Another season of Ange Ball is upon us, and the Australian is already drawing considerable fire from fans and journalists alike after just a handful of games. The issue is very straightforward, namely that there’s little sense that the club can compete at a particularly elite level, either because of the squad itself, or the tactics being deployed.
This in itself brings into question what is Ange Ball, and how might one recognize it. To be entirely honest, I think we got our best glimpses of what Postecoglou had in mind, during his first dozen games for Spurs, last season. Three was a distinct energy, and the ball was played in primarily short passing structures, from the back of the park, with defenders adopting a high line that pressed into the midfield, with the intention of flooding channels, whilst being constantly minded to spring forwards, whenever in possession.
The summer break was filled with endless speculation while many Tottenham supporters and players engaged in various activities during their downtime, including slots 1xBet which have also proved to be a popular choice. In the end, Spurs found themselves winners in respect of lowering the wage bill, but as far as incoming players were concerned, things looked less successful. The departure of a generational talent like Harry Kane was always going to be challenging, but to be left instead with eternally underperforming Richarlison and the Championship quality of Dominic Solanke, has left most fans feeling extremely short-changed. Former Spurs and Real Madrid, Rafa Van der Vaart told the Metro newspaper:
“I have a lot of problems with the money these days, especially in England. For really, really normal players, you guys pay 50, 60 million pounds. It is unbelievable. So when I see a transfer for that money, I already think it is unwise. Because I don’t believe Solanke gets 40 goals. For that money that is what you should be looking for. It is too much for a normal player. Players in England playing for smaller teams going to bigger teams for crazy money is not wise. But it is what happens and we have to wait and see how they perform. I also know Dominic when he played for Vitesse [on loan from Chelsea], I thought ok, good player but nothing special.”
Spurs certainly have plenty of opportunity to improve this term, as they have the Premier League, and the UEFA League and are currently in both English domestic cups.
The question is, will Ange Postecoglou’s luck improve sufficiently?