Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[E17yid]

All our losses have been pretty good ones tbf. We could’ve got a result against Chelsea even with 9 men and that first 15 mins or so was some of the best stuff I’ve seen us play in years.

Wolves wasn’t an amazing performance but 1-0 up with 90 mins on the clock. Should’ve put 5 past Villa in that first half and lost by one goal and then the West Ham game which wasn’t great but again another day we win that game at HT.

Would be much more worried if we weren’t offering nothing in those games but we did and that’s with all the injuries and suspensions. Top 8 and a good cup run will be fine by me. Slightly disappointing with how well the first 10 games went but it’s all about next season.

 

[SPURSLIFE]

All our losses have been pretty good ones tbf. We could’ve got a result against Chelsea even with 9 men and that first 15 mins or so was some of the best stuff I’ve seen us play in years.

Wolves wasn’t an amazing performance but 1-0 up with 90 mins on the clock. Should’ve put 5 past Villa in that first half and lost by one goal and then the West Ham game which wasn’t great but again another day we win that game at HT.

Would be much more worried if we weren’t offering nothing in those games but we did and that’s with all the injuries and suspensions. Top 8 and a good cup run will be fine by me. Slightly disappointing with how well the first 10 games went but it’s all about next season.

"Top 8 and a god cup RUN" you're easily pleased. I would expect with all our players back and a couple of additions in January and based on our early season form at the very least a top 4 and with luck WINNING the cup. All the talk of "it's all about next season" is something we seem to say every year. With a bit of luck and Ange doing some tweaking we can achieve it this season. I'd like to see some inspired selections and sensible substitutions from Ange over the coming weeks and then lets see where we are.

 

[cliff jones]

There is no doubt that injuries and suspensions have coincided with a derailment of what was a great start to the season but I do see hope and and a progression in the way we are playing.

I also think as exciting as our football has been we do need to slightly refine what we are doing on the pitch.

This risk and reward tactic has been taken to the extreme and I will attempt to explain.

Yes risk can lead to reward but I think some of our plays have been taken too far where all I have seen is in them is risk and serious risk where there is no chance of a demonstrable gain.

1. Take Bissouma's attempt to run through 3 players one of them Rodri in such a ridiculously dangerous area, that was never going to end well and based on where he was there was no potential gain, there was potential gain in a simple pass to Davies who could just as easily have fed the ball up field, so one has to ask - where was tge benefit in this if it was all to risk averse with no definable gain and it led to Man City's 3rd, it was a silly amd inevitable goal to give away when there was no sign of gain by taking such a risky move.

2. Exactly the same can be said for Udogie's back pass that led to the Spammers winner. There was everything to lose and nothing much to gain in that move, if it had been executed perfectly back to Vicario what would we have achieved from it ? Not very much no advantageous field position but get it wrong and underhit it even ever so slightly there was everything to lose so one has to ask. What was the point in it if there was nothing to gain from it but everything to lose from it ?
These are the hard questions that Angecand the coaching staff should be asking and questioning the players about when they do something risky. The player should be thinking what is the potential gain ? If there isn't one then don't expose your team to unnecessary risk for risks sake, that is true football intelligence.

Then on the attacking side of things. Why do we now almost always stop and try ever so unlikely thread the eye of a needle passes in the final third that hardly ever come off. There is more than one way of scoring a goal rather than trying to be so bloody clever that you want to walk the ball into the net with the perfect goal. Yet in that second half that is exactly what we we were trying to do, and it was predictably failing time and time again in exactly the same way. It was like watching someone come up with a so called clever plan of trying to repeatedly prove that if you keep flinging a flimsy oven glove against a stubborn brick wall eventually the wall was going to fall down. Here's the news players - guess what it won't work, so how about trying to mix it up by trying something different !

On the one time we did mix it up when Porro put in a perfect and more diect ball to Richarlison he did exactly the same thing he did against Bournemouth last season, he missed and absolute sitter of a chance inside the six yard box woth the goal at his mercy in front of our South Stand by putting it wide. He can't seem to buy a break at the moment.

These minor refinements don't call for an abandonment of our new style of play under Ange which is to be admired, they simply call for a few tweaks which also involve being more bloody ruthless in front of goal and not exposing us to heavy and serious risk with so little demonstrable gain.

Good insights there but I don’t think it’s clear that any of the decisions made by the players in the situations you quote were made because of Ange’s instructions.

From what I can see he wants short, quick incisive passing, and Bissouma didn’t lift his head before losing it- so that’s a simple player error. Credit also to the opponent in how intelligently City press.

Our problem v West Ham and the low block was a lack of off the ball running when we reached the box and a mix of Kulu taking too many touches and Johnson not going at his man.

At least the Geordies will come out and play a bit, and they haven’t got a lot of pace at the back so Johnson should be able to get at Tripps if he’s brave enough

 

[Roberts84]

The biggest thing for me in periods like this, is can I see a plan? Can I see what we want to be? And the answer is yes. Every game/first half bar probably Wolves I have seen us play some wonderful stuff. Had we been clinical this may have been a different conversion. Have to keep mentioning VDV and Maddison in particular missing. Once players are back/brought in we will be even better.

Ange has said there would be bumps in the road early on and that periods like this make the side stronger.

As annoyed as I am in the immediate aftermath of the defeats, the next day I am actually relaxed about things. I watch United and see they have no plan, no togetherness. We have both. Even players that don't feel suited to the system are giving their all. That says it all about Ange's ability to get everyone to buy in. The ones who when everyone is fit would barely get a minute are all in. That is a huge thing.

I think the fans need patience. We can't be sacking a manager so quickly otherwise we're back to square one. It will be another transitional season. People will hate this comparison, but Arteta had poor results early on yet he was backed and they challenged for the league, are back up there again and won an FA Cup. Give him the time and players and we will be fine.

What a great post

 

[1882andallthat]

Good insights there but I don’t think it’s clear that any of the decisions made by the players in the situations you quote were made because of Ange’s instructions.

From what I can see he wants short, quick incisive passing, and Bissouma didn’t lift his head before losing it- so that’s a simple player error. Credit also to the opponent in how intelligently City press.

Our problem v West Ham and the low block was a lack of off the ball running when we reached the box and a mix of Kulu taking too many touches and Johnson not going at his man.

At least the Geordies will come out and play a bit, and they haven’t got a lot of pace at the back so Johnson should be able to get at Tripps if he’s brave enough

I'm more of the opinion that its the way some of our players are are applying these broad risk reward principles that are being instilled , they are on a learning curve. In those two instances Bissouma and Udogie I would like to think they have been told by Ange post match in each game the following "I know I said risk and reward but I didn't mean being that risky when there was everything to lose and very little to gain"....as I say, hopefully it's a learning curve and these things are slightly adjusted to be more balanced and proportionate, whilst still retaining the positive principles.

 

[djhotspur]

People are still defending and supporting Conte?

Yes, he did well in the first season and then the wheels well and truly came off. I feel for him, with deaths, illness and so on but to somehow keep blaming spurs (or maybe more likely Levy) at this point just feels like wilful stubborness.

I do agree and it was clear the players weren’t happy at all.
plus contes stubbornness to change the formation when it was clear that a 3 4 3 didn’t work any more as teams just packed midfield and strolled through us.
It would be interesting to see what conte could have done if he had this team though, and played 3 5 2.
Vicario
Romero, dier? Vdv
Porro, Benta, biss, MADDs, Udogie
Johnson, son.

 

[djhotspur]

What a great post

Yup. I’d be more worried if we were getting battered by teams and losing. Only game I’ve watched and we deserved to lose was wolves where we were absolutely awful.
Finishing can click it’s more worrying if we weren’t getting chances.

 

[Fidget]

I do agree and it was clear the players weren’t happy at all.
plus contes stubbornness to change the formation when it was clear that a 3 4 3 didn’t work any more as teams just packed midfield and strolled through us.
It would be interesting to see what conte could have done if he had this team though, and played 3 5 2.
Vicario
Romero, dier? Vdv
Porro, Benta, biss, MADDs, Udogie
Johnson, son.

No. Conte is not interesting.

 

[easley91]

Yup. I’d be more worried if we were getting battered by teams and losing. Only game I’ve watched and we deserved to lose was wolves where we were absolutely awful.
Finishing can click it’s more worrying if we weren’t getting chances.

Finishing can just click and become erratic so quickly in football. Fulham who couldn't hit a barn door for ages (Jimenez included) have scored 8 in 1 and a half matches, with Jimenez bagging two. Keep creating and it will come.

 

[KingsDodgyKnee]

I see that Football Focus did a nice 'Ange is naïve' piece. It seems obvious to me that the current tactics are to instill attacking mentality into the players and change how the club works. I appreciate it's purely clickbaity, over simplified analysis but it's becoming slightly irksome now

 

[Metalhead]

I see that Football Focus did a nice 'Ange is naïve' piece. It seems obvious to me that the current tactics are to instill attacking mentality into the players and change how the club works. I appreciate it's purely clickbaity, over simplified analysis but it's becoming slightly irksome now

Just shows how cautious/conservative a lot of people in the football industry are.

 

[easley91]

Finishing can just click and become erratic so quickly in football. Fulham who couldn't hit a barn door for ages (Jimenez included) have scored 8 in 1 and a half matches, with Jimenez bagging two. Keep creating and it will come.

Make that 9 goals now.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Yup. I’d be more worried if we were getting battered by teams and losing. Only game I’ve watched and we deserved to lose was wolves where we were absolutely awful.
Finishing can click it’s more worrying if we weren’t getting chances.

There's a huge difference between the sensible posts you're capable of before a game and what we get from you during/just after Are you one person?

 

[djhotspur]

There's a huge difference between the sensible posts you're capable of before a game and what we get from you during/just after Are you one person?

Hahaha emotional man.

 

[Trent Crimm]

I can’t call this one.

 

[SpursSince1980]

I see that Football Focus did a nice 'Ange is naïve' piece. It seems obvious to me that the current tactics are to instill attacking mentality into the players and change how the club works. I appreciate it's purely clickbaity, over simplified analysis but it's becoming slightly irksome now

A lot of similar stuff was said about Poch during his first three months, and his preference for a high line. Meaning, we couldn’t adapt to his style. Same ‘ol media milkshake..

 

[glacierSpurs]

I see that Football Focus did a nice 'Ange is naïve' piece. It seems obvious to me that the current tactics are to instill attacking mentality into the players and change how the club works. I appreciate it's purely clickbaity, over simplified analysis but it's becoming slightly irksome now

Leverkusen is getting so much praise, although I didn't watch them, I don't think they are too different from us at all. Get Alonso to play the same in the PL and see. When we are flying nobody said we are naive.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

I see that Football Focus did a nice 'Ange is naïve' piece. It seems obvious to me that the current tactics are to instill attacking mentality into the players and change how the club works. I appreciate it's purely clickbaity, over simplified analysis but it's becoming slightly irksome now

Who cares what they say, Ange certainly won’t. They always need something to say or an angle to run with.

 

[GetKaned]

Its just crazy that our entire team became so nimblefooted (bar few) and we rarely have stupidly misplaced passes going out of play. Even on tight spaces. It was guranteed possession loss in the past few years when our players received balls in tight areas. Vicario had a lob under pressure today to Davies which led to our goal. Lloris yanks that out of play any day of the week.

 

[yido_number1]

I think we'look back on that west ham game as the turning point. I bet he laid right into them after that. Completely different team today.