The incredible philosophy of Ange Postecoglou | Tottenham Hotspur tactics explained

The sources of Ange's inspiration for "Ange-ball" seem to get misrepresented pretty often - so I am going to leave this here for any fans more interested in the matter. Ange Postecoglou: "My dad, he worked very hard. Before I'd get up for breakfast he would already be at work. At nights, he'd get in, get through dinner quickly, sit on the couch and fall asleep. For a young boy, I was looking for a connection with my father and the weekend was the time. We'd go to our local club, South Melbourne, which was a club formed by immigrants of a similar background from Greece, and that Sunday at the football became something special to me. My father, who I knew as a certain kind of individual during the week - and to be fair he wasn't fun to be around, because he was always tired and working hard-just came to life. He would walk through those gates, socialise with everyone, get really animated about the referee and coach and football, and I wouldn't leave his side. That Sunday was really precious to me. I also have stark and vivid memories of being woken in the middle of the night and knowing there was a game of football on the tele that he wanted me to watch with him. It felt like we were the only two people up in the whole world and watching a game from the other side of the world. For me, that was precious, because it just brought me closer to my dad. He really loved watching the entertainers. It started in the early 1970s. He loved Leeds, people like Eddie Gray and Peter Lorimer. And in 1974, the first World Cup I remember, he kept talking about Johan Cruyff and the Dutch. In the early to mid 1970s I started following Liverpool, because the football they were playing used to excite my father as well. They were a possession-based team. He influenced the kind of football I liked and that has stuck with me. I really struggled in my playing career because I couldn't be the player who would excite my father. I was a defender and fairly limited in my technical ability. My father passed away a couple of years ago and when my teams play I still pretend my father is watching in the grandstand and would he be enjoying watching this team? That has always been the route of everything I have done. I can't shift, because where it all started from is more powerful than any challenges I'll get externally, from owners or media or supporters questioning my beliefs. They are so deep-rooted they can never change." In terms of tactics, I see some people saying Ange is just copying Pep (and even Arteta's) tactics.. Ange was coaching way before Arteta even finished playing. Ange started playing like this in the early 2000's. He used tactics like this in Australia when Pep was still a player. When Ange's Yokohama played Pep's Man City, Yokohama had 58% possession. They lost, but Pep still said, Yokohama played football the way he wanted Man City to play. Besides the inspiration from his father and wanting to make football his dad would find exciting, Ange takes a lot of inspiration from when he played for & became friends with the great Ferenc Puskas. Yes that Puskas, from the Hungarian team of the 50's. And his fluence on Ange is ever present.

Been a spurs fan through thick and thin for 53 years. I went to the last game last season and walked out after another disappointing performance. This season, the boys are playing as a team and not as 10 players plus Kane. Love it. Love what they're doing. Its fresh, exciting and super spurs are back with Ange. Long may it continue. Love the way the gaffer relates to all the players. Smiles everywhere. He allows the boys to express themselves. Love it.

Maddison is a game changer for this team. It's baffling how big teams didn't go for him (I'm looking at you Havertz and Mount signers)

The way Bissouma is playing the pivot for Ange is how i envisioned Frenkie playing the pivot for Barca.

Ange’s philosophies was influenced & mentored by the great Puskas who played in the 50’s-60’s era, his tactics of inverted backs has been around for over a decade well before Pep started utilising it, Ange is tactically masterful in the strategies, structures & systems he implements in games & adaptable to change them if somethings not working, combined with his ability to develop players, his communication skills in making the players easily understand their roles makes him the best Coach.

Having followed Ange from Australia, the analysis has been pretty clear of the plan and no doubt other teams prepare for it but regardless his teams find a way to win. Meaning anyone can have a great plan but unless you have the right players to execute it, don't mean jack. Ange knows the type of players he needs to make it work and has a knack for retooling rosters and recruiting. So dropping established players and inserting young energy players and allowing Kane to leave, I honestly think he was fine with that because Sonny is better suited to run all day and press hard. Next step is improve the depth at the next transfer window, the lineup for the Carabao cup was not an accident, because he now knows who needs to go and be replaced in the next transfer window. It's always been fun to watch Ange turn trash to treasure wherever he goes, so now I'm on the Spurs bandwagon.

I think there's something to be said too for just the sheer talent level that he has at Spurs compared to every other club he's been at. People always talked about the rough start for Ange's teams, but besides the first half against Brentford the players look to have adjusted immediately. I wonder if it's the talent of the players that have allowed Ange's system to settle in so nicely and so quickly?

I disagree that Maddison is the standout player so far despite being that creative midfielder we've needed for so long and delivering what we could only have dreamed of. In spite of all of that I would have to say that Bissouma, far and beyond, the most crucial/best player for us in all the games I've watched this season. As highlighted in the 'pressure evaders' segment he is a get out of jail free card. Bissouma makes space for 1 or 2 teammates by taking on 2-3 attackers in a press and beating them. I would say how Ange uses Bissouma is the smartest and best thing I've seen for years. He might become what Moussa Dembele used to be back in the day for us. My MVP of this team week in week out personally.

I remember Brisbane Roar playing a similar way. The onus was on the player to be in a certain position to receive the ball, It was crazy but I never saw an Australian team play such scintillating football before or since.

i'm a tottenham fan who's been following your stuff for a while, it makes me so happy to see you cover us

As a dutchman it's nice that the basics of Cruijff 'total football' still work. Well executed bij Tottenham 👏🏻

If you like Tottenham, you need to watch Milan this season. Very fluid. Almost a mix between Postecoglou and the more possession heavy teams. Would love your analysis on them

I have watched Ange for years and something that goes unmentioned often is the fact his system is heavily reliant on quick and composed centernacks that give the other players confidence to push on into the final third knowing that even though they play a high line they have center backs that can handle quick long ball transition from the opposition.

Imagine if they win something this season (also mentioning the fact that kane left💀💀)

Iraola of Bournemouth and kompany's burnley are teams set up to suffocate opponents with constant press and spurs were fairly comfortable, the real tests are coming tho with liver and arsenal being 2 of their 3 next fixtures. Lets see how they cope with that. Beautiful side to watch from a football fan perspective no doubt.

Actually pep learned inverted wing back system from ange in Japan

Con is that everything hinges on Bissouma being world class. An injury or a suspension, and we are well and truly fucked. I think Bentancur can easily cover, but Bissouma has been pretty special.

The other great things about Ange is his great ability to communicate and relate well to players and backroom staff but also his ability to pick players that he knows he can coach and do what he tells them moreover, find players that have the ability to play his style of football, which is why he does not need to go out and pick super expensive football stars, he has shown by casting the net very wide globally he can find quality players with his scouts and get the best out of those players.

What you said about Madison is also seen in other players such as Udogie

Thanks bro! One of the best Spurs AngeBall analysis I have read in Youtube & Twitter so far! Fluid rigidity is really a nice description by Ange himself By comparing with other positional play coaches like Pep, Ange's tactics is more dynamic to allow flexibility & freedom to players to work on combo play -- it looks like "positional play" mixing with "relationism" AngeBall indeed gives me a feel like the team is keeping working on rondo passing drill throughout the pitch along with the ball movement by creating overloading & passing triangles you mentioned in video Exciting to see how far AngeBall can lead Spurs to & how his tactics can transform the football world