Postecoglou reacts to the shocking last minute victory over Brighton
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou reacts to the shocking last minute victory over Brighton
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00:00 Yeah, pleased. Obviously pleased with getting a win and I thought, you know, probably just
00:12 probably deserved it in the end with the endeavours but fair to say first half wasn't great. Part
00:18 of that was because Brighton are a good side, you know, they're well coached, very disciplined
00:21 and we weren't. We just took a few liberties with our football and our effort, our work
00:28 and it wasn't great. There was a lot of things that we've kind of been really good at this
00:33 year, we just didn't do in the first half. I thought second half was obviously a lot
00:38 better. Makes it difficult when you're chasing a game because the opposition are always,
00:42 you know, capable of catching you on the break but I thought for the most part we handled
00:48 it well and I guess pleasing that, you know, we kind of had guys who could come on and
00:55 make an impact for the game and I thought that happened.
01:04 Yeah very important. I said, you know, I think beginning of the year, fair to say, we won
01:09 a few games late because of that and, you know, we have that capability now of putting
01:14 guys on who can make an impact and, you know, I thought they did today but it also keeps
01:20 guys on their toes if they're not performing and gives me some options.
01:24 Go ahead.
01:25 How much did you see in the draw on the last game when you were in a similar position to
01:30 keep going and get a goal today?
01:34 Yeah look, I don't question the guys' sort of character mentality. We've done that a
01:41 number of times this year but, you know, like I said, I was really disappointed with the
01:47 way we went about the first half and you can't get away from that and, you know, we've got
01:54 to this point because of certain things we do and I was disappointed we went away from
01:59 that. But yeah, you can't question the character. The response was positive. It's very easy
02:04 in that kind of scenario to sort of go on your shell or feel sorry for yourself but
02:09 I've never felt that with this group. I think they always respond in the right way when
02:13 sort of given that sort of guidance and I felt they took it on board in the second half
02:19 and it made a difference to the game.
02:22 And I know you thought it was a little bit of a play as well. You got into the moments
02:26 and didn't see it as a strong end to the season.
02:29 Well it should be and, you know, I said at the press conference that we've got that
02:34 platform but you've still got to do it, you know, and maybe we're guilty of that. Maybe
02:37 we thought we'd just roll out there today because we've got a strong squad and things
02:40 that happen but, you know, there's opposition out there and I said Brighton are a good side
02:45 and, you know, we didn't have the right mindset and it doesn't matter what kind of players
02:52 you've got, what kind of squad you've got, if you go away from the important things that
02:57 get you to where you are then, you know, it kind of becomes meaningless.
03:01 So, yeah, as I said, I think the second half was better and that gives us a little bit
03:07 more of kind of impetus and momentum to keep going and, as I said, I guess it keeps everyone
03:14 on notice because we do have options now.
03:16 And just a little bit of thought about the late goal, Steve, from an 8-point now-line.
03:22 I mean, did that sort of show you the right mindset to play the way you did in the deep
03:26 net?
03:27 Yeah, look, it's, you know, I mean, I wasn't trying to be flippant the other day but it
03:32 is, I mean, if you look at all my teams historically, they've always done that because kind of the
03:38 way we approach it is that, you know, the clock and the scoreboard shouldn't dictate
03:47 how you play.
03:48 So, if that's your mentality, we should always be looking for goals irrespective of sort
03:55 of whether we're winning 1-0 or losing 1-0.
03:58 Now, sometimes that kind of feels counterintuitive when you're winning 1-0 but I think it helps
04:05 you in games like this when you're chasing the game because really you don't have to
04:08 change anything.
04:09 There's no instructions from me.
04:11 The players know, well, this is what we do anyway.
04:13 So, it doesn't mean a major shift and I think if you're trying to, you know, become
04:18 a team that's dominant and wins games of football, I just felt I'd rather err on
04:22 that side than sort of try and protect things that you have.
04:27 Are you confident after you made those few changes that they were better off than they
04:32 were?
04:33 Oh, yeah.
04:34 I mean, I'm not really sure what, you know, confident I was putting on some good players
04:38 and guys who can make an impact.
04:41 But, again, they've got to do that and especially in that sort of midfield front third, we've
04:47 been pretty limited lately in terms of what we can do just to give us a little bit more
04:52 energy because, obviously, like I said, Brighton were doing well but they're working really
04:56 hard to stay in the game and you know they're going to get tired.
04:59 And then the fact that we could bring on at least two attacking players who are going
05:04 to be a threat and, you know, it maybe looks simple but, you know, that ball that Sonny
05:10 plays, you know, that's a world-class player in a clutch moment, finds the right pass,
05:15 you can't do that if you can't bring him on if it's somebody else, you know.
05:18 And even Brendan getting on the far post, we worked really hard with him to do that.
05:22 So, you know, it's not about confidence.
05:26 I feel like, you know, with the squad we have for today and hopefully moving forward is
05:32 that, you know, we do have that ability irrespective of where the game's at to finish games strong.
05:38 Rachel?
05:39 No, I don't think so.
05:42 I mean, Destiny went off but I'm not sure if it was Cramp but everyone else was OK as
05:48 far as I know.
05:49 Sorry.
05:50 Rachel?
05:51 We've got Sonny back after a little game.
05:53 Was he worried about fatigue or was it all a clue that he'd bring him on in the second half?
05:58 No, we were worried about fatigue.
06:00 That's why we brought him on in the second half.
06:02 So, you know, he was ready to play, he wanted to play.
06:06 But, you know, if you look at, you know, two of their games went to extra time.
06:13 Last game was pretty draining as well.
06:16 So the fact that, you know, we had options, I mean, if we were desperate he probably would
06:20 have started, but the fact that we had other options meant we could protect him and I think
06:25 it was better for him that he kind of came on and played the minutes he did.
06:29 Dan, last one, please.
06:30 Andrew, don't you expect Sonny to off at the point when you had it at the age of five and
06:34 growing up at five?
06:36 As you say, just deliberate, that's not a captain you can count on.
06:40 Yeah, and look, he's maybe the nation he plays for works against him, but I think he's a
06:46 world-class player.
06:48 You know, you look at his record in the Premier League, the toughest league in the world,
06:53 and, you know, his goal contributions, irrespective of how the team's gone through the time he's
07:01 been here, have always been right up there.
07:04 Even this year, you know, before he left, I think he was probably the best attacking
07:08 player in the competition, just my opinion, obviously, but certainly he'd be up there.
07:13 Obviously, he's a world-class player and I thought we did well to cover his absence.
07:18 You know, Richie obviously stepped up in terms of goal threat and a few other players, but
07:25 to have a world-class player back for the run-in is brilliant for us.
07:31 OK, thank you.
07:32 Thank you.
07:33 Thank you.
07:34 Thank you.
07:35 Thanks.
07:36 Thanks.
07:36 Thanks.
07:37 Thanks.
07:37 [BLANK_AUDIO]