Tottenham have found the right man for the job, or at least that’s what James Maddison (28, Tottenham), who has been touted as Son Heung-min’s (32) new partner, believes.
Tottenham hired Ange Postecoglou this season. The arrival of Postecoglou, who hails from Australia, a soccer fringe country, and has no big league experience, has left many pundits and Spurs fans questioning the wisdom of the move. Spurs had already lost Harry Kane (31, Bayern Munich).
Despite his success at Celtic (Scotland), Postecoglou was almost a nobody compared to his predecessors Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Antonio Conte. He was seen as a poor fit for the big club.
However, Spurs under Postecoglou started the season with a bang. After 10 games, they won eight and drew two to take sole possession of the Premier League lead. What’s more, they quickly changed the mindset of their fans by playing an attacking style of soccer, rather than a retreating defensive style.
Of course, the crisis hit when a number of key players went down with injuries. Maddison was one of them. Signed from Leicester City, 스포츠토토 Maddison formed a fantastic partnership with Son Heung-min to lead the Tottenham attack before injuring his ankle.
Spurs eventually finished the season in fifth place in the Premier League.
They missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, but did qualify for the Europa League. It was considered a success for the club to improve on last season’s eighth-place finish and to be able to play in Europe again.
Maddison spoke to Sky Sports in the U.K. on Monday and expressed his confidence in Postecoglou. He firmly believes he is the right man for Tottenham. Maddison will join the England national team for Euro 2024 in June.
When asked if last season should be viewed as progress for Spurs, Maddison said, “There was definitely progress,” but insisted that Spurs fans need to be patient, especially as it is the first season with a new manager.
“The first season is very difficult,” he said, adding, “When have you ever seen a manager come in and blow everything away in the first season and win all the trophies,” demonstrating his confidence in Postecoglou.
In terms of actual statistics, 토토사이트 순위 Spurs have improved under Postecoglou from last season. They have won six more games than last season (70 points, 63 conceded). They scored four more goals (74) and conceded two fewer (61). The results are even more impressive when you consider that they did it without Kane.
“It’s a work in progress and I’ve played under a lot of managers and experienced a lot of things and seen a lot of things,” Maddison said, adding, “I believe Postecoglou is taking the club in the right direction. I’m excited for the future of Tottenham.”