Soccer | Ange Postecoglou admits Tottenham might signal new centre-back and defend ‘vacationer supporters’

Ange Postecoglou has admitted a brand new centre-back signing is a part of his plans for Tottenham this summer season and has defended these labeling him ‘vacationers’ or ‘followers of plastic’.

Spurs signed Rado Dragosen from Genoa in January to repair a threadbare centre-back division inside a squad that featured solely Christian Romero and Mikey van de Ven as pure centre-backs, full-backs Ben Davies and Emerson Royal needed to fill in. When each had been out.

Dragosen, 22, will now begin towards Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday after van de Ven picked up a minor hamstring downside. Postecoglou was requested if, with simply 18-year-old Ashley Phillips, at the moment on mortgage at Plymouth, as one other pure centre-back and Joe Roden and Jeffett Tinganga prone to depart the membership, Spurs might re-enter the market. could be seen for For one more defender this summer season.

“In the event you’re saying ‘is that this an space we are able to strengthen?’, sure it is an space we’ll most likely have a look at,” he mentioned. “With all this stuff it is about attempting to strengthen the group as a lot as attainable. In the event you assume again after I first got here, we had six or seven centre-backs on the membership. So it is not simply the numbers. The flexibility of those gamers to play the soccer that we would like and may match into what we’re attempting to construct right here.

“I feel that is one space of ​​the park that we’ll attempt to strengthen, however I feel we’ll attempt to strengthen all areas of the park on the finish of the season. That is the plan already. continues, and different individuals are in control of it. This time.”

Tottenham followers had been unimpressed by the membership’s determination to extend season ticket costs by six per cent subsequent season and take away senior concession season tickets for brand new candidates after the following marketing campaign, whereas these over 66 years outdated Lowering the low cost for individuals who at the moment have one.

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“I would like Spurs supporters within the stands, mates – I do not simply need anybody there. I would like people who find themselves passionate in regards to the soccer membership. I would like the stadium to mirror the attachment they’ve. Is,” Postecoglou requested when requested what? The sort of followers they needed within the stands.

“Supporters have a voice and they’re allowed to specific how they really feel. They’ll use it within the stadium or in different methods. I’ll by no means dictate how they need to behave or What ought to they do?”

Some Spurs supporters have additionally taken to social media to complain about day trippers or ‘vacationer followers’ getting one-way tickets to matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Postecoglou was requested if the best plan for Premier League golf equipment as of late was to promote costly matchday tickets to vacationer supporters or so-called “plastic followers”.

It is honest to say that neither time period went down effectively with Australians who cherished the Premier League from afar as youngsters after which into maturity.

“It is actually powerful – and I am going to inform you why, as a result of I am most likely plastic and touristy as a result of I am coming from the opposite facet of the world, actually keen about soccer and if I’ve to look at a Premier League sport to have entry to. It meant the world to me,” she mentioned.

“So to label individuals as ‘plastic’ or ‘vacationers’ I do not assume is honest as a result of individuals reside on the opposite facet of the world. This soccer membership has supporters everywhere in the world. It has supporters throughout the UK who do not. Do not at all times have entry to sports activities and I feel we should always at all times have the ability to accommodate them.

“It does not make them any much less passionate and it is actually disrespectful to name out followers who’re keen to go half means world wide. You do not know how passionate they’re about their soccer membership. Possibly they solely began supporting it within the final couple of years – however that does not make it any much less of who they’re.”

When requested if promoting tickets was a balancing act, he added: “It is a balancing act provided that you are not aiming to develop your soccer membership in each means. That is why We journey world wide – to take this workforce to locations. I do know individuals are excited. I do know there are passionate Spurs followers in Australia – simply as passionate as they’re right here. They do not reside right here, they can not come to video games or purchase season tickets.

“I even have associates in Australia who’ve purchased season tickets and may solely come right here twice a 12 months, that is how thrilling they’re. So long as your total purpose is to develop your soccer membership, you’ve got received a steadiness. There’s a want.”

Postecoglou is attempting to construct a brand new Tottenham for the longer term, amid mocking labels comparable to ‘Spursies’ on the membership and he admits the largest suggestions got here when he was first handed the position of head coach within the north. went. London costume.

“I feel (the time period Spursi) is okay but it surely’s an outsider’s viewpoint, it does not assist me and it is my mind-set by means of the method of going into a brand new atmosphere and turning it into one thing. Which I imagine could be profitable,” he mentioned.

“I am going to provide you with an instance – what do you assume was the very first thing that occurred after I was appointed? It was that I received about 1,000,000 completely different opinions about the necessity to change right here, and if I might Placing it on a spreadsheet, I most likely needed to do away with all of the gamers and all of the workers, balancing all of the gamers and all of the workers.

“It is not like individuals begin with a clear slate as a result of that does not exist both, everybody has a historical past, however you need to look past the plain – and clearly the membership needed change and only a few individuals dedicated to it. Actual change means making sturdy selections round individuals, habits, behaviors and people issues – and never only a new supervisor coming in and all the pieces being fastened. It does not work that means. “

He added: “It is an ongoing course of however often throughout the first month or six weeks you get a reasonably good indication of path and the way sturdy I must be. The fact is that typically you do not change. Can. There are individuals related to the membership and you may’t change. Then you need to discover a strategy to work by means of the method.

“For me it is often the primary month the place I hold my mouth shut, watch and pay attention and breathe in what data I can get. Then I make my evaluation from there.”

Postecoglou has helped oversee a profitable recruitment technique at Spurs with successes throughout the board with incoming gamers. One participant who was beginning to present his means to endure from a knee harm in September is Munawar Sulaiman. The 24-year-old is out of motion towards his former facet Fulham this weekend as he nonetheless has an issue together with his knee and the membership are exploring various options to his downside.

Postecoglou was unable to say whether or not he would have the Israel worldwide out there once more this season.

“I am not likely certain and I do not wish to put that strain on him. He is had a tricky time,” he mentioned. “Every time gamers undergo these intervals, the essential factor is to not attempt to put any agency deadlines or agency statements round it. Bentenker went by means of it when he overlapped two seasons, however this stuff occur. We now have Cess going by means of it.

“All you need to do is assist them alongside the best way, assist them and information them as a lot as attainable, and put them within the fingers of the individuals who know finest and simply see what the outcomes are. “

One January signing who has been in a position to make an impression is Timo Werner, the 28-year-old German scoring in back-to-back matches in addition to offering an help in every of his first couple of video games for the membership. Spurs have the choice to make the attacker’s mortgage from RB Leipzig everlasting for round £15m however Postecoglou mentioned it was too early to resolve whether or not he would take it.

“I do not assume that is the time for these sorts of choices and I do not assume it could be proper for Timo for me. [discuss it]mentioned the Australian. “Every time I’ve signed a participant on mortgage I inform them at first that I’ll deal with them like I deal with everybody else, like they’re right here for the long run. will

“Then if it does not occur, it does not occur as a result of even those you hope are for the long run, typically they don’t seem to be. Timo has are available in and actually contributed to us from day one. He needed to. It was essential for us, as I mentioned once we signed him, as a result of we had been actually brief in that entrance third, when Sonny was away after which we misplaced Richie. If we hadn’t signed Timo on the time we might have had one thing actual then guys like Brennan and Klosewski would have put extra onus. I feel all the blokes within the again half have dealt with it very well. Timo has finished effectively. has demonstrated, however the time for these sorts of discussions is over. For us, for me.”

Werner’s fellow January signing Dragosen will get the prospect to begin at Craven Cottage on Saturday night. The Romanian was often known as ‘The Bodyguard’ in Italy however do not ask Postecoglou what his nickname is round Tottenham. “I name him Radomate. I do not know,” got here the reply.

The Spurs boss is effectively conscious of the power the massive centre-back will deliver to his workforce as he appears to be like to fill in for a key participant within the injured Van de Ven.

“Profile-wise he is a younger man who’s already performed vital minutes, which I feel helps us once we’re recruiting,” he mentioned. “We really feel like we’re a squad that should develop and develop and we’re on the lookout for that youthful demographic, however on the similar time you are on the lookout for guys who’ve performed.

“I appreciated his tempo. He performed at golf equipment the place he needed to combat for all the pieces. The qualities he has are round his defensive rules, that are actually sturdy. Each week in Serie A you may have He is examined. He is developed. And he actually needed to come back right here. I do not overlook that. When gamers have a robust want to come back right here, they’ve clearly thought of it fastidiously. And so they have proof that it is proper for them. There’s additionally plenty of room for progress, and the second he got here in he took each alternative to try this.”

Requested if Dragusen was able to put strain on van de Ven and Romero for his or her locations within the workforce, Postecoglou mentioned with out hesitation: “He is already there, however that hasn’t modified. You do not want a lot proof that you could’t do with simply two centre-backs, regardless of how good they’re.

“We’re challenged on this place. We want gamers keen to play and push one another. Even when he wasn’t right here, Mikey and Romero had been pushing themselves. That competitors comes from inside. . I do not need synthetic. Eventualities the place they should push themselves. I would like it as a result of they’re who they’re. I feel we received that with this group.”

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