There were ugly conditions on the south coast, but there was nothing ugly about Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham, writes KEEPUP’s Sacha Pisani.
“We’ve got our Tottenham back, we’ve got our Tottenham back!”.
After years of disillusionment under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, that was the chant that rang out from the away end at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It’s also the chant that sums up the incredible impact Ange Postecoglou has made within three Premier League matches.
There have been two wins and seven points from three rounds, but it is more than the results and numbers. Ange has not only lifted the doom and gloom around the club, he has brought attacking front-foot football back to north London.
Spurs fans have been serenating the Australian trailblazer and are daring to dream.
Vanquishing the powerhouse that is Manchester United was huge last time out. It was the first time Tottenham had beaten the Red Devils at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, Saturday’s 2-0 success away to Bournemouth was another step in the Ange evolution.
“Tottenham look like the Tottenham of old,” former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe said post-game.
There were two beautiful team goals on the eve of Ange’s 58th birthday, typical of a Postecoglou side. There was also a second consecutive clean sheet on a wet afternoon on the south coast.
Within three minutes there was a glimpse of the style Postecoglou is trying to implement. Son Heung-min and James Maddison combined beautifully in a move that almost unlocked the home side.
Then, 14 minutes later, Spurs combined effortlessly to open the scoring. The main man in this new-look Tottenham side, Maddison was the beneficiary of movement and passing that proved too hot to handle. Wearing the no.10 following Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich, Maddison had the guiding touch to put the ball in the back of the net.
It was not just the movement on the ball in that build up, but off it.
There was another significant moment in the first half. Dropping the shoulder, taking on opponents. It sounded like a midfielder but it was Ange’s new centre-back Micky van de Ven playing out from the back. It was a little moment, but represented something much bigger in the grand scheme of things. This is how Postecoglou wants his teams to play.
Tottenham were hunting in packs and Ange loved it. ‘Yes Ritchie, yes Ritchie!’, the pitch-side mics picked up as Postecoglou encouraged Richarlison’s forward press.
Spurs had to whether a storm at the start of the second half. Bournemouth piled on the pressure.
There was also Richarlison. The Brazilian – who Tottenham are hoping can fill the void left by Kane – was guilty of wasting a couple of key changes while his body language was telling throughout. Then, his frustration overflowed as he lashed out and got a yellow card.
Postecoglou had seen enough. Richarlison was among a double change and it proved a wise move as Spurs created breathing space in the 63rd minute.
It was all about movement again. Destiny Udogie and Son combined – neat passing as the former manages to keep the ball in play and pick out Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham had no trouble from that point as they delivered an early birthday present to Ange and just a second Premier League away win from the last 10 games.
“The manager has been fantastic from day one… It’s a completely new ID. We want to keep the ball and we want to attack all the time,” Kulusevski said via Optus Sport.
The shackles are off.
