Ange Postecoglou previews Tottenham vs Arsenal in the North London Derby
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00:00Can I just get the team news, obviously the big news probably, Destiny's serious injury.
00:07Yeah, from the last game. Yeah, disappointing one for Destiny, for ourselves as well, because
00:16it's been a big part of our year. Yeah, just an unfortunate incident at training. He's
00:23had the operation, it's gone well. Hopefully he gives him time pre-season to get back into
00:30it. We'll miss him. Skippy picked up a small knock as well at training, so he'll miss this
00:35weekend. So they're kind of the outs apart from the long-term ones. Pedro and Richie
00:43both trained all week, so both available.
00:46It's obviously been a long break since that Newcastle defeat. I'm sure you probably wanted
00:50a match straight away, and Arsenal have had four games since. But has there been any positives,
00:55maybe the longer-term injuries, the Vandervends, the Madisons, maybe just to have a couple
01:00of weeks? Has there been any positives from that, or did you just want a game straight
01:03after that Newcastle match?
01:05Yeah, you prefer games, absolutely, especially this time of the year. It's kind of unusual
01:11to have two weeks of no games at all, particularly when there's a fair bit of football happening
01:18and you're not involved. So we've tried to use that time as well as possible. We've trained
01:24hard, the players, to be fair to them, have embraced that and trained. But yeah, definitely
01:31looking forward to having a game, that's for sure.
01:33And they've always said, fourth this, doesn't matter whether it's fifth, Champions League,
01:37it's about progression in the next season, everything like that. But North London derby
01:41is such a brilliant match, but then it's Chelsea on the Thursday, then it's Liverpool. Three
01:45huge, huge matches. Will you know more maybe about the squad you've got at the moment and
01:50where maybe you are as a team at the moment after those three massive games?
01:55Look, every time you're out there is a chance to measure yourself, for sure. I mean, I've
02:00got a fair idea of where we're at and sort of what progress we've made, what progress
02:05we need to make. But it's just another great challenge for us. As you said, there's three
02:11big games and then we finish the season with three games. And they're all games of consequence
02:17for us, for the opposition. So I think the players are looking forward to that as well.
02:22This time of the year, usually you want to be playing for something and certainly the
02:26games we'll be involved in will have something in them. So yeah, looking forward to it.
02:31Such a special game, this one. I know you had a taste of it at the Emirates in September
02:35and probably unlucky maybe not to have got the win in the second half. But there's a
02:38feeling among some Spurs fans that a priority is that whatever happens with Spurs this season,
02:44they don't want to see Arsenal win the league. Do you understand that? What's your take on
02:49that with some fans feeling that?
02:51Yeah, it's fair enough. Again, I'm not going to dictate how fans feel or what they feel
02:57is important. We understand the importance of the game and we understand the importance
03:02of, particularly at home in these kind of games, to not let our biggest rival or the
03:09biggest star before us get on top of us. So we understand the consequences of that but
03:16ultimately it's still about us trying to measure ourselves against the teams we want to be
03:23challenging on a more consistent basis and it's a great opportunity to do that on Sunday.
03:27Thanks, bud.
03:28Hans, good afternoon. Good seeing you. Obviously, Newcastle United and Arsenal, they present
03:33a different challenge. Their league position is very different as well. But overall, what's
03:36the biggest improvement you want to see as a collective ahead of a very tough task at
03:40home this Sunday?
03:42I don't think one's a reference point to the other. The Newcastle game was really disappointing
03:49for us on a number of levels. Obviously, the result was poor but the performance didn't
03:55reach the levels we wanted to. But I think we've learned a hell of a lot out of that.
04:01The players have learned a lot out of that. But irrespective of that, it doesn't matter
04:05what you've done in the previous game. When you're playing in such a big game, a derby,
04:11particularly at this time of the year, like I said, there's great meaning to the points
04:16for both clubs. What's happened previously, whether that's the immediate past or further
04:23back, becomes irrelevant. Because you know it's going to be a tough game. You know it's
04:28going to have a bit of an edge to it. It'll be a great atmosphere. You've just got to
04:33get ready to make sure that you match those levels with the performance.
04:39Because of the timing, because of what it means to the fans, the rivalry, does it feel
04:43for you personally as the biggest game for you as Spurs manager since you joined the
04:47club?
04:51Look, I think every game's important. I take every game seriously. And every game's a big
04:56game. And I think that's the one thing that we're trying to impress on this group of players
05:00is that that's the nature of the Premier League. It's relentless. And if you're not 100% focused
05:07on each different challenge, then you're going to come up short. So I always feel the next
05:13game's the biggest game. But I understand the context around a North London derby and
05:19what it means to our supporters, for sure.
05:21Question about Arsenal, please. As a project, obviously it started well for Mikel, they
05:26won the FA Cup, but then they had difficult times. How impressive have you been with the
05:29way Mikel has been leading this project and also the support he's been receiving in transfers
05:33and also during challenging times?
05:36Yeah, I think I've said before, I think it's no coincidence that the teams that are up
05:41there consistently the last two or three years are teams that have had a clear plan on what
05:46they wanted to do and have stuck by it. And I think Arsenal's a great example of that.
05:52I think Mikel's done an outstanding job and I think it's been recognised by the club and
05:57they feel he's the man to lead them forward and they've supported him ever since then.
06:02And I think there's a blueprint there for sure for every club, but it's not as simple
06:09as just saying we'll just stick to the same process. Every club's unique, every club's
06:15a little bit different in terms of how they rebuild, but it's a credit to Arsenal and
06:20I said Mikel more than anybody that they've been really disciplined about building a side
06:25that they feel can bring sustained success and they've been challenging now for the last
06:31two or three years to do that.
06:33Ali?
06:34If you don't mind me asking, how did Destiny get the injury? Was it non-contact, was it
06:37a collision?
06:38No, it was non-contact, he just went to have a strike at goal by himself and got the injury.
06:43Does that just kind of show how unfortunate you've been? I think was it even Perisic,
06:46Manassar, they were both non-contact as well?
06:48Yeah, well look I've been around long enough, sometimes these things happen in football
06:53and you try and sort of create the best possible environment for the players, but even within
07:02that there's always a possibility that these things will happen. So look, unfortunate for
07:07him because obviously he had the Euros as well and it had a really promising season
07:13for us, he learnt a lot, he was progressing, but again this is just part of a footballer's
07:18journey, he's going to have to deal with this every footballer at some point as they set
07:22back. So if there's one silver lining, like I said it did happen just before the off-season
07:28where he's not going to miss a chunk of the season, hopefully everything goes well and
07:33he's ready close to the start of next season.
07:35Dajan Kudusevski has become a dad this week, how's he coping with the maybe sleepless
07:39nights and training and everything all of a sudden?
07:42Yeah, it's great for Deki, he's very happy about being a dad and as I keep saying to
07:52those guys, it's a life changer, somebody within your family unit becomes more important
08:02than yourself and sometimes for footballers that's a bit confronting, but I'm sure Deki
08:08will handle it well and his partner and bless them and their child.
08:14Let's ask you about young Mikey Moore, he's been training with you guys on the first team
08:17for the last couple of weeks, how important is that experience for him to learn from likes
08:21of Sonny, James Madison, players like when he was just 16?
08:24Yeah, absolutely, we've done that all year, we've had guys at different times from our
08:29academy and the under 21s training with us for extended periods rather than just bringing
08:36them up for a day or two and Mikey's been really good, he's a very talented boy and
08:43even for him he's had a fairly disruptive season to be fair to him, he's had a couple
08:47of injuries but when he's performed, he's performed really well, the reports I've had
08:51on him have always been outstanding and it's been good to have him, obviously we've had
08:56a couple of weeks without a game and it's just good to get him involved with the first
09:00team and again to be fair to him, he's adapted really well, he hasn't looked out of place
09:05and it's great for him and hopefully gives encouragement to him and the other guys who
09:10are coming through.
09:12Charlie.
09:13Hi, just confirming that you mentioned in passing the expectations that Destiny will
09:17miss the Euros as well with this injury, I just wanted to ask with this block of games
09:23you've got coming up, the three big ones, how much do you now or generally as a manager
09:28think of them as a block or is it just, let's just think about Sunday and concern ourselves
09:33with Thursday when it comes?
09:35Yeah, I mean I think they're six big ones for us and when you look at our opponents
09:41obviously they've all got something on them in terms of, for the opposition as well they're
09:46still playing for something so yeah, you understand that they're going to be six really
09:53tough games, they're a great measure for us but I think to kind of look beyond whatever
09:57your next challenge is, I'd say that's the nature of the Premier League and it's what
10:02we've been trying to impress on the guys, particularly the guys who are kind of, it's
10:07either their first year in the Premier League or just sort of getting their career started
10:10that every week is a challenge.
10:12There isn't a game where you can't be totally focused on just that opponent and if you do
10:17have anything other than that focus you'll pay a price and I think we've done that a
10:21few times this year, we haven't been as focused around certain games and we've been found
10:27running short so definitely six big games but not looking past the one on Sunday.
10:33Is it quite useful as well because obviously next season you'll be in that routine of big
10:37midweek game, big weekend game and there hasn't been loads of that this season but obviously
10:41this will be a test run for that.
10:44Yeah, I mean again, it's not an exact replica but like I said it's for us a good chance
10:52to measure ourselves and for me as I said all along it's about understanding at the
10:58end of the season with everything we've had to deal with, how we've handled it, good,
11:04bad or otherwise and what we've learnt from it and hopefully create a foundation where
11:10next year we'll be at a place to be in a different position at the end of the season.
11:16How much as well?
11:17Obviously you need cool heads for a game like this but also it will be emotional, the crowd
11:20will be really up for it.
11:21How much do you say to players, lean in, harness that atmosphere and how much is it about just
11:26focus on what you're doing?
11:28Yeah, I think you have to.
11:30I think you have to anyway when you're at a big club or particularly if your ambition
11:34is to try and be challenging for honours, you've got to be prepared to embrace the
11:41big games, the big occasions and like I said lean into them and that's the reality of it.
11:47You can't sort of ignore it or try and put it in a space where it's not going to affect
11:55you because it will if you don't embrace it.
11:58So we want to be a club that hopefully is challenging for honours year in, year out.
12:03That means you're going to be involved in big games whether that's derbies or otherwise.
12:06Big games are consequence and again my advice always in these kinds of situations is to
12:13embrace it.
12:14David?
12:15Hi Ange.
12:16From your dozens of years of managerial experience, what have those experiences taught you in
12:23terms of being there with something to play for at the end of the season?
12:26What is the key with a month or so to go with a handful of games to go?
12:31As I said it's just about making sure you kind of clearly embrace the challenge and
12:40try and tackle it in the way that we've kind of got us into this position in the first
12:46place.
12:47Whether that's from our perspective we've kind of had some inconsistencies and some
12:54challenges this year but when we've played well we've played a certain way and we've
12:58gone about things in a certain way and there's no point now when you get to the sort of most
13:04important part of the year that you shy away from that or you change your approach.
13:08You've just got to sort of double down on it and sort of really be focused on just playing
13:13our football and like I said that's a great measure for us because otherwise you'll never
13:17know whether you're, where potentially you're short or whether you can be successful doing
13:23it our way.
13:25Your former club Jokahama F. Marinos just qualified for the Asian Champions League
13:29final with another former protégé Harry Kuehl.
13:32Just I guess a line on that?
13:34Yeah no it's great, great for H and great for the club.
13:38I think they've been in one other Champions League final but they haven't been in one
13:43for quite a while so yeah delighted for everyone there, the players, the staff, a lot of them
13:47are still there from when I was there.
13:49I was delighted for Harry, I'm sure he's loving the experience working in Japan with
13:53that group of players and Asian Champions League final is a big game and yeah I hope
13:59they do well.
14:02And finish with George please.
14:03Angelo, so I just wondered the first 10 games of the season you had such a strong start
14:08and then the last few weeks you've just gone a little bit inconsistent.
14:11I just wondered is that a consequence of problems in January, injuries, is there any reason
14:16for that to you?
14:18There's a lot of reasons for it, I mean it's just part of where we are as a team at the
14:24moment and as a group.
14:26I'd be very surprised if anyone expected us to have 38 games unblemished in our first
14:32year of building a team so I expected us to be consistent.
14:36They may have come at the start of the year, you just don't know but obviously like you
14:39said got off to a great start the first 10 games and you know it's quite simple to see
14:46what happened after that.
14:47You know we had some fairly significant injuries to key players and we kind of battled our
14:53way through for a lot of that period and still stayed competitive and yeah you know the last
14:58sort of probably couple of months we've been inconsistent where we've been really good
15:03or been off it.
15:05So again I think that's just part of the process of where we're at as a group and as a team
15:09and you know having said that the players are still you know very, very competitive
15:16in every game and you know we wouldn't be in the position we were if we are if it wasn't
15:22the case.
15:23Humane Song doesn't have Harry Kane's record of scoring against Arsenal but he always has
15:28a knack of, he's a sort of big game player and I just wondered if you could just sum
15:33up what he's been like for you and how important he is for you as your captain in these big
15:37matches?
15:38Yeah look, yeah vital because as you said he's got the experience you know for at least
15:46two or three of our guys it'll be their first sort of experience of a home North London
15:51derby so you know you always lean on the guys who kind of have been there, done that and
15:55not only that but excelled in it and Sonny's definitely that.
15:58He's definitely been a big game player for this football club for a long time and I think
16:02he's looking forward to it obviously with the added responsibility this time of being
16:05captain and look he's been outstanding for us all year and I know he's looking forward
16:10to the game.
16:11I think to be fair the whole playing group's looking forward to the game, looking forward
16:14to any game at the moment because we've just been training for two weeks so yeah looking
16:19forward to seeing how it goes on Sunday.
16:20And just a word on where you are at, if I'd said to you at the beginning of the season
16:24that you would lose Harry Kane but with six games to go you'd be fifth in the Premier
16:27League table, you would have taken that wouldn't you?
16:30No, I'd be disappointed mate.
16:34You think you should be higher?
16:36No, you said to me what I would have taken at the start of the year, you didn't ask me
16:40whether I think we should be higher.
16:42I don't start any year thinking we're going to finish fifth so what I'm saying is at the
16:46start of the year I wouldn't have settled for fifth, I would have tried to win it all.
16:50Where we are I think is a fair reflection of our season, I think we've been pretty good
16:56but we have been inconsistent.
16:58We've had some challenges with injuries and suspension at different times which are all
17:06indicative I think of a group that's still learning about how to be a real strong competitor
17:11in this league but I don't think anyone would say that we're in a false position, I think
17:17we've earned where we are both from a good and sort of not good.