Tottenham Hotspurs boss Ange Postecoglou says we need our fans on Sunday [against Liverpool], they were great last night, they helped us through it there was some great energy in the stadium, we're going to need that on Sunday for sure!
20/12/2024
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
20/12/2024
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00I wanted to talk to you about Archie Gray, there's a little clip, you probably won't have time to see it,
00:07but after the game he's with Fraser, I don't know if you've seen it, but he says,
00:10it's my fault, mate.
00:12Did he say mate?
00:13Yeah, yeah.
00:14There you go, I'm having an influence then.
00:17I mean, seriously, what was that, an 18-year-old kid?
00:20Yeah, it's great.
00:21What does that say about him?
00:22Yeah, fantastic.
00:23And it's a sort of testament to him, but also to what we're trying to build here,
00:28that guys are not, they're taking a collective approach to things,
00:33and Archie's probably thinking in that moment, I could have made a better decision,
00:36which would have helped Fraser.
00:37I'm sure Fraser said, no, mate, I should have handled it better myself,
00:40but I think it's part of our growth.
00:42As I keep saying, we'll eventually get out of this and hit some smoother waters,
00:47but the way the guys are dealing with it at the moment in terms of accountability, responsibility,
00:53there's no sort of factions or people splintering off and saying,
00:58this is a difficult time, I'm going to sort of save myself here,
01:02and everyone's kind of, we had the injured lads in the dressing room before the game,
01:07they're out on the pitch after this, so everyone's really invested in it,
01:09and I think that's an important part of how you deal with adversity, growth,
01:13and if you've got an 18-year-old who's standing out there
01:16and literally telling a man twice his age, literally twice his age,
01:21you know what, I'll take responsibility.
01:23I think it's great science for us.
01:24Was he talking about the second goal, just to be clear?
01:27No, I haven't seen the clip, mate.
01:29I mean, he played the back passes technically for both goals.
01:32Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:34I'm not sure, probably won't ask Archie about it,
01:38but I think you would have found a few of the boys kind of had similar sentiments
01:42that they could have handled that situation better in terms of, you know, I think,
01:47I think the first goal can happen, you know.
01:52Xerxe was actually in the box pressing when he shoot,
01:54like actually what he did was illegal, but anyway, we'll let that run,
01:57because there was no VAR last night and that was my decision, so I'm happy with that.
02:02I think we should have waited for him to clear the box before we start playing,
02:04because then he presses from inside the box.
02:08So we could have handled that situation a little bit better, just some calmness,
02:11but then when that happens, I think us going back to Fraze a couple of times
02:14probably wasn't the right decision, but again, Fraze could have handled that better
02:17by just, you know, telling the boys that, you know,
02:21it's about ownership and responsibility in that area.
02:24So, you know, we've got a free kick, Bisk goes back, Archie goes back, you know,
02:30do we need to go back in that situation? Probably not.
02:32So that's what I mean in terms of decision making,
02:34it's just our decisions in that moment probably weren't as clear as we should be.
02:39Ben's first cab off the rank, so we're kind of hoping, you know,
02:51next week at some point he'll join in full training, which will give him a chance.
02:54As I said, with Romero and Mickie, it'll be in the new year when, again, as they get close,
03:01I'll probably give a bit of timeline for that.
03:09Transfer policy, the top of the times with so many good players.
03:13Dom Slonky, 27, 60 odd million on him.
03:18Is he an example, he's doing really well, is he an example of the club
03:21how he's been doing things to try and win now
03:23when it's not all just about Romero and Mickie?
03:26Yeah, look, the reality is, Matt, it's a balance of both.
03:31We're rebuilding a team, you know, that's quite evident.
03:35I think anyone who hasn't seen the amount of turnover we've had now
03:38how you go about that?
03:39Now, are we going to be a club that's going to spend a billion pounds
03:42to buy ready-made players?
03:44No, we're not.
03:45There are very few of those.
03:47There are the ones that can do it, but we're not one of them.
03:49So that's the reality.
03:50So then you've got to say, okay, where's your spend going to go?
03:53Now, I was really keen on getting Dom in because I knew he'd make us better
03:57from day one, absolutely, and he has.
03:59He's been outstanding for us.
04:01But, you know, when you're paying for ready-made players, there's a premium to it.
04:05How we allocated the rest of that money was the kind of decision we had to make.
04:10Do we go for somebody ready-made?
04:12Now, we could have maybe gone somebody for a ready-made,
04:14but I reckon it would be one of those stories where I'll be 70 years old
04:19and I'll be saying, you know what, we could have signed Archie Gray at 18,
04:22but I kind of went.
04:24And Archie Gray ends up being the player we know he's going to be.
04:27So you go, you know what, actually, okay,
04:30we probably need another experienced player,
04:32but I don't think we can pass up on Archie.
04:34You know, I don't think – I think this is a unique opportunity,
04:36unique space for us to get a really talented 18-year-old
04:40because anyone who's talented at 18 is going to have competition around them.
04:43So, you know, you kind of have to make that decision.
04:47I thought it was the best decision for the club at the time.
04:49I think it will be the best decision that the club's made in the longer term.
04:53But when you have finite resources, that does affect other decisions you make.
04:57So I think it's a balance of both.
05:00And I think moving forward we probably need to err
05:05in getting a little bit more experience just to help the group
05:08because we've got very few at that kind of sweet spot in terms of age.
05:11A lot of our players are at that younger level.
05:13And we want to give Archie and Lucas and Pape Sarr and Destiny
05:18and all these guys who are in their sort of teens or early 20s
05:21the opportunity to keep growing,
05:23is we need to make sure we've got quality around them.
05:25So, you know, how you allocate sort of the next resources may shift a little bit.
05:30But like I said, I'd hate to be sitting here now and saying
05:35we had an opportunity to sign Archie Gray at 18 and we passed it up
05:38because maybe we could have got in a player who maybe helps us short term
05:42for a couple of years, but ultimately we would have missed out on it.
05:46A hugely talented player.
05:49Would Don's age ever have counted against him when you were talking about signing him?
05:54Yeah, there's discussions.
05:55I think as a club, when we're allocating such a big resource
05:58there's always those discussions that are had
06:01because you can't get that one wrong.
06:04Because if you invest heavily on a player who you need to make an impact,
06:09if you get that one wrong, that has massive ramifications.
06:14Not just for one window, but subsequent windows
06:17because I think if you get a young one wrong,
06:20there's a bit of latitude there in terms of moving forward.
06:23But you need to get it right, so we had a lot of discussion around it.
06:26But Johan was really big on Dom and I was really big on him.
06:33We'd had guys like Matty Wells who'd worked with him.
06:36Just character-wise, it just ticked every box.
06:39It was a big decision for us, but I was really confident it was the right one.
06:44It's a different subject.
06:45There's a fund protest this weekend.
06:47I don't know how much you're aware of that.
06:50Does that concern you about any impact it might have?
06:53There are very few cases of clubs being successful
06:56with the background of protests going on.
06:58How do you feel about it?
07:00Yeah, look, I've said before,
07:03I think the path to success is a lot smoother when everyone's aligned.
07:07Absolutely.
07:09When there is discourse, invariably it affects the way forward.
07:17But at the same time, we live in a world
07:21where people are allowed to express their feelings.
07:25We've just got to make sure on Sunday that the things we can control,
07:29particularly me in terms of the football department,
07:32is we go out there against a top side
07:35and put on a performance where our fans are focused
07:39on what's happening on the field.
07:41We need them on Sunday.
07:42I thought they were great last night with the noise they made.
07:44They helped us through it.
07:45There was a good energy in the stadium.
07:47We're going to need that on Sunday for sure.
07:51So hopefully that becomes the main talking point out of it.
07:56John?
07:58Arnie Slott has said that he likes your football so much
08:02that he hopes you actually win something.
08:05He's a good footballer in general.
08:09Are you happy to be an evangelist for the entire game?
08:13No, I don't think I'm an evangelist for the entire game.
08:17I'm just a...
08:19To quote Ponty Python, I'm just a naughty little boy.
08:23LAUGHTER
08:27Sure.
08:33What did I say that for?
08:36I think it's what I love about football.
08:40There's got to be differences.
08:42There's got to be people who are prepared to do things
08:44a little bit different.
08:47I think that's what we love about our game,
08:49that there is that variety and that allows opinion,
08:52that allows emotion to come into it.
09:02I'd hate to think, though, that people think I'm just
09:04sort of some showman or something.
09:10I want to win.
09:12That's still the core of my being.
09:14I hate losing and I want to win, I want to be successful.
09:16And that's why I'm doing what I'm doing.
09:19So...
09:22I'm so driven by that on a daily basis,
09:24I have been my whole career.
09:27But I feel if I can win and play in this manner,
09:30it makes an impact.
09:32I've said before, we all want something,
09:35a little bit of a footprint that we make during our journeys
09:38and I want that to be my footprint,
09:40that I was successful, we won.
09:43But I did it maybe a little bit of a different way,
09:47which I think stays in people's consciousness longer
09:51than just kind of doing things normally.
09:53We're not there yet.
09:55Some will say we're a long way away from it
09:57and whether we ever get there, who knows.
09:59But...
10:02I'm just determined to, like I said,
10:05bring success to this football club, win things,
10:09and do it in a manner that hopefully makes an impact.
10:17You've been offensive towards the opposition.
10:20What has that been like?
10:22I think that's for another time.
10:24Like I said, I...
10:28It's not the first time in my career, but I guess...
10:33You kind of feel that, you know,
10:3726 years of hard graft should get you a little bit more respect.
10:43And I'm not the only one.
10:44I've seen it happen to other managers.
10:46I saw it happen to Unai when he was here.
10:49I saw it happen to Nuno when he was here.
10:54I said last week, I think we've crossed the Rubicon
10:57in terms of how we treat people sometimes.
10:59And I get that not everyone will be a fan of the way I do things
11:04and even the way I play, and people will have different opinions.
11:08I think that's, like I said, that's normal, that's healthy.
11:11But some of it's been pretty dismissive, but that's OK.
11:16You mentioned Gladiator.
11:17Do you see yourself as a bit of a Maximus character?
11:22What he wants in the end.
11:25Love the movie, love Russell Crowe.
11:27I haven't seen the new one yet, so great story.
11:32That's all I'll say on that, mate.
11:33I've already got myself into trouble with Monty Python,
11:35so I'll leave it there.
11:39Do you think you're giving Spurs fans what they want?
11:42Because they've just been through a series of matches
11:46playing very negative football.
11:47You played for Hawks in the past,
11:49and you were saying you were going to go to Tully first.
11:53Do you think you're giving Spurs fans what they want?
11:55Again, that's not for me to judge.
11:57I think that's up to the supporters to kind of measure.
12:04But when I came in, I made it clear,
12:12and I think the club knew what I was about.
12:14I wasn't going to come in and do anything different
12:16than what I'm doing, because I've done that for 26 years.
12:20And my impression is it's what the club wanted.
12:23Of course they want to win things,
12:24but every club wants to win things,
12:26but they wanted their team to play a certain way.
12:30I was excited by that, and that's what I'm trying to deliver.
12:34And whether the supporters kind of understand that
12:41or appreciate that as a whole, I'm not sure.
12:46That's up to them.
12:47But I get the sense that the Spurs supporters
12:50I have sort of any contact with in terms of out and about,
12:57this is what they want.
12:58They want to win.
13:00They definitely want to win.
13:01But they want their team to be playing sort of in this manner
13:04or this kind of intent.
13:06Does the criticism surprise you?
13:08Should you be embracing the fact that this is what we want?
13:12Yeah, it's a bit of human nature.
13:16It's a bit of how we are these days.
13:18I think we know what we want.
13:19We get something, and then we want something more,
13:21and we want something more, and then that doesn't satisfy us,
13:23so we want something else.
13:24And it's like, yeah, I'm a lot simpler.
13:29I just think whatever makes you happy, just hold on to it, cherish it,
13:33and kind of embrace it.
13:36It doesn't have to be more.
13:38Just appreciate something for what it is.
13:43But we've all got people in our lives like that.
13:45It was described to me.
13:46We've all got that uncle that even on the best days says,
13:49oh, but it's raining outside, even though we've just won the lottery.
13:53We've had to share it with someone because two people won it.
13:57It just depends on your outlook on life, mate, how many of those you've got.
14:00Would it always be that way?
14:02It's going to be about wanting something,
14:04and you've been successful, and it's just the way it's been.
14:07I think so.
14:08Yeah, I think so.
14:09I think that you just have to understand.
14:10And some of it's just sort of anxiety because people,
14:13this is what I want, but I also want to win,
14:15and if it doesn't look like we're winning, do I really want this?
14:20Until you get there, there's always going to be that little bit of uncertainty.
14:26We're going to have to finish there.
14:27Thanks, guys.