Young Spurs rise as Postecoglou laments lack of experienced leaders
Ange Postecoglou has praised the resilience of his young Spurs players during a challenging spell, but his comments have also highlighted a glaring gap in experienced leadership within the squad – a problem he says he is working hard to fix.
Tottenham’s youthful core steps up amidst adversity
In recent weeks, Tottenham Hotspur’s young stars have taken centre stage during a turbulent period for the club.
Eighteen-year-olds Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have been pivotal figures, joined by 24-year-old Djed Spence, whose Premier League experience remains limited.
Despite their relative inexperience, the trio have delivered commendable performances, particularly in high-stakes matches such as Wednesday’s North London derby defeat, where they emerged as the standout performers in an otherwise disappointing outing for the team.
The contrast between these younger players and Tottenham’s senior squad members has become increasingly pronounced.
The lack of consistent leadership from more seasoned professionals has drawn criticism, both internally and externally.
Ange Postecoglou addresses Spurs’ leadership conundrum
Reflecting on Tottenham Hotspur’s predicament, Ange Postecoglou shared his candid thoughts on the delicate balance between youth and experience in his Spurs squad.
Speaking to football.london, he admitted the significant role that young players have had to shoulder but stressed the importance of leadership in challenging times.
He said: “There’s no doubt about it. So that’s what we’re looking at. Now we don’t have a lot in that bracket to be fair.
“If you look at the other night especially, but the ones who do, whether that’s Sonny or Madders, or Ben who’s back now and Dom to a certain extent, although it’s his first year at the club.
“Maybe a Bissouma, we don’t have a great deal of experience to lean on in these times, but, certainly, for us to get through it, it’s going to need some leadership.
“Now, leadership can come in all forms and maybe it will be the young ones that do get us through, there’s no reason why they can’t.
“That’s the message I’ve been giving back to them – whatever it takes and whoever stands up in these moments, don’t wait for somebody else if you feel like it’s going to be you, then you take that moment.”
He added: “A few of the younger ones have stood up and done a good job. Whether that’s Archie or Lucas or Djed who’s been thrown in. Dom Solanke has done a really good job. All these guys have embraced the challenge of us being in a tough spot and not shied away from it.
“The reason I mention age is because they’re all new in terms of the team and I think that’s important moving forward. That growth that they’ve shown will make us a stronger team.
“They’re leading in both aspects, by example and also their voices. I try to encourage that as much as I can. Sometimes when you’re a young player or a new player you feel like it isn’t your place.
“I always think that in the best environments, people feel comfortable enough about speaking up that they just do it. They don’t worry about whether they’re the youngest or they’ve just arrived. They just feel like it’s the right thing to do. We need everyone to step up.”
Changing tactics to weather the storm
Ange Postecoglou has admitted that the team’s struggles have prompted him to rethink his approach at the club, introducing subtle tactical and psychological adjustments in an effort to provoke a positive response from his players.
He continued: “It’s nothing by design, but whenever I’ve been in these situations, there are always things you try to change up, and we’ve tried to do things a little bit differently, certainly in my messaging the last few weeks. In the way we’re dealing with certain aspects,” he said.
“You’ll find most people in these positions are always trying to find a way to change the course of events and we’re all staying up late at night trying to figure out ‘is there something I can do’, but the one thing I do know is that there’s no miracle cure. Part of it is just turning up and fighting for what you believe in.
“So that stays consistent, but how you deliver that and how you prepare that can change at times, but you try to get as creative as you can to see if you can make an impact and that’s certainly the mode we’ve been in for the last month or so, how can we get this group through this tough time and how can we help them getting there.”
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