Ange Postecoglou Unveils His Spurs Ambitions Aligned with England's Cricket: A Game-Changing Bazball Style

"I have a deep fondness for Bazball, mate. I believe it's absolutely fantastic!"

Although Ange Postecoglou hails from Australia, it was the daring and adventurous cricket played in England during the Ashes season that truly captivated his interest. This particular approach and mindset perfectly align with the aggressive nature of the newly appointed Tottenham head coach.

Postecoglou attended the Lord's Test the day before assuming his position as the leader of the north London club. He expresses great enthusiasm when discussing the exceptional cricket performances of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum at Spurs' training ground. "When I witness teams deviating from the conventional norms in any sport, it evokes a sense of unease in people - and that's when you realize, 'Okay, this has the potential to be extraordinary'," he remarks to We.

The outcome is uncertain; there is a possibility that everything may crumble and result in distress. However, when you manage to make people feel uneasy and uncomfortable with what they witness, it likely indicates that you are venturing into uncharted territory, and I find great admiration in that aspect of life.

"That's precisely where the extraordinary things thrive, and that's the realm I currently inhabit."

Spurs supporters longing for the club to embrace its traditional philosophy of entertaining football will surely be delighted by this promising attitude.

In recent years, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte's campaigns, with Nuno Espirito Santo's short tenure in between, steered the club away from their previous template, opting instead for a pragmatic strategy focused solely on achieving victory. Unfortunately, this sacrifice did not yield any tangible silverware.

Postecoglou is conscious of the fans' expectations and aims to combine attacking football with triumph, as he accomplished during his time at Celtic, securing five trophies in two remarkable seasons.

He acknowledges the divergent approaches of Mourinho and Conte, but they do not align with his own preferences.

"The beauty of our game lies in its versatility," he explains. "Football offers countless avenues for achieving success - whether it's through team formation choices, strategic approaches, or tactics employed to undermine the opponent.

"While I may reside at one end of the spectrum, others occupy the opposite end, yet both approaches can yield positive outcomes in this sport.

I believe that with a football club like this, which has always valued and sought after such qualities in their teams, there is a strong affinity for entertaining football. Thus, if I can introduce that style of play, I am confident that we will gain the support of the fans, which is crucial. This enthusiasm will then have a positive impact on the team. Ultimately, our goal is to achieve success through this approach.

'I'll never try to hold onto a 1-0'

Although it is understandable to advise a team against sitting back during pre-season games, one wonders if Postecoglou would never choose to adopt a more conservative strategy in the closing moments of a crucial match or cup competition, especially when the desired success for the club is almost within reach.

"No, no, my friend," he responds, chuckling heartily at the notion that he might ever direct his team to prioritize defending a 1-0 lead during this season.

"Please understand, it's not my style to pass judgment, as that approach is completely valid and acceptable in its own right.

However, you cannot engage in both approaches simultaneously. An ideal system that encompasses both does not exist. You must commit fully to one method or the other.

To be frank, I am incapable of coaching in that manner. In the last five minutes, I would be at a loss as to how to instruct my players to simply maintain a one-goal advantage. It contradicts my coaching style and personal identity. While I understand the concept, it does not always yield favorable results. As mentioned before, there is no foolproof system that guarantees success.

The most important aspect for a manager is to provide clear guidance to the players. If I constantly change tactics based on the situation, the players will lack a clear understanding of our goals and the identity we aim to establish as a team.

Undoubtedly, there will be critics who argue that Postecoglou's successful strategies in Scotland, Japan, and Australia may not translate to the highly competitive Premier League. Nevertheless, throughout his career, he has faced skepticism and consistently proven his doubters wrong. With the wisdom gained from his 57 years of experience, he firmly believes that he will continue to defy expectations.

"I have consistently achieved success throughout my entire career, regardless of my location, by employing this approach. And that's why I persist in following it," he explains.

"Whenever I have switched teams, the lingering inquiry has always revolved around whether I will move to a supposedly superior level, a contrasting level, or even a foreign nation."

Has Kane's future been a distraction?

"I thoroughly enjoy demonstrating that it is indeed possible – and given my previous success, I perceive no rationale for alteration, my friend."

The record scorer of the club netted four goals against Shakhtar, indicating that his attention to football remained intact despite transfer offers from Bayern Munich. However, with Tottenham accepting Bayern's offer for the player on Thursday, Postecoglou was forced to confront a future without the club's leading scorer. How much did the speculation surrounding Kane serve as a distraction for Postecoglou as he endeavors to reshape the playing style of this Spurs squad?

"It's no different from any other club I've been to. The initial stages are always challenging," remarks Postecoglou.

"When it comes to Celtic, you only need to review the first six matches, where we suffered three losses. We were still acquiring players until the final day of the transfer period. I didn't even have a solid foundation for a team, let alone being without a crucial player.

I have developed strong discipline to avoid fixating on singular tasks and prevent distractions. Our main focus at the moment is team building, rather than individual efforts.

If we were in later stages of the project with a team that meets my expectations and a solid foundation, and Harry's situation was the only matter of concern, I would dedicate more time and find it potentially more mentally draining.

However, at the moment, what matters to me the most is not Harry's significance within the group, but rather how I handle the group. With Kane absent, Postecoglou will need to seek out a substitute for the attacking position for Sunday's Premier League opener against Brentford, which will be televised on We.

Brentford

Tottenham Hotspur

Sunday 13th August 1:00pm

Kick off 2:00pm

Postecoglou's departure will undoubtedly have an effect on the prospects of Spurs this season. Nevertheless, Postecoglou's focus is not solely on evaluating his team's success based on points or ranking. Instead, he plans to gauge their progress by considering the opinion of the fans once the campaign comes to a close, particularly in terms of how they have adapted without their key player.

"I have never been compelled to set specific goals or targets in my life, as doing so may have hindered the unexpected success I have achieved," admits Postecoglou. "In all honesty, much of the success I have experienced has taken me by surprise, even more so than others.

"If, by the end of this year, our devoted supporters are content with our performance throughout the season, then I believe we will have accomplished our desired outcome. As for the tangible measures of this accomplishment - be it points or trophies - only time will tell, my friend."

Stokes and McCullum garnered the admiration of cricket enthusiasts despite not clinching the Ashes series. The anticipation for England cricket supporters is that those coveted trophies will eventually be won. Regardless of the outcome, the journey will undoubtedly be enjoyable. The sentiment is likely shared among Spurs fans as they embark on this exciting and promising new season. Postecoglou, too, is eager to kick-start the upcoming adventure.

"It's where you want to be, mate. Smack bang in the middle of it."