Ange Postecoglou bristled at the idea that anyone would lose faith in his Tottenham revolution. Or that he would need a statement win against big opponents like Arsenal to restore it.
“If people have lost confidence in what we are doing, I can’t let that be my guide,” Postecoglou said. “My guide is what I see every day, the way we play, the way the team grows.
“I’m as optimistic and as bullish as I’ve ever been. There’s nothing that shakes my conviction about what we’re doing.”
The new season has started for Spurs with a convincing home win, a draw they should have won and a narrow defeat at Newcastle.
The performances were positive, but this small sample of new results is suspiciously reminiscent of an extension of the end of last season, when they beat the weakest teams and struggled to beat stronger opponents.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou needs a big win but won’t admit it
A win over rivals Arsenal would give Postecoglou’s team a major morale boost
In 14 games since an impressive 4-0 win over Aston Villa in March, they have won just five, against each of the Premier League’s bottom four last season and against Everton this season, who have started like a drain.
Arsenal travel to north London on Sunday. When they last traveled in April, Mikel Arteta’s side led 3-0 at half-time, dominated the counter-attack and were dangerous from set-pieces, but resisted a comeback to take three points. After failing to thwart Arteta’s bid for the title, some Spurs fans were left celebrating another defeat to Manchester City 16 days later, as their arch-nemesis would not win the trophy anyway.
This left Postecoglou clearly uncomfortable at the time. And victory in this derby could return the rivalry to a more conventional footing and soothe some of those wounds. It could revive this season, but the Spurs boss demands more.
“Is it important to win big games? Absolutely, yes, I want to win big games,” Postecoglou said. “But we won big games at the beginning of last season. That doesn’t mean you get where you want to go. There has to be a consistent approach.
‘Teams that win things, win all the time. They don’t choose. You can’t choose. Small teams do, because that’s where the only real victory lies, because they think they can’t win the league but they can grab a few big scalps.
‘I was with Australia for a long time and that was the mentality. Let’s fire a big gun because we can’t win a World Cup. I don’t agree with that. Winners say, “Okay, who’s in front of us? Let’s win.” That’s who I am and that’s how I think.
“I don’t think one win is bigger or more important than another. I would hate to see players in the dressing room who want to win this game more than any other game, or who prepare differently or try harder in this game than in any other game.
Postecoglou stressed that he aims for victories regardless of the opposition
“That’s not the way forward. We understand the significance of it, because if we win, our supporters will be overjoyed. I understand that. If we don’t win, they will be devastated.”
If you lose, you will have four points from four games and that will add extra pressure ahead of a tricky Carabao Cup clash in Coventry.
Last season’s flying start, when Tottenham Hotspur topped the Premier League after 10 games, looks more like an exception than a straight 10 months of inconsistent results.
Arsenal finished 23 points ahead of Spurs last season. ‘A fair reflection,’ Postecoglou said. ‘A significant gap that we need to close. It won’t happen quickly, but we need to do something about it.’
“We’ve been working on it for a year. If we’ve been working on it for four or five years and we’re still (23) points behind, I wouldn’t be talking about this.”
That is why he will not give up his style just because Arsenal are the visitors. The difference between the neighbours is bigger than the three points that can be won on Sunday.
“It could happen, but it won’t happen,” the Australian replied when asked if he wouldn’t be tempted to be more cautious.
Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven are back from injuries, but Yves Bissouma is doubtful and Richarlison is out. Arteta will be without midfielders Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
Despite the absence of Martin Odegaard (left) and Declan Rice (right), Postecoglou believes Arsenal will still pose a threat
“That’s a huge pitfall when you think they’re dependent on two players,” Postecoglou said. “They have the quality in their squad. The key for us is to focus on our performances.
‘If we play well – and we have certainly played well in the first three games – and if we are a bit more clear-headed in both penalty areas, we are a match for any team.
“We have to think about that. If we go there with the idea that they are weakened in some way, we will be punished.”