SECRET BEHIND SPURS: ANGE POSTECOGLU

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a very good start to the 23/24 season with the London side sitting 4th on the Premier League table with 8 wins from 12 and 26 out of a possible 36 points. Since Ange took over in the summer Spurs have looked like a completely different side to 9 months ago. In this post we’ll look at exactly what has happened and the potential this Spurs side can reach as well as their shortcomings.

To understand Tottenham we have to look at the man behind all the change, Angelos Postecoglu. Ange’s coaching career kicked off all the way back in 1995 with South Melbourne in Australia. Ange is a very attacking minded coach known for not compromising his principles regardless of the situation, he has shown this during his time at Celtic in the league and Champions League. He is also adopting this same principle at Tottenham Hotspur and they’re reaping some rewards from it so far.

What has been very key to Spurs’ resurgence and good form is their tactical set-up. Ange sets up his Spurs side in a 4-3-3 with his fullbacks inverting to overload the midfield which allows his two advanced 8’s to play further forward with Madisson benefiting the most from this.

Furthermore his philosophy is very dependent on his sides’ ability to keep the ball for long periods and win it back as soon as they lose it, this is evident through their average ball possession stats (61.4%) and their average ball regains in the final third (7.3) which is up from last season (4.4). Spurs are very impressive out of possession with their aggressive and effective press being shown via their PPDA (passes per defensive action) of 9.0 being the highest in the league, this metric reflects how fast they win the ball back and it’s not just winning it back they’re turning these turnovers to chances with 18 shot ending high turnovers and 3 high turnovers ending in goals. They’re also tackling more which makes them very difficult to play against when they’re out of possession.

Another thing worth noticing is how Spurs build-up, they build-up in a 2-3 in the first phase and a line of 5 players in the last line which is reminiscent to the 2-3-5 pyramid formation of the early days. All of this coupled with Son and Maddisons immaculate form has culminated into Spurs having a superb start to the season. It is also important to note that Spurs recruitment over the years have been good, enough for Ange to reap the benfits. Players like Sarr, Bissouma, Porro and Udogie have seamlessly fit into his style and are mainstays in his starting XI.

The Cons

Probably the most glaring negative of this Spurs side is their lack of quality squad depth, asides from their fully fit starting XI there is a considerable drop off in quality from their first team to the sub options in terms of how Ange wants his side to play. The most affected positions are their defence (especially at CB) and their midfield. Ange likes his 8’s to play high up the pitch and crash the box which suits Madison and Sarr but not necessarily the other options they have like Hojberg, Skipp and Lo Celso.

Another con so far this season is that Spurs are conceding a lot of chances, ranking mid-table for xG and shots conceded, this is a problem of both tactics and personnel. With their very high press and eagerness to win the ball back there is bound to be situations where opposition teams play through the press and have a practically free run at goal. They are also missing big chances (16) and have a shot conversion rate of 10.6% which highlights their wastefulness in front of goal and perhaps shows that they’re missing a certain Englishman.

Finally Tottenham give away too many fouls due to their aggressive pressing nature and more often than not that leads to bookings and eventual suspensions. So far 3 players have been sent off for Spurs this season and 18 players have received yellow cards. This could be a problem for Ange later in the season when these cards pile up and suspensions start taking effect which can lead to him not being able to field his strongest possible team.

Prediction

Despite the current injury crisis plaguing the Spurs team, I still think that they’ll be strong contenders for a top 4/5 finish assuming they can manage their squad well and perhaps get some re-enforcements in the January transfer window in order to add more goals and depth to their defence. In the meantime Ange will have to find a way to get forwards like Johnson fit and firing as well as help Richarlison find the back of the net again because reliance on Son alone for goals won’t be enough especially in the absence of players like Maddison and Perisic who is also very creative.

With all being said Spurs fans have a lot to be excited for with a long season ahead and lots of football to be played, anything can happen.

stats from opta.com and transfermarkt.com