“Often in my second season I win one thing.”
Angie Postecoglou’s phrases will likely be music to the ears of Tottenham Hotspur followers who’ve been hungry for trophies for greater than 16 years.
The Aussie’s hopes of profitable Tottenham’s first trophy since 2008 seem to have grown considerably following the club-record signing of Dominic Solanke.
Becoming a member of from Bournemouth for £65m, he lastly fills the void left by Harry Kane and offers Postkoglu the No.9 shirt he needs to take ahead within the aspect he needs to take ahead.
Unique assertion sky sports activities Two days earlier than Solanke’s signing, Postkoglu was already in a temper of optimism forward of his second season in cost as he mentioned how his aspect can enhance from a fifth-place end. , James Maddison’s type and the summer season switch window…
What did you get from this preseason?
“The gamers are undoubtedly rising. Their understanding and acceptance of the way in which we prepare and the way in which we do issues. To be honest, it was all very new to them final 12 months. It is very totally different to how they suppose.” Get used to it.
“Each time you might have a change like this, there’s all the time just a little little bit of uncertainty. This 12 months they appear extra receptive to what we’ll do and what we have been doing. Once more, it is good for me and the opposite coaches, As a result of it permits us to say, we now must problem them and ourselves to ensure we ship outcomes which are larger than final 12 months.
How do you are feeling about your second season teaching?
“I assume I am not the shiny new factor anymore, so there are different new managers. Folks can go and uncover them and their childhoods with out having to speak about mine anymore.”
“Often in my second season I win one thing. That is the entire concept. The primary 12 months is about establishing rules and laying the muse. Hopefully the second 12 months I am going to win one thing. In fact, that is simpler mentioned than completed, particularly It is the Premier League and the competitors we’re in.
“We had some actually good moments final 12 months and clearly we had some robust moments. I feel we discovered as a lot from the robust moments as we did from the good things, and hopefully which means we’re in a superb place. A great place. We’re undoubtedly a greater ready crew than we have been final 12 months.
What’s subsequent for this crew?
“What we actually discovered final 12 months, not surprisingly, was that each time we had disruption, whether or not it was accidents or suspensions, we lacked some self-discipline and we actually struggled to maintain what we have been doing when everybody was on their ft. Established stage of soccer.
“In any 12 months you are going to have some challenges. It is about getting higher at coping with these challenges. Hopefully having a greater crew that may cope with these challenges. Having a greater understanding of what we have to concentrate on throughout that point .
“It doesn’t matter what crew you might be on or how you probably did final 12 months, each crew goes into this season figuring out it is going to be a difficult time for them. Hopefully what we went by final 12 months and what we discovered, And participant growth… as a result of we’re nonetheless a really younger group, quite a lot of them are of their first 12 months within the Premier League, or their first 12 months at Tottenham Hotspur, when Once you have a look at a benchmark, I feel most of them are gone.
What particular elements do you suppose want enchancment?
“I give it some thought from all sides. The very first thing is, do I’ve a bunch of gamers that imagine in what we’re attempting to do? I actually imagine that. That is the primary a part of any course of. We have purchased into what we wish to do. The way in which we play, as a result of it is difficult and you’ve got to have the ability to do issues in another way or the way in which we strategy the sport.
“Most likely as a result of we had a superb begin there wasn’t quite a lot of resistance. The gamers embraced it, they cherished it and so they needed extra. However now it is a matter of doing it on a extra constant foundation, Moderately than permitting, whether or not it is the opposition or exterior influences, to deviate from the trail that we’re on, I feel that occurred lots final 12 months, the place there was opposition ways, or issues that have been of our personal making – whether or not it was a scarcity of self-discipline on our half. There have been accidents and we needed to make changes to the crew, however I feel for essentially the most half the gamers have been nonetheless attempting to do what we needed them to do.
Did you might have an opportunity to speak to James Maddison about it following his absence from the England squad for Euro 2024?
“I have never had an in depth dialog with him. However, I feel that is a part of the journey of a soccer participant. I typically say, I feel typically we have a look at issues in a linear manner and we expect it is all about being nice. individual, however it’s by no means going to be nice, however there’s all the time going to be challenges and there is going to be setbacks alongside the way in which and it is as much as you the way you cope with them and the way you strategy the following problem.
“For Mads, I am positive he is very disillusioned to overlook out as a result of he was a part of that crew and went by that journey. However he nonetheless has sufficient soccer expertise and he nonetheless has challenges forward of him. .That is the way you do it. I am nonetheless on the correct path, however you want to do it and maintain going.
“He is been nice since we have been again. His season final 12 months form of mirrored our season. When he obtained up and stored going, he was unbelievable, after which he obtained injured. When he got here again, it was just a little bit grinding. , it’s form of unbelievable, man.
How a lot do you depend on signings to think about the brand new season?
“That is an vital a part of the method and I feel it goes again to what I all the time say – a part of recruiting is knowing you are not recruiting soccer gamers, you are recruiting folks. What are they like? Why are they? The place to do that?
“Hopefully they stroll right into a dressing room of like-minded individuals who all have that mentality. It helps them visualize what we’re attempting to construct. It is in all probability going to be a neater time for the brand new guys coming on this 12 months. The method, as they stroll into the locker room, the gamers could have a really clear concept of what they’re attempting to do, whereas final 12 months it was extra about me attempting to create that atmosphere, and I used to be attempting to color these footage to everybody, not simply the gamers and The employees, and everybody on the soccer membership.
“Hopefully this 12 months, with the fellows we’ve introduced in to date, once they stroll into the locker room they really feel precisely what we’re attempting to do.”
From a technical perspective, what elements of an offensive participant do you notably worth?
“Whether or not it is an attacking participant or any participant, I feel what folks wish to perceive is that we now have an actual identification with the way in which we play soccer. You realize when Tottenham play we could have two wingers and we’ll Very, superb at taking up gamers and making their recreation very aggressive and with the ability to apply stress.
“If I am on the lookout for a left winger, their qualities are very apparent and we have to see them in them as a result of on the finish of the day there are nice footballers everywhere in the world. You may decide any certainly one of them and they are going to be wonderful. It is unbelievable, however I’ve to see them in my crew the way in which we wish them to, and so they must have these qualities.
“In a manner, it makes the method simpler, however it’s additionally difficult since you’re specializing in a a lot smaller space. In at the moment’s market, when there’s a lot competitors, it is laborious to get one thing like that. It is not simple with the roster, the method, have they got these qualities that I see in our crew.
Do you might have something to say to anxious followers throughout the summer season switch window? (Talking forward of Spurs asserting the signings of Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert)
“I perceive the nervousness as a result of each switch window is your solely probability to enhance your gamers and your crew.
“I wish to suppose that we now have strengthened in each window to date. In fact, final 12 months we introduced in some nice soccer gamers. In January we introduced in Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner. We have introduced in two younger guys – Archie Grey, who’s a unbelievable participant – however we nonetheless have work to do and that is the character of the switch market.
“For me, I’ve the identical nervousness as a result of that is the a part of the 12 months that I’ve the least management over. It might be nice if I may have complete management over the whole lot, together with what different golf equipment do, however this example Did not occur.
“I perceive how the followers really feel. My position is to attempt to keep calm, keep disciplined and guarantee that when the tip of the window comes, that is a very powerful second and we have had one other optimistic window and we have our squad and The crew turns into stronger.