On the day Ange Postecoglou was nominated for FIFA’s prestigious annual ‘Best’ award, Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer commented on the former Australia coach’s stormy start at Tottenham.
Three wins and a draw from their opening four Premier League games has Spurs flying in the early weeks of the Postecoglou era, with Schwarzer announcing: “Anybody who knew Ange and had seen him work before knew how he could transform things – just ask Celtic supporters (after a Scottish domestic treble).
“However I’m a little surprised at the speed of it all at Tottenham, where you had some supporters sceptical of what he might bring in what’s clearly a step up in levels from Scotland to the Premier League.
“You look at everywhere he’s been previously and it’s usually taken a few rounds to really implement things and start getting results.
“But at Spurs, the players seem to have instantly embraced his messages and methods, despite losing one of the best strikers in the world in Harry Kane.
“I always felt that if they bought into what he’s trying to achieve they could be so much better than what you saw at Yokohama and Celtic because of the sheer quality of talent he has at his disposal at Tottenham.
“They’ve had a talented pool of players for a number of years now but for whatever reason have failed to live up to that expectation since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino.
“The one chance they had of silverware they sacked Jose Mourinho a few days for the League Cup final. It was crazy times.
“So the quality is there: the question was more how would Ange bring that to the fore and create an environment they would embrace.
“For me it’s very clear: they know he’s a very good manager and have jumped on board straight away.
“His training sessions and tactics are spot on. Players see through it very quickly if they don’t think someone is competent enough to implement things and they can obviously see he is. You don’t get the sort of response he’s got in terms of results and the style Tottenham are playing without being very good at your job.”
Schwarzer, who played 109 times for his country, has like everybody else been impressed by Spurs’ recent recruitment ($60 million bargain James Maddison is exhibit A) plus the reintegration of Yves Bissouma, perplexingly ignored during the sterile reign of Antonio Conte.
He’s also taken note of how smoothly the team have adapted to life post Kane.
Schwarzer added: “I think Ange’s plan was always to move forward without him and it was just about how to do that in the best possible way,” he added.
“They are by no means the finished product just yet – they’re playing far more attractive football than they have in the past, which the fans clearly appreciate.
“When they sing ‘We’ve got our Spurs back’ that tells you all you need to know there.
“The club put to one side their traditional attacking values in pursuit of trophies over the past few years but it hasn’t happened. Now fans are being served up the entertaining football the club is famous for again.
“There are some really good elements I’m seeing and others they need to improve on. They’re not at same level as say Manchester City yet, but I’m sure that’s the plan, even if it will take some doing.
“Right now, I see them as a good top four chance but it’s very early in the season and at this point Spurs have exceeded most people’s expectations in the quickness in their turnaround in fortunes.
“Let’s hope, for Ange’s sake, that continues. He has vision and his plan and sticks to it no matter what. He’s done that everywhere he’s gone. Nobody is ever going to change the way he wants his teams to play.”