Here is what Ange Postecoglou had to say about Tottenham’s Premier League matchup against Crystal Palace during his pre-game press conference.
How much of an incentive is it to have five points clear going into the weekend? Did you initially think you could hold this position so soon after starting your job?
The first part of your question doesn’t really add much significance because there is still a full round of Premier League fixtures to be played, so whatever happens on Friday night doesn’t really mean anything.
I never enter a job with the mindset that I can’t contribute. That’s what I do. As I’ve mentioned several times, my standard for measuring that isn’t really having a set period of time for when it occurs. All that needs to be done is try to concentrate on setting up the elements that are critical to the project we are working on. Progress is made along the route at different points in time and on different trajectories.
Although we’re in a good place right now, there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure that what we’re doing is sustainable. That’s the primary concern. It’s not about having an immediate effect; rather, it’s about creating something that will hopefully lead to ongoing opportunities for success for
We all know there’s still a long way to go, which is a very good reason why no manager will discuss winning a title in October or November. We don’t converse with the players in that way. My primary information flow focuses on how we can continue to advance and meet the challenge of competing weekly in the world’s most competitive league. For us, that presents the true obstacle.
Understanding that every game is extremely difficult for us right now given where our team is at, regardless of what is going on outside or noise from outside, is especially important at this point in our development. We must devote all of our attention to that, and in my opinion, the boys have done a great job of just keeping their focus on the here and now, which is a challenging game for us tomorrow night.
James Maddison discussed on Monday night how you should remind them of what’s expected in the 90 minutes and share your thoughts with them during the preseason Shakhtar game. In comparison to the previous few seasons, how did you find that experience, and are you getting closer to your desired outcome?
My point of reference is not what has transpired over the past few years; rather, it is where I want the team to be, regardless of where they have been recently. As I mentioned earlier, the club knew that things would change when they brought me in. Not for any other reason than that which makes me who I am.
As I’ve said before, there’s no sense in just making small adjustments here and there; instead, we needed to make significant changes to everything we did, and that’s exactly what we did. There are a few ways to emphasize certain pillars of sort of really fundamental fundamentals that must be there in that context.
One is through our daily activities and training, and the game provides those windows of opportunity where, no matter the situation—a friendly, league, or cup game, for example—I can kind of reinforce to the players anything that I see that is not part of what I want us to be as a team.
Which area requires improvement still?
Everything about it. In every aspect, we still need to improve. We currently excel in certain areas, especially in relation to the game’s defense. We’ve done a great job there, in my opinion—quite consistently. That’s what won us the game, I said after the game on Monday night. to put in a lot of effort, push the opposition, maintain discipline, and be steadfast in your commitment to making mistakes in the opposition. For me, that’s been really wonderful and satisfying.
We will still primarily improve on the attacking end of the field, in my opinion. It’s not surprising, in my opinion, that many of our movements—especially in the front third—remain far from being fluid and natural as we would like. However, the fact that we have excellent quality up there is what is helping us achieve our goals. However, I continue to believe that our attacking side of the game will see the most improvement.
How impressed are you with Son’s leadership abilities as well as his quality?
They’ve both been excellent. It’s not my influence on him; he’s an excellent player and has been for a very long time. The first thing you need to realize is that, in my opinion, he has accepted his leadership role and wants that responsibility. Since people are constantly observing you as a player to see whether you’re exhibiting not just the behaviors and talking about it, but also that you’re producing and being a leader on gameday, leadership sounds great and can even seem a little glamorous. Therefore, you need to want that.
It’s impossible to hide, particularly on match days. In addition, he plays a significant role in our defensive structure, press, and overall working style, and he has been an incredible catalyst for us with his goals.
What do you suppose Roy Hodgson’s longevity’s secret is?
United Kingdom 2016 in Australia – I had the pleasure of coaching Roy on an international level, having coached against him up in Sunderland. He is an exceptional manager and a true gentleman. People always compliment him on his character, and I admire his career, especially for someone like me who has had a different path. I’m very impressed with the career.
Since becoming a manager is a decision that each of us makes at first, we talk about what our main goals are, which is to love our jobs and hopefully stay in them for a long time despite the unpredictable nature of the industry. You cling to the hope that you’ll experience some success that will advance your career.
Beyond that, though, I think the best part of what I do is the experiences you have along the way. Roy, in my opinion, has had the most fulfilling career. He has coached in this country and overseas, at both large and small clubs, and in the fight for honors. He has battled to avoid being demoted. He has been a coach in several nations, and when the time comes for him to step down—which I believe will not happen for some time given his current trajectory—he will be able to reflect on a fulfilling career that, in my opinion, entails more than just success, wealth, or notoriety.
He most likely speaks five or six languages, is able to visit several clubs, and is always made to feel welcome. Just a ton of admiration, and hopefully at the end of my career, I can have experienced even a small portion of what I did.
Even at 76, Roy When will you still be there?
Who knew? That’s not the plan: 76… somewhere on an island in Greece, lounging about while watching international football, maybe doing some punditry and turning into an overnight expert. That’s the plan, but life is full of surprises, my friend.
Are there any worries about injuries? Is Destiny Udogie alright?
Pape and Destiny are the two main ones from the other night. Pape is good; he recovered from the game in about a day. Despite a minor illness, he has trained effectively. We’re still going to evaluate destiny. Of course, things have changed quickly since the other night. We’ll take a look today, assess the situation, and then decide. Everybody else has cleared the clearance process and is available.
