Tottenham Hotspur will have not wanted the international break to come given the positive momentum they have built in the opening weeks of the season.
After four games, Tottenham are 2nd in the Premier League table and unbeaten after winning three matches in a row since drawing with Brentford. A penalty shootout defeat to Fulham in the Carabao Cup aside, Ange Postecoglou has made a hugely positive start.
There were points during the summer when it looked as though Spurs were on the precipice of committing the same costly mistakes as two years ago by leading a protracted search for a new manager to succeed a divisive “serial winner”.
Postecoglou may not have been the club’s first-choice to succeed Antonio Conte, but the four-year contract offered to him – twice as long as 2021’s sitting duck Nuno Espirito Santo – was a show of faith in the Australian’s abilities. So far, their trust in Postecoglou’s project has been justified with an exciting revolution emerging in north London.
The summer transfer window was a busy one for Spurs. Not only was Harry Kane sold to Bayern Munich but nine players were bought (including previous loanees Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro). Besides James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario (both 26), those recruits were all aged 23 or under when they joined.
Tottenham have long sought value in the transfer market by investing in younger players and that policy suits Postecoglou much more than it did with “win now” managers like Jose Mourinho and Conte.
Postecoglou is a proponent of youth development, once urging A-League managers to “throw young players in a bit earlier” while in charge of Australia’s national team.
One of the new recruits was Brennan Johnson, a £47.5m deadline day signing from Nottingham Forest, who was a priority target for Postecoglou. The 22-year-old’s underlying data last season was largely underwhelming, but Postecoglou felt as though the versatile forward’s pace and directness would add another dimension to his squad. The club duly went and bought him.
“Looking at him, he’s going to fit in really well with this group because he’s really ambitious and hungry and he wants to take his game to another level,” Postecoglou said after the win over Burnley.
Spurs will hope Johnson is another recruitment success story. Vicario and Micky van de Ven have impressed in defence, while Maddison has been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award. Destiny Udogie has been a revelation at left-back, after returning from a loan spell at Udinese. Of the 11 starters at Burnley, 10 have joined the club in the past two years.
This summer wasn’t a complete success. Spurs lack depth in central defence and options at centre forward. An opportunity to make a big statement after Kane’s sale was missed. Postecoglou wanted another defender after Van de Ven’s arrival, but no-one arrived despite Japhet Tanganga joining Augsburg on loan and Davinson Sanchez signing for Galatasaray.
The decision to offload Sanchez after the English transfer window is undoubtedly a risk, but there is little point in embracing a new era half-heartedly; Sanchez’s shakiness in possession made him a poor fit for a team that wants to play out from the back. Postegocoglou has hinted that Ashley Phillips, the 18-year-old signed from Blackburn, will be trusted to step up. It is unlikely his predecessor would have taken that stance.
Spurs struggled to sell other senior players, but Postecoglou has made clear he has no intention of using anyone that does not fit his philosophy. Hugo Lloris is out in the cold after failing to find a new club, Eric Dier is yet to be picked in a matchday squad and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg hasn’t started a league game this season. Tanguy Ndombele and Sergio Reguilon have left on loan.
Postecoglou’s overhaul of the captaincy group is further evidence of his rebuild. New leaders are emerging, led by club captain Son Heung-min, who is relishing his status as the main man, and vice-skippers Maddison and Cristian Romero.
A squad that had become stale now looks vibrant. When Spurs played Manchester United last October, the average age of their starting XI was 29.2 years, making it the 20th-oldest side picked in the 2022-23 campaign; against Burnley on Saturday, it was just 24.8, making it the seventh-youngest team so far in 2023-24. At 31, Son is the only regular over the age of 27.
There has been a seismic shift in playing style in virtually every aspect too.
Spurs’ possession has shot up from 50 per cent to 59 per cent; they are averaging over 18 shots per game, up from 13; and they have gone from making the 14th-most tackles in the attacking third to the second-most. From being one of the most passive teams in the league, they are now one of the most proactive.
The players have evidently embraced Postecoglou’s philosophy. Kulusevski has spoken of his enjoyment in playing for a team that wants to “attack and run forward, not backwards,” while Son said he is “so grateful that I’m working with him,” after his hat-trick at Turf Moor.
Crucially, following last season’s misery, fans are enjoying watching their team again, serenading Postecoglou with songs and chants, including a remix of Robbie Williams’ Angels.
From the boardroom to the pitch to the stands, everyone at Spurs has completely bought into Postecoglou’s vision.
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