Ange Postecoglou has plenty to do in the weeks ahead after he started pre-season work as the new Tottenham Hotspur head coach.
The 57-year-old officially kicked off his contract as the new Spurs boss on Saturday morning with the start of pre-season training at Hotspur Way as most of the club’s non-internationals returned to the Enfield-based complex. Postecoglou now has just over a month to drill his very different style of football into the group of players as more arrive and depart.
Postecoglou enjoys appointing a new set of coaches when he joins a club, in order to keep him refreshed, challenge him and give a chance to highly-rated young staff. That is no different at Tottenham.
His freshly-appointed Spurs staff includes senior assistant coach Chris Davies, assistant coaches Ryan Mason, Matt Wells and Mile Jedinak and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch.
Then Chris is somebody I’ve followed from afar, an ambitious young guy and Mile I know really well obviously because he was captain of my national team and a determined bloke to bring success wherever he is. I know that success will follow him because he’s been a leader from a very young age.
“The most important thing for me in these early parts is people getting to know me. That’s staff members, players, people associated with the club, they need to get to know me, what I’m about. If they get to know me and believe in me, whatever I need to do after that is easier. That’s the first bit.”
At Celtic, Harry Kewell said he knew within 48 hours exactly what the Postecoglou way was and then he was able to go off and spread the word to the players. The new Spurs boss will be hoping for a similarly quick take-up from his latest coaches, who all do appear to share similar beliefs about how the game should be played.
Get the players fit
The Postecoglou brand of attacking, possession-based football is relentless with its pressing high up the pitch and the Tottenham players are going to need to be fit enough to handle it.
During a season, training under the Australian contains 60-70 minute training sessions of non-stop work and drills on the pitches to mirror the amount of time the ball is in play during a match and the summer is expected to be even tougher as the new head coach gets the players into the shape required to play that high energy, non-stop style of attacking and pressing football.
Antonio Conte had dedicated fitness staff among his set-up but without any such coaches confirmed in Postecoglou’s staff, it would seem that the task of fitness will revert to the sports science staff at the club as the players take on the heat and humidity of Thailand and Singapore after their trip to Australia, where the weather is slightly cooler at this time of year.
“It’s as much about what we do off the field as what we do on it. Starting with the coaching, which is probably the most important aspect,” said Postecoglou. “They’re really bright, talented and ambitious guys. It’s a great mix. We’ve got guys who know this football club very well in Ryan, Matt and Rob, even coming through the academy so they know the whole Spurs experience and what it means. So it’s great to have them.
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