and James Maddison are also enjoying great starts to life in north London, players such as Heung-min Son, Yves Bissouma, Pedro Porro and Pape
Matar Sarr – who were already at the club prior to the Ozzie’s arrival – appear to be reinvigorated under their new boss. Son, for example, has eight league goals thus far, level with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and three behind Manchester City’s everprolific Erling Haaland. If the South Korean continues at this rate, he will be in or around the conversation for the Golden Boot come the end of the season. Bissouma, meanwhile, was a player who struggled during Conte’s time at the club and suffered a disappointing debut season at Spurs after joining for £25 million (R571 million) from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022. This season, however, the Mali international has become an integral part of his manager’s plans and featured in every league match, apart from one for which he was suspended. As for new signing Maddison, he has taken the league by storm since putting on the white jersey. He has proved to be the team’s main supply of creativity, accumulating three goals and five assists. The England international has also managed an average of 3.17 key passes per game.
Can Spurs maintain their great start?
The Australian tactician has not shied away from the possibility of winning the league, encouraging supporters to dream. However, the Lilywhites have been hit hard by reality in recent weeks after consecutive defeats, first to Chelsea and then Wolverhampton Wanderers. With just 12 games having gone by, the season is long and gruelling; anything can happen. Evidence of this would be Bissouma’s red card against Luton Town weeks ago. Players could get injured or suspended for a lengthy amount of time and with the competitiveness of the English top flight today, every game is a mustwin. The one criticism that could be directed at Postecoglou’s team is that they do not have a squad to match the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, which could catch up to them in the latter part of the campaign when players become fatigued, mentally and physically. How well the club does in terms of recruitment in the January transfer window may just make or break their season.