Ange Postecoglou could learn a thing or two from Eddie Howe. The Tottenham manager is coming up short, writes CRAIG HOPE
Eddie Howe found another way to win here. Ange Postecoglou stuck with the same losing style.
The Newcastle boss was not happy with what he saw in the second half. Still, he celebrated the determination and improvisation shown in securing a sixth straight win.
By contrast, the Tottenham boss liked what he had seen – a doomed, chaotic chase for an equalizer – yet lamented a sixth straight Premier League home game without a win.
Howe is an idealist living in the real world. Postecoglou is an idealist who seems trapped in his own delusional world.
In mid-December, Newcastle and Spurs were neighbors in the bottom half of the table. They were on 20 points after scoreless runs and looked up to Fulham, Brentford and Bournemouth. It felt like they were rivals at the time, each flawed in their own way.
Howe made some changes and that changed everything. Postecoglou, although hampered by injury, refused to bow down and kept the poor ship Spurs on course for the iceberg. Eleven points now separate them.
Ange Postecoglou should learn from Eddie Howe’s flexibility instead of sticking to the same losing style
Howe has made changes and Newcastle are now eleven points ahead of Tottenham
Forcing backup goalkeepers to play like Guglielmo Vicario shows Postecoglou’s stubbornness
A good manager, a not so good manager. By extension, at current ratings, a very good team and, well, you get the idea. The problem for Spurs is that Postecoglou doesn’t do that. He is attached to his own idea and therefore there is no plan for improvement, no recognition of the tools at his disposal. He’s still trying to chisel his own grand vision with plastic cutlery.
He lost goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to an ankle injury 12 games ago, but continued to play on the Italian’s ball skills during his absence. In doing so, they capitalized on Fraser Forster’s weaknesses.
Forster was missing against Newcastle due to illness and his replacement Brandon Austin was asked to play in the same way on his debut. He did well. But isn’t this in itself an illustration of Postecoglou’s stubbornness? Maybe that’s too kind; short-sighted might be a better description of his management.
Micah Richards said on Match of the Day that Spurs are trying to play ‘the right way’. Real? What’s good about not winning? What’s right about not having control over a football match? Even at their best and when everyone is fit, they are rarely in control. Celtic can do that and win, Spurs can’t. Postecoglou has chosen not to adapt, and that doesn’t seem very smart at all.
Howe was asked how he had gone from a coach with a reputation for not being able to organize a defense at Bournemouth, to a team at Newcastle that had not conceded a goal in four games.
“I think as a coach you’re always evolving,” he said. ‘I don’t have the same view of the game as I did five or six years ago. If I did, there would be a problem. You’re constantly changing your focus and changing the things you think are most relevant to your team. That depends on who you manage and coach.’
Postecoglou would do well to take note of this. He would also do well to observe Howe’s attitude after the match in light of the defeats, of which the Newcastle boss has suffered five this season. It is never too high, but also not too low. While there is undoubtedly anger, it is always tempered, and strong criticism of referees is generally off limits.
On Saturday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, an angry Postecoglou – ‘the angriest I have ever been’ – bared his teeth and appeared to jump the shark, claiming that: ‘On another day, on a fair and level playing field, we would if you won that game, it’s as simple as that.’
Postecoglou claimed he was ‘the angriest I’ve ever been’ after the defeat to Newcastle
Given their injuries, Spurs need to adapt – Postecoglou is no longer Celtic’s manager
Howe admitted that you are ‘always evolving as a coach’ and that it would be ‘a problem’ not to do so
His displeasure was for Newcastle’s equalizer in the fourth minute, when the ball struck Joelinton’s hand before Bruno Guimaraes played a pass to Anthony Gordon and he scored, setting up Dominic Solanke’s opener in the second minute to level the score. The VAR protocol was correct to allow the goal to stand – the handball was accidental and did not immediately lead to the goal.
But more than that, it was the fourth minute, mate. Your team had another 86 plus a combined 17 in stoppages to score again – and they couldn’t. There were just three shots on target in that time, against an opposition who were visibly tired after the break and compromised on their philosophy to frustrate.
Meanwhile, two players seemingly suited to Postecoglou’s attacking principles – James Maddison and Heung-Min Son – were kept on the bench until after the hour mark.
Players from big games not being picked for a big match seemed odd, especially as Maddison is suspended for the first leg of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final at home to Liverpool. When they came into action against Newcastle, Spurs were better. And yes, Postecoglou was right, his team did well and probably deserved a point from the match.
But like the bigger picture at Spurs, that second half was all a bit shambolic. It’s the manager’s job to lead, and right now Postecoglou is falling short.