Tottenham Hotspur’s manager, Ange Postecoglou, believes his team is heading in the right direction despite a 1-1 draw against West Ham United on Tuesday. The Australian manager stated that his team is still a work in progress, but there are encouraging signs of improvement, especially in their performance against West Ham. Tottenham dominated the game with 68% possession, and although the hosts created almost as many chances, it was a mature performance from Spurs.
Postecoglou praised his players’ willingness to learn and their structural maturity in the game. He pointed out that midfielder Yves Bissouma was outstanding, and the back four handled four players who could cause problems for any team. Postecoglou compared the game to their loss against Fulham and stated that there was more structural maturity against West Ham.
Tottenham is currently battling for a place in the top four and Champions League football, but Postecoglou prefers to focus on the development of his side rather than where they finish the season. They are two points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Tottenham’s early lead in the game came from Brennan Johnson, and they could have scored through Pedro Porro and captain Son Heung-min. However, Kurt Zouma equalized with an effort off his back after 19 minutes from a corner, which gave West Ham more heart for the fight.
Postecoglou acknowledged that Tottenham lacked clarity in thought and decision-making in their final third, but he was happy with their general play. Tottenham is set to face even more difficult challenges in the run-in with games against title contenders Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool. However, Villa also has to play the top three, so the race for the fourth spot is likely to go down to the wire.
Overall, Postecoglou’s focus on developing his team’s performance and structural maturity is a positive sign for Tottenham. Despite the challenges ahead, the team is heading in the right direction.