Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[Bluto Blutarsky]

AFAIK Jamie Donley has never played a minute of professional football, but it'd have been fine to throw him on at a time when one of the most adept managers around spotted a weakness to exploit. Can't see that backfiring at all.

Given that he had to a) deal with losing our greatest-ever player, b) completely change our style of play, c) pick up a team that was mentally on the floor and d) did all of that whilst going unbeaten for ten games, I think we can maybe forgive him not producing a youth pathway within six months when the club's not done that for about six years. Why don't we ask him to redesign the third kit while we're at it?

I’d love it if he could redesign the 3rd kit. It’s hideous.

 

[SpursSince1980]

I don't think it's ever going to come to that. There aren't many that can't see we are progressing regardless of results. It's more likely Ange gets frustrated and leaves than is sacked imo, but then I don't think that will happen that quickly either.

Is the implication that he may already feel frustrated? Or that there is a good chance he will become frustrated? In which case, I assume that would be because of Levy? If he is already had moments of frustration, that is very worrying. Hope that’s not the case.

 

[HildoSpur]

Is the implication that he may already feel frustrated? Or that there is a good chance he will become frustrated? In which case, I assume that would be because of Levy? If he is already had moments of frustration, that is very worrying. Hope that’s not the case.

Nope.

 

[dace]

My take on the three losses and Ange.
I had almost stopped watching Spurs under Conte, actually I really only looked at the results, could not stand watching the team play, it was for me soul destroying.
Onto the three losses, I am again getting engaged with the team, they are playing in a way that is more pleasing to the eye and I surmise that is down to Ange. He has made things on the pitch much more bearable.
My only concern was what happened Vs Chelsea, why did we go all haywire? Romero has in his way caused us a few problems getting a red card and missing three games, but I suppose that may have been a one off (hopefully). No one could imagine all the other problems with Micky, Udogie and Maddison.
So I am happy with our progress this season.

 

[RuskyM]

We needed a goal who's more likely to create or score one.. Oliver keep it simple Skipp or someone who has 19 goal contributions this season in the u21s?

Bringing on a typically defensive player isn't necessarily a defensive move, for the same reasons you'll rarely see Guardiola or Klopp just throw on loads of strikers to try and win games. We were getting outplayed in midfield, we needed some security, and then we brought on Veliz.

 

[Trix]

Like really? Just 13+1 games in? This is just incredibly impatient TBVH to think players like Skipp who, was also an academy player coming through, does not have much minutes to showcase this season yet, but were deemed to be less suitable than Donley...?

And to be honest how was overlooking Skipp and play Donley instead sending a good message? This only means 3 years down if Donley's not making it as expected, he will be in the same place as Skipp now, dispensable, not respected, and overlooked for another youngster taking his place.

But really, only after 14 games in, 2 games after the suspensions and injuries, and now Ange couldn't have the patience from some to ease youngsters in without trying out the respectable and hardworking seniors first..

Like I said 8 out of 9 subs named so one free spot on the bench that included 2 keepers. It's overlooking the academy no matter how you dress it up.

 

[McFlash]

Has it occured to anyone that he is holding back some of the youth players for a couple more pragmatic reasons? Such as wanting to bring them in when he feels it will be best for their development and not into a situation that could do more damage than good? And secondly, he’s giving some squad players a chance, be it mins or trying new positions before making the final call to move them out. The young lads have time on their side. The squad players don’t. He is looking at the bigger picture; Who in the squad can go in January, who stays. And he may arrive at this final conclusion within a few weeks. Then, he might start to bring the kids through.

Making sweeping statements about how unhappy the youngsters are and their families feels histrionic, when we are 13 games into a season. Maybe we actually wait until the end of the season to see how it all plays out, rather than a sample size that is not statistically relevant?

Sad to hear that there are already rumblings and complaints within the club about Ange and his reticence to play kids right now. I could understand it if we were in May. But I don’t understand why after we have lost three in a row it’s now a red blot in his ledger.

It sometimes feels like a human experiment in here, with some people trying to create and control a narrative throughout the place.
Some people love drama.

 

[mil1lion]

Like I said 8 out of 9 subs named so one free spot on the bench including 2 keepers. It's overlooking the academy no matter how you dress it up.

Was that explained why? Like did someone pull out of the squad on the day or were academy players not available? Seems odd not to at least give youth a feel of the match day experience in the first team.

 

[RJR1949]

Like I said 8 out of 9 subs named so one free spot on the bench including 2 keepers. It's overlooking the academy no matter how you dress it up.

I presumed Ange was sending a message to DL about desperately needing reinforcements.

 

[EastUpperDK82]

There will be bumps in the road during Ange's rebuild... it's just become a mountain to climb for the rest of 2023

 

[McFlash]

With Bentancur now out for a stretch, Ange is really going to have no choice but to blood some of the youngsters, either that or we're going to risk running what's left of the squad into the ground.
We must try to avoid any more bloody injuries.

 

[TOLBINY]

TOLBINY said:
We hounded out a proven winner at the top level in the Prem and Italy becuase the fans didn't like the style of football and could not take him openly calling out the players for letting a 3-1 lead slip against a club doomed to relelgation.

Top 4 wasn't good enough for many Tottenham supporters, with a squad that was inferior to what Ange has now (and most will tell you that Ange still needs 4 or 5 upgrades). That's our fan base for you.

Sorry but that is complete nonsense. Fans were not complaining about our league position last season. They were complaining about our style of play. It's the style if play you can only accept if winning things. If you're challenging top 4 then you have to at least enjoy watching the team play and be proud. It's as if you're detached from the clubs dna that our fans are connected too.

You do realise you have proved my point don't you? (Top 4 was not good enough for many Tottenham supporters.) Read the bit you posted that is in bold.

 

[Pistols At Dawn]

The one thing I keep noticing is that pundits question Ange’s tactics as “naive” and “stubborn,” never acknowledging that we’d have lost at least 2 of those last 3 games under Conte, the ultimate pragmatist,
while never actually trying anything proactive or innovative to win.

And the whole time he’d be complaining about our thin squad, an anti-Conte injury conspiracy, and a generational Spurs lack of ambition, while openly and loudly longing to do things “as we do in Italy.”

Does my head in.

 

[EastUpperDK82]

The one thing I keep noticing is that pundits question Ange’s tactics as “naive” and “stubborn,” never acknowledging that we’d have lost at least 2 of those last 3 games under Conte, the ultimate pragmatist,
while never actually trying anything proactive or innovative to win.

And the whole time he’d be complaining about our thin squad, an anti-Conte injury conspiracy, and a generational Spurs lack of ambition, while openly and loudly longing to do things “as we do in Italy.”

Does my head in.

Exactly... and why should we be pragmatic and defensive minded when the few players we have who know how to defend (Romero, Van de Ven) are not available at the moment... Ange took a calculated risk against Villa trying to keep the ball away from our box by being proactive... had he invited Villa to bombard our defense with crosses, dead balls and shots, then we would have lost even bigger... we have no proper defense at the moment. Sadly.

 

[mil1lion]

You do realise you have proved my point don't you? (Top 4 was not good enough for many Tottenham supporters.) Read the bit you posted that is in bold.

You said top 4 wasn't enough and I said it was but it was the style of football that fans had an issue with. Not sure what you're talking about proving your point. Your point about top 4 not being enough was clearly nothing to do with our brand of football.

 

[RuskyM]

You do realise you have proved my point don't you? (Top 4 was not good enough for many Tottenham supporters.) Read the bit you posted that is in bold.

No one was saying “this is shite” when we finished 4th. They were, however, saying it when we went out of the FA Cup and the Champions League within four days and after watching us get pummelled by Arsenal (twice), United, Newcastle, Leicester, Liverpool and Villa. And if anyone thought it wasn’t good enough it was that wiggy fraud, who praised Milan after we didn’t lay a glove on them because how could we compete with such a storied side? Now he has the audacity to say he’d like to be at a club that’s recently won things, which is funny cos none are touching him with a barge pole right now. I’ve never seen a manager hold such contempt for the team he’s managing, and our fans *still* supported him and sung his name. The problem definitely wasn’t us giving up on him.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

It's not just the players. Agents, Parents, coaching staff all saying it. The thing is they've spent the last few years seeing exactly the same thing. Ange might be different but as yet he's showing nothing to suggest that. You have to remember it's been a slog to get them to sign deals with us and to do so they've been categorically told they'd get chances if they proved themselves. With Donley I genuinely don't see what more he could do. When we have so many injuries, suspensions and players that don't fit being overlooked is a massive slap in the face.

We had 2 keepers on the bench and only named 8 subs from a possible 9 on Sunday ffs, what message does that send the high flying U21's?

Yes I have to say that was weird with the 2 keepers, absolutely no need for that. Didn’t know he’d only named 8 from possible 9 as well that’s odd don’t see any reason why to do that.

 

[cjbyid]

We're gonna have a great team from February onwards when everyone is back haha

 

[ilya]

We're gonna have a great team from February onwards when everyone is back haha

Do we have a full squad anymore in February? One player' goes out at every two games..

 

[mil1lion]

We're gonna have a great team from February onwards when everyone is back haha

I would be amazed if there's not more injuries to come sadly. We need to build 2 strong teams especially if we're in Europe next season. Best not to get attached to a preferred 11. Just have 2 for each position of high quality. If all are fit we can rotate.