Ange Postecoglou proving he could be the perfect fit for Spurs
AUSSIE RULES: Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates. Photo credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
)
ANGE POSTECOGLOU has made it clear that wherever he has been, his major objective has been to stamp his style on the club, and that fact that his brand of aggressive, attacking football aligns totally with Tottenham's desire to regain their 'identity' could make for a perfect fit.
The gruff Aussie, untested at Premier League level, was not everyone's first choice when he was appointed Tottenham manager in place of Antonio Conte in the summer.
But the transformation around the club, from performances on the pitch to the mood music among the fans, has been rapid and dramatic.
The Tottenham Hotspur stadium had become something of a sombre place during the darkest days under Conte and Jose Mourinho, with their negative football and patchy results.
But it was rocking again on Saturday night, as it had been when Manchester United were put to the sword a month ago, after another dramatic and enthralling match.
The United side beaten this time were from Sheffield, and it took two goals deep in stoppage time to turn things around for Tottenham, who were trailing to Gustavo Hamer's opportunistic strike in the 74th minute.
But with 12 minutes of stoppage time added because of the visitors' repeated time-wasting, Postecoglou's side showed the belief, resilience and desire that he has instilled in his players and their supporters.
Roared on by the home crowd, Spurs hit back to take all three points and move into second place in the table with their fourth successive victory.
Richarlison, so recently a troubled soul, was all smiles after heading the equaliser in the 98th minute and then setting up Dejan Kulusevski for the winner.
Cynics might mock the heightened post-match reactions of the players, who linked arms to take a bow in front of the huge 17,000-seater south stand, but there is clearly a connection between fans, players and most importantly the manager, that has been sorely lacking in recent years.
Said Kulusevski: “We’re very happy because the fans helped us through the game. They didn’t get frustrated, they stayed by our side, they wanted us to win, and, in the end, they helped us to win.”Â
Postecoglou agreed: “There's no doubt that the players got energy from the supporters today, no doubt about it. The fans played their part. They go through enough pain, they deserve some happiness so let them enjoy it.
"They are seeing this team trying to play the football they want to see and that helps. They can resonate with that. They want to see aggression and they have bought into that.
“In this early phase it's crucial because that hopefully fast-tracks our development as a football club.”Â
Asked late last season what had gone wrong at Spurs, Harry Kane suggested the club had lost its identity, and to give Daniel Levy credit, that was something the chairman wanted to correct by appointing Postecoglou, who says it is a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy.
“Identity is everything. That’s what I’m talking about, me as a football manager, that's what I've always been about.
"You can track my career back as long as you want, my teams have always played in a certain way and I think for every club that has appointed me they've appointed me because that's what they're seeking.
“It's everything for me. The way we play, it's not just that I believe it's what gets you success, it does, that's what I believe and it has in my career, but it also says a lot about you, you as a football club when you play the game that way because it requires a fair bit of bravery, a fair bit of courage, a real relentlessness when you play that way and I think that has to sort of marry with the image of the football club.”Â
Paul Heckingbottom, meanwhile, bemoaned the state of refereeing in the Premier League, a long and brutal assessment that is likely to get him sanctioned by the authorities but also resonates with many in football.
Referee Peter Bankes had a poor game, getting big calls wrong, upsetting both sets of supporters and players with his inconsistency, and dishing out 13 yellow cards, including two that led to a red for United striker Oli McBurnie in the final minute.
“The referees are just killing the game at the minute,” said his manager. “They are ruining it. I've got no qualms about the result. The referees are showing they don't know enough about the game, they haven't got a clue, they don't know what they're saying.
“The ball-boys were laughing at him, taking the mickey. It's appalling. We work on how we play all week and the refs are telling us how to play.
"They haven't got a clue what they're doing and they're ruining the game. They don't know football. It's been all the time I've been a manager, they don't know what they're doing. It is really foolish.”Â
Vicario 7; Porro 6 (Emerson 90+5), Romero 7, Van de Ven 7 (Hojbjerg 90+5), Udogie 7; Sarr 7 (Richarlison 80), Bissouma 8, Maddison 8; Kulusevski 8, Son 6 (Johnson 80), Solomon 6 (Perisic 80).
Foderingham 7; Ahmedhodzi 6, Basham 6, Robinson 6; Bogle 6 (Trusty 86), Souza 6, McAtee 6 (Norwood 69), Hamer 7 (Davies 80), Thomas 6; McBurnie 5, Archer 6.
: Peter Bankes 4/10
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
