Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou said this on his press conference after Wolves have eaten his sorry Tottenham side second time this season after yet another shipwreck performance. Comment was related to journalist notice that Tottenham didn't score in first half of home games for 5 matches in a row now.
Tottenham have failed to score in the first half of their last five home matches and Postecoglou said the only solution to their issues was to knuckle down on the training ground.
"We will work hard, we've got two weeks to prepare for our next game (against Crystal Palace) and there's no point feeling sorry for ourselves," he said.
"You take the blows and you've got to move on irrespective of what's happened in the past. You've got to make sure you're ready for the next game.
"There's no tricks, it's hard work. I'm not a magician, I'm a football manager. It's hard work which these guys have done all year.
Words that cut into ears were "I'm not a magician, I'm a football manager." I thought at first it's attempt to tell us how bad his players are, but when I think better it could have deeper meaning. It could be defending of players who received order from somewhere not to play football in some games or at least in first half of games! In that Wolves game Tottenham looked like in last days of Poch, like in last days of Jose and like in last days of Conte. Poch said "I am just a coach not a manager". Jose pointed out on "non sport happening behind the scenes" and Conte said "This is not tactical or technical issue!" following by "they can continue to change managers but situation will not change believe me." All 4 have in common and point toward one thing lack of influence on players, inability to make them play football in some games, some hidden background non sport issues.
If you look at Ange during giving interviews his body language is not like before. He is looking in the floor like defeated man. So question is what happen inside this club behind the scenes ? During Poch time they said it was affair between Vertongen and Eriksen's wife which have broken Spurs dressing room. Jose who came to bring trophies for win now managing has been sacked before League Cup final because "board didn't like his idea to rest some players against Southampton in league to rest them for cup final." Let me remind you Jose was first in league in the beginning of December winning major opponents before everything collapsed. Under Conte they said "atmosphere inside dressing room was toxic." Conte's first season was great, he did miracles, battered some opponents, lead us from 9th to 4th place, won City away 2:3 when it mattered to them, draw at Anfield when Liverpool needed 3 points desperately to win the league. Then after Leicester game and win 6:2 in his second season something happen and dressing room became broken and bad performances started after World Cup. It seems broken dressing room is happening under Ange sooner than with his two predecessors.
Current way of play looks like "We don't want to play first half a part from first 5 minutes maybe, then we will unleash our force in first 15-20 minutes of second half." I remind you they are not playing European competitions, they are out of all domestic cups, they have entire week or sometimes two to prepare next game contrary to Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool. For what are they saving energy in first half then ? Why they don't play football in first half at home ? Is it some players conspiracy or order from some higher center of power ?
"I am football manager not a magician." sound to me like this "I am coach, I can train them, but I am not magician to force them to play like I want from 1st minute if they don't want" or like "I don't have influence outside training ground" or in most radical variant "They've been told to play like this and I can't do anything about that." Body language tells me he feels ashamed about this situation. It tells me he became disillusioned he can fight for something in this club where he's allowed to be in real charge only until November-December, but as soon as some number of points get collected that invisible "driving force" step out and take charge of players ordering which games or halves of games they can and which they can't play. They played same way under Conte in last months, it was one half of football too.
How do those words "I'm not a magician, I'm a football manager." sound to you ?
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