ogetherness and group spirit are by no means straightforward to quantify in soccer, however there has lengthy been a way at Tottenham of an unsettled dressing room beset by factions.
Beneath the earlier three head coaches, senior gamers have spoken a couple of lack of “values” or the necessity to “behave as a group”, whereas Ange Postecoglou‘s predecessor, Antonio Conte, final season accused his squad of being “egocentric” and “taking part in for themselves” in a memorable parting shot.
On Saturday, as Spurs accomplished the latest-ever comeback in Premier League historical past with a 2-1 win over Sheffield United, it was putting simply how united Postecoglou’s revamped squad is. There have been riotous scenes at full-time, because the gamers joined arms to have fun in entrance of the South Stand.
It was not simply the beginning XI having fun with the second, both. Tellingly, Postecoglou’s substitutes all performed their half within the comeback and the aftermath, Richarlison coming off the bench to equalise and arrange Dejan Kulusevski’s One hundredth-minute winner, and Ivan Perisic, debutant Brennan Johnson and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg additionally decisive.
Substitutes joined within the wild celebrations within the One hundredth minute.
/ Getty PhotosEven the unused substitutes, together with Eric Dier, have been fast to mob man-of-the-moment Richarlison at full-time.
Maybe it was all a bit a lot for a house win over the newly promoted Blades, however the method of the victory felt like one other massive step within the growth of Postecoglou’s younger group.
The supervisor is clearly an infinite issue within the squad’s rising unity, so too new captain Heung-min Son, a participant who “transcends teams throughout the squad”, in line with Postecoglou. Son actually pushed Richarlison to the entrance of the terraces so he might take in the applause on the finish of a tough week, wherein the Brazilian revealed he would search “psychological assist” to handle stuttering type and a tricky 5 months away from the pitch.
It’s onerous to think about another top-flight captains revelling a lot of their competitors for a beginning spot being the game-changer.
“I used to be most likely extra joyful than him,” Son mentioned. “That is [being a] a part of household. We’re getting actually, actually tight within the altering room. Everyone seems to be working for one another, operating for one another, preventing for one another.”
Their unity was apparent in the way in which Spurs stored going in opposition to a cussed opponent, who defended with a sea of yellow shirts and have been joyful to disrupt the sport, significantly after Gustavo Hamer fired them in entrance in opposition to the run of play within the 73rd minute.
Postecoglou was afterwards happy together with his facet’s calmness and the winner was proper out of the supervisor’s playbook, Future Udogie successful the ball again within the press earlier than a slick passing transfer was completed emphatically by Kulusevski.
Mauricio Pochettino instinctively understood that to compete with golf equipment that may all the time outspend Spurs on wages and switch charges, the squad needed to be extra united than their rivals.
It’s early days but, however Postecoglou seems to know the identical.
