Tottenham Hotspurs manager Ange Postecoglou on it being the start of the season and being 4 games in!
20/09/2024
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
20/09/2024
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00Hi Ange, how are the injuries looking ahead of this weekend?
00:02Wilson, yeah, doesn't look good.
00:08I'm still waiting for it to settle down and get all the information,
00:12but he'll definitely be out for the next period.
00:17Bissouma trained today, so he should be available for tomorrow.
00:23Timo was OK, he recovered OK.
00:28Everyone else from the game who didn't train who played last week is good.
00:33What's the nature of Odibert's injury?
00:36It's hamstring.
00:37And Richarlison, how is he coming on?
00:39He's a fair way off.
00:40I think you should stop asking me about him until I give you a bit of an update
00:43because we've been doing it on a weekly basis.
00:44He's still not training with the first team, so he's still a bit off.
00:47One win from your opening four Premier League games,
00:50to what extent does that increase the importance and the pressure going into this game?
00:54It doesn't change, it's the same.
00:57We're in the first four.
00:58I hate to think you go into this game thinking you can lose it.
01:00I think you try and win every game.
01:03We're at home and we've also played well in those four games.
01:06That's the first thing.
01:07We've got to perform as we have been.
01:10As I said in the league, our performances have been really consistent
01:14in terms of dominating games, but we haven't really got the reward for our dominance.
01:21That's the area we're still trying to focus on in terms of that front third
01:25to make sure we get rewards for our good play.
01:27You're going into a period now where you'll play five games in just over two weeks.
01:31How important do you think this period is?
01:33I think that's going to be our period probably until the end of January,
01:38so we're kind of playing for that.
01:39This is probably the shortest in terms of turnaround
01:42because it's a Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday.
01:44Most of the others are kind of Sunday, Thursday, Sunday for the most part.
01:48Probably a day less in this little three-game stretch.
01:53The good thing is we've got some game time into some guys on Wednesday night
01:58who haven't played for quite a while,
02:00so they're ready and available should we require them.
02:03I think that's going to be the key for us,
02:05the ability to bring guys in who are fresh but also have played recently.
02:12In terms of the schedule, a lot's been made of the new structure
02:15of the European competitions and potentially players striking,
02:19not being consulted.
02:20Where do you sit on that
02:21and the amount of football players playing at the moment?
02:23I think I said last week,
02:25I think it's something that needs to be looked at.
02:27Obviously it's not just club football,
02:29it's international football, it's a requirement.
02:31It's as much about how much recovery players get even between seasons.
02:36I think that's where the biggest problem lies for me anyway
02:39is that if you give players enough time to recover between seasons
02:44then it gives them a better opportunity to play the games
02:48that seem to be in the schedule now.
02:50But it seems like the windows of recovery for players
02:53are getting smaller and smaller
02:55and I definitely think that's an issue.
02:58Good afternoon.
02:59Good seeing you again.
03:00For the Tottenham fans,
03:01obviously winning a trophy this season would mean a lot.
03:03How important was Wednesday's win
03:05also in terms of the spirit after the result against Arsenal last weekend?
03:09Yeah, it's important.
03:11It's always important.
03:12You kind of know in a cup competition
03:14if you don't win you don't progress,
03:15so that's the first thing.
03:16Obviously progressing to the next round is great.
03:20The performance, as I said on the night,
03:23we had to work really hard.
03:24It was a different kind of performance.
03:25We just had to hang in there and we did.
03:29I think it showed tremendous spirit at the end there
03:31and some really good input from guys coming on
03:35to make sure we won the game and progressed to the next round.
03:40The fact you brought on two subs that scored
03:42and eventually won the game,
03:43how significant is it that you have this score depth
03:45especially this season?
03:46You're back to Europe and you have more options.
03:48Yeah, it will be important for us.
03:50As I said, that's why I think Wednesday night
03:52we've got a lot of players who played 90 minutes
03:56or 70 minutes who haven't played a lot recently.
04:00So Archie Lucas, Ben Davies,
04:02Roady got another 90, which is important.
04:05Even Destiny's 45
04:07and Dom's sort of 60-70 are really important for us
04:11kind of minutes-wise.
04:13As I said, it's great having a squad
04:16but if you're throwing in guys
04:18who haven't played for three or four weeks
04:20it's very hard for them to contribute
04:22because they're not sharp as they should be match-wise
04:25but also physically you're worried.
04:27So just getting more guys game time
04:29and we'll get plenty of opportunity
04:30is going to be important.
04:31Every Premier League game is difficult.
04:33If you look at Brentford,
04:34how unique is what Thomas Frank has been achieving there
04:37and how challenging the task will be this weekend?
04:39Yeah, a great challenge.
04:40Yeah, Thomas has turned them into
04:43a really difficult and challenging team
04:47for everyone in the league.
04:49You saw them last week against City.
04:51I thought they played really well.
04:52They took the game to City
04:54and it's always a challenge
04:56but that's the Premier League.
04:57I don't think there's any games you go into
04:59thinking they're going to be any easier
05:01than any others
05:02and we have to be ready for Brentford tomorrow
05:05but we are at home
05:07and like I said,
05:08we've got to make sure
05:09we continue with our strong performances in the league
05:11but turn those performances into results.
05:17Hi Ange, hope you're well.
05:18There was a lot of excitement around Tottenham
05:20last season among the fan base.
05:21Obviously because of results
05:23maybe some of that excitement has subsided
05:25so far this season
05:26so how important is it to get a result tomorrow
05:29and maybe bring the feel-good factor
05:31back around the club again?
05:33Yeah, look,
05:34as I said before
05:35I just think
05:37if you start thinking in those terms
05:39then like I said
05:40you miss the priorities
05:42of what you need to do
05:44to stay competitive in this league
05:47and that is every week is a challenge
05:49so even if we had a full win so far
05:52which we could have
05:53with our performances
05:54and the feel-good factors around
05:55dropping a game tomorrow
05:57wouldn't make us feel any better
05:58so the challenge is always the same.
05:59I think that's the beauty
06:01of the competition we're in.
06:03Every week you've got to be up for it
06:05and we've got to make sure
06:06we do that tomorrow.
06:07And you mentioned about
06:08performances this season
06:09the fans loved what they saw
06:10last season
06:11in terms of the style of football.
06:12Obviously so far this season
06:14because of results
06:15maybe not quite managed
06:16to hit those sort of levels
06:17and that style of play
06:18that we saw last season
06:19so have you managed
06:20to put your finger on why
06:21we've managed not to
06:23maybe not quite hit the level
06:25that you saw last season?
06:27Well I guess it depends
06:29on what you mean by level.
06:31I certainly think
06:33in our first four games
06:34we've been as dominant
06:36as we were last year
06:37for any series of games
06:39all four games I think
06:41we've out-possessed
06:43the opposition
06:44we've created double the chances
06:45of the opposition
06:46played the game mostly
06:48in the opposition half
06:49but because you don't win
06:50people kind of
06:51always look at the outcomes
06:52which is understandable
06:53but for me
06:55I think we need to
06:57maintain our focus
06:58on what's important to us
06:59and the principles
07:00of our play
07:01and as I said
07:02if we just show
07:04a bit more conviction
07:05in that front third
07:06I'm sure we'll get the rewards
07:07for it soon
07:08You mentioned Dominic Slankey
07:09earlier
07:10obviously a lot of pundits
07:11have been talking about him
07:12and the price tag
07:13that came with him
07:14coming to the club
07:15what have you made
07:16of the way he's settled
07:17into the club
07:18and what more
07:19is there to come from him?
07:21He's settled in really well
07:22really well
07:23and there's plenty more
07:24to come from him
07:25because he got injured
07:26so he's only played
07:27two and a bit games for us
07:28and he just needs
07:31to sort of
07:32get some games
07:33under his belt
07:34but we've already seen
07:35in the games he has played
07:36he's going to be
07:37a real sort of
07:38asset for us
07:39and I've got no doubt
07:40that he'll be
07:41a huge contributor
07:42That's great
07:43best of luck
07:44Thank you
07:45Hi Anjum
07:46there was some
07:47boos from the stand
07:48and you've already
07:49talked about the
07:50substitution in Coventry
07:51but I just wanted
07:52to talk about
07:53if that negative
07:54sort of fan sentiment
07:55that there's some
07:56division in the fan base
07:57if that seeps
07:58into the environment
07:59you have
08:00Does it seep
08:01into your environment?
08:02It doesn't seep
08:03into my environment
08:04I've always said
08:05fans are
08:06more than
08:07sort of
08:08free to feel
08:09what they feel
08:10I'm not going
08:11to dictate
08:12the mood
08:13of what they do
08:14but it doesn't
08:15impact me
08:16or what we're
08:17trying to achieve
08:18I think
08:19you're carried
08:20away in both
08:21ways
08:22as I said
08:23we've just got to
08:24stay sort of
08:25clear eyed
08:26and focused
08:27on what
08:28we're trying
08:29to achieve here
08:30and the kind
08:31of football team
08:32we want to be
08:33and
08:34you know
08:35if
08:36that's
08:37swimming against
08:38the tide
08:39sometimes
08:40that's alright
08:41nothing wrong
08:42with that
08:43it makes you
08:44stronger
08:45You said
08:46you don't
08:47really use
08:48social media
08:49last week
08:50but I'm sure
08:51a lot of
08:52your players
08:53do
08:54do you
08:55have to
08:56talk to them
08:57a little bit
08:59I'm not
09:00well aware
09:01of the pitfalls
09:02of
09:03falling into
09:04that world
09:05but
09:06everyone's
09:07got their own
09:08choices
09:09around that
09:10I think
09:11if you
09:12start seeking
09:13validation
09:14from
09:15anonymous
09:16people
09:17then I
09:18think
09:19you're going
09:20down a rabbit
09:21hole
09:22that's
09:23probably
09:24going to
09:25end up
09:26in tears
09:27rather than
09:28in
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10:55three of our back four for two months after that and matters for pretty much
11:01most of you. But if people want to sort of just look at it in isolation of
11:06just results, yes, ten games we did well and afterwards we didn't do well, but yeah
11:10I think there was legitimate reasons for that.
11:14Just a quick one on Izubasuma, is he in a position, if you need him to, to start or are you going to be cautious with him?
11:19No, like I said he trained today, he trained fully, it is his first session so
11:26we'll just have to see how he pulls up, but again if he's available, he's available.
11:30And kind of on the aspect of change and changing the club, you're probably aware you're
11:34the first manager that's lasted a full season in the last half a decade at this
11:38club. Yeah they had a cake for me the other day. I mean on that kind of topic, how
11:44difficult is it to kind of put in real long-term change at a club that
11:48obviously needs another change or a more long-term change of direction when
11:52it's had so many changes and different routes over the years? It's not difficult for me
11:56because that's how I've always worked, I keep saying I know I'm not going to be
11:59here forever but I work like I will be and I'll make changes that I think are
12:03going to set the club up for success for a sustainable period. So every
12:08decision I'll make is along that backdrop, but you know sometimes I
12:13think if you sort of get caught in this kind of timeline scenarios, I just
12:21think you end up making results that potentially okay short-term might
12:26feel good, but long-term you're not going to get to where you want to and that's
12:29all I'm interested in. I just want to, like I said, my brief and my focus and my
12:33ambition is to bring success. Every decision I make is against the backdrop
12:37of that. If you'll permit me one kind of non-football question I just wanted to
12:40ask, it's only because Niz talking about social media made me think about it, when
12:44you were talking about Brendan you mentioned I think you said I can switch
12:46off my one follower doesn't notice or get upset by it, do you actually have
12:51like an account that you occasionally dip into that world in? No I don't, look there was years
12:58ago I used to be on, just generally because I like the information that I
13:03was getting initially, especially through Twitter as it used to be called, I thought
13:09it was a great resource for information, there was some some pretty smart young
13:12people on there as well, especially around the football analytics and stuff
13:15that I used to get excited about, but mate it went downhill pretty quickly and to be
13:20fair the last two or three years I just don't look at it anymore, I just don't think there's any use in it, for me
13:24anyway, in my life and yeah my one follower is gutted about that.
13:31Hi Ange, you talked a lot about efficiency in the final third and needing to improve that, I know it's only been a small injury for Solanke, but how disruptive has that been to your planning?
13:46Well it has on the back of Ritchie not being available either, because I mean we were kind of working on, we thought Ritchie would be available round one and then he's had the setback obviously which has put him out, so yeah that hasn't helped us
13:58because the whole plan was to have two really robust strikers who could really give us a real threat up front and with both of them out it's kind of made it a little bit difficult, we've had to juggle things a little bit, played Sonny through there, played Deki through there, Kolosevski through there, so it hasn't been smooth, but again I'm hoping that's sort of behind us now, a bit of luck.
14:22And obviously he came in for a big fee, club record, 65 million, is that an adjustment that he'll have to make to deal with the expectation that comes with that?
14:32Yeah, I don't know because people, we're just so quick to judge mate, it's a small thing, he's played less than two games for us, I mean if he's gone 15 games without a goal then I can answer that question, or 15 games and he hasn't really contributed or he's down, but I just think take a breath, do a bit of yoga, just think about the world for a second
15:01and then make an assessment after that, we don't have to rush to judgement all the time because the alternative is he may have got off to a great start and was fit and scored in all four games and he's flying and then goes through a patch like all strikers where he doesn't score and I just don't look at those things, what I look at is he's come in, he's fitting really well but obviously and quite logically he's picked up an injury that's disrupted the way he probably wanted to start his career but he's still got plenty of time for that.
15:30That idea of taking a breath and doing a bit of yoga, do you think that applies maybe to the perception of the whole team as well? Do you think there's been a bit of an overreaction to the first four games?
15:40No, I think it's like I've said a few times just the way of the world today, I think people would rather be first to make a judgement even if they're wrong rather than wait for somebody else.
15:55I think just the way we live our lives these days, there's far more judgement than real reasoned opinion or analysis but that's just the way of the world so you've got to live with that.
16:15Did you ever look at him before you went to sleep?
16:17Yeah, we did look at him but the reality of it is and I think I've said that Dom was the one I wanted and we took pretty much the whole summer to get him in because he was the one that fit the profile of what we were looking at at the time.
16:30Hi Ant, just going back to Dom, obviously he hasn't been here very long but I guess strikers they do want that first goal, do you still sense a calmness in him and he doesn't feel over anxious about trying to get that first goal and get away?
16:50No, like I said he's just played a couple of games, not even a full game so no I haven't sensed that, I don't sense that. I think in his mind he just wants to be in a good physical condition so he can contribute, that's where he's at and that's kind of the space we want him in.
17:09Like I said hopefully he gets a bit of confidence out of the game time he got during the week and builds on that tomorrow and I'm sure as the season goes on he'll be a real strong contributor for us.
17:21You mentioned the Wednesday game, you made the eight changes and you explained afterwards those eight players I guess needed the minutes, now they've got the minutes are we less likely to see as many changes during the Europa League and the Carewell Cup going forward?
17:36It just depends, depends how we go. Like I said it was a bit different this week because we've got a day less and Europe is Sunday, Thursday, Sunday so this is Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday so with a day less that's quite significant because Wednesday to Saturday there were guys who had to train today who played the other night, the day before a game so we're always going to try and make as many changes as we can Wednesday night just to protect the lads but also get some game time with the guys.
18:03But it'll be sort of horses for courses, we'll see how we go through the next period.
18:06I'm sure you saw overnight Graham Arnold left his role as the Australian manager, I assume you're not going to put your name in the ring but just generally what did you make of that decision?
18:17Yeah I'm not really close to it but he's had a really great stint as a national team boss, he took them to the World Cup, got the best ever results in the World Cup and I think for anyone when you manage your national team it's a proud moment, I'm sure he's proud of his achievements.
18:42But like all of us he passed on the baton now to hopefully somebody who can take the nation forward.