Tottenham Hotspurs boss Ange Postecoglou says he needs fans to bring a great atmosphere tomorrow night to White Hart Lane to help overcome tough Manchester United side for what will be a very big game and chance to get closer to the Carabao Cup final
18/12/2024
Tottenham Training Ground, London, UK
18/12/2024
Tottenham Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00I guess from the other night, Destiny, no injury but he's still a bit sore from the
00:10game so not ruling him out but we'll just see how he is obviously with the turnaround.
00:19Biss is obviously available after being suspended on the weekend and I think everyone else says
00:25is.
00:27Do you know when van de Ven might be back yet?
00:31Van de Ven, Romero, sort of still kind of chugging along.
00:35I think both to be fair will be in the new year.
00:38When?
00:39Again, not as significant injuries as last time with Mickie but obviously with having
00:47a setback, medical team is just going to make sure he's right to go.
00:53So both of them sort of in the new year at some point.
00:56And Mikey Moore?
00:57Mikey's back training so hopefully not too far away.
01:01I think the next cab is off the ranker, Mikey, Ben Davies potentially next week and then
01:09Richarlison maybe first week of the new year.
01:12What's been the reaction since Sunday?
01:14Has there been a confidence boost, a notable change in mood with that victory?
01:18No.
01:19We were in good mood before then.
01:21Obviously it was a great performance in the last game on Sunday and I was delighted with
01:31the way the lads handled everything.
01:32It was a tough week with an away European fixture as well thrown in there that was tough
01:40on us physically obviously.
01:43And the fact that we had so many players out, I think the way the players performed was
01:47outstanding but mood's the same.
01:48Looking forward to a big game.
01:49And you focus now on the League Cup.
01:52How big a priority is this for you this season and how good an opportunity is it for Silverware
01:56being what, just two games now from Wembley?
01:58Yeah, well we've got ourselves in that position so we've earned that and like you said it's
02:03a big game, quarter-final of a cup competition and looking forward to it.
02:09Should be a cracker night.
02:11Manchester United, there's a bit of noise around the club at the moment regarding Marcus
02:15Rashford.
02:16There's always a bit of noise about Man United, come on, where have you been?
02:19But physically he's admitted he'd like a new challenge, what have you made of that and
02:24how big a threat?
02:25No interest.
02:26Don't care.
02:27No interest.
02:28He's a Man United player.
02:29Very good player.
02:30We've got plenty of good players but I manage my players and I guess other managers will
02:38manage their own players but in terms of Marcus' situation I have no real desire to examine
02:45that any further.
02:46OK, thank you.
02:47Thanks, bud.
02:48Ian.
02:49Hi, Ansh, how are you?
02:50I'm good, bud.
02:51So you've reiterated many times, second season, trophy, is this...
02:55I haven't reiterated many times but if you ask me a question I'll answer it so if you
03:00ask me 100 times I'm going to answer it 100 times but I'm not going to be walking around
03:04with banners saying I'll win things in my second year but ask me the question, I'll
03:08give you the answer and it is what it is.
03:12Here's the question then.
03:13Tell me, mate.
03:14You're so close if you win tomorrow night to getting your hands on the trophy.
03:19Can you almost feel like this game is the most important game of the season?
03:24No, I don't think quarter-finals is close.
03:26You get to a final then you're close.
03:28There's still a fair bit of football to be played.
03:30All we can do is be ready for tomorrow night.
03:34Like I said, good game, big opponent.
03:39They've done well in cup competitions the last couple of years.
03:44We're at home which is great for us with the support behind us and as you said, an
03:49opportunity to get to a semi-final so I think that's enough motivation and focus we need
03:58for this game.
03:59And again, with your philosophy and I'm not wishing to poke the bear here but with your
04:05philosophy being what it is and you've always said you'd rather play well and keep things
04:11and the players know where they are rather than have high-profile wins here and high-profile
04:16wins there.
04:17But now you are within sight of semi-finals and maybe a final.
04:22Would you park that a little bit to one side just to get through these next two rounds
04:27and the final?
04:28I want to win and I want to play well.
04:31I don't think that's anything new and that'll be it tomorrow night.
04:36We'll go out there and try and play our football and if we do, we'll be hard to stop as we
04:42have been this year.
04:43Finally, a quick one on, you obviously won at Southampton brilliantly on Sunday 5-0.
04:48Russell Martin was sacked straight after the game the same day that Gary Neal lost his
04:53job at Wolves.
04:54A quick word on those two and whether or not managerial careers in the Premier League are
04:59becoming more and more precarious even since you've arrived in the last 18 months?
05:04Yeah, I think that's a fact, mate.
05:07You don't even get sacked in the morning now.
05:09You've got to change your song, mate.
05:14It's crazy.
05:15I don't get it.
05:16I mean, I don't know what the average tenure of a Premier League major is these days but
05:21this notion that clubs want to bring managers in and build stuff, it just doesn't exist because
05:28we all understand, every one of us in our positions at the moment, is that the moment
05:34there's a bit of a wobble, they'll be coming from all areas.
05:38I think Gary and Russell are two outstanding young managers who have got long careers ahead
05:44of them.
05:45Unfortunately, I think for them, they're beginning their careers.
05:49That's what a manager's career is going to look like.
05:52I think you're going to find that from now on, managers are going to have about 20 clubs
05:55on their CV, even the successful ones, because the ability for clubs to just stick with one
06:02person just doesn't seem like it's feasible anymore.
06:05But I've got no doubt both those guys will bounce back.
06:09They'll have learnt from their experience, for sure, like we all do.
06:14Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, they're back doing what they love.
06:20Hi, Andrew.
06:22Lucas Bergwald, impressed in the No. 6 role on Sunday at Southampton.
06:26You've got Yves Bissouma back, tomorrow just house up a decision.
06:29Is that for you in midfield?
06:31It's good to have an option there.
06:35Lucas did fantastically well the other night, and he has done in the last two or three games.
06:42He's played for us, he's really made an impact, but the other night I thought he was really good.
06:47In the first half, he showed a real maturity playing that role, discipline, real quality as well.
06:53It's good to have that option.
06:56Having Biss available is great as well.
06:59I'll make a decision tomorrow, but at the same time, that was Lucas' first start for quite a while.
07:06He did tie noticeably in the second half, so we'll just have to see how he's recovered from the game.
07:11Fraser Foster has done well in that since coming in.
07:13Just for you, how good has he been between the sticks?
07:16He's been great, no surprise to me.
07:23I put him in my Europa squad, that's how highly I rated him.
07:28And then finally, Youngman Hook has arrived in the country.
07:32Have you had an opportunity to meet him yet?
07:34Yeah, he's been in the building the last couple of days, having a good look around.
07:39Obviously, we can't register until the 1st of Jan, so he won't train with us, but I always feel it's good.
07:45I had this experience at Celtic with the Asian lads we brought in, the Japanese Korean boys.
07:50Bringing them in before Christmas allows them to settle in, especially off the field.
07:53That way, by the time we get to register them in a couple of weeks, they're already settled and can train fully.
08:00But yeah, it's good to see him around.
08:02He's been obviously doing some English lessons, which is great.
08:06He's already conversing, and it's great to have him in the building.
08:14Hi Ange, I just wanted to start by asking, how has Archie Gray adapted to being a centre-back,
08:20and are there any players who have helped him with that process?
08:23How do you think he's adapted, mate?
08:25Pretty well.
08:26Yeah, well, you're a fair judge then, mate. You don't need to ask me.
08:30He's done really well, and it's a credit to him, mate.
08:35He's, like I said, 18 years old, asked to play in a position he's probably never played before,
08:41at the toughest competition in the world, plus in Europe, plus for multiple games.
08:46Because sometimes in a one-off, you go, OK, he can sort of fill in.
08:49But he hasn't missed a beat, and it's brilliant to watch.
08:55I think all the lads have obviously helped him in that sense.
09:00I mean, Radu is kind of the experienced one, so to speak, at the age of...
09:03He's got Radu and Destiny, I think, at 22 either side of him.
09:07But that's where we're at at the moment in terms of the squad,
09:10and I think all the young boys are kind of stepping up.
09:13I just think that's super exciting that through a tough period for the club,
09:18in terms of where we're at from a squad perspective,
09:20the young guys are shouldering a big part of the load.
09:24I think that's a brilliant thing for us, because once we get to the other side of this
09:28and hopefully get some smoother waters,
09:30they're going to be so much better equipped for what's ahead.
09:34But, yeah, Archie's done really well.
09:36His defending has been really solid.
09:39He still has... Obviously, he's got the quality on the ball as well.
09:42But just the way he's handled the fact that we're asking him to do a really big job,
09:49like I said, and not just for a one-off game, I think he's handled it brilliantly.
09:53I just wanted to ask you about Jed Spence again.
09:55He's not played a lot of football, but started for the first time on Sunday.
09:58How's he feeling, and is he ready to potentially play a few more games
10:01and maybe even tomorrow night?
10:02Yeah, absolutely. Jed was outstanding the other night.
10:06I said after the game, credit to the work the coaches have put into him
10:10and him where a guy who hasn't started for quite a while comes on and makes an impact.
10:14Again, it wasn't just about him filling a spot for us.
10:17He actually made an impact. I thought he was really good on the night.
10:19He obviously got tired, very tired in the second half, understandably so.
10:24Again, great for us in this period as well to have somebody like him
10:28who's already an established player come in and help us.
10:32Yeah, he's recovered well from the game.
10:34He's obviously, like I said, he was tired,
10:36but I think he just felt really good that he could contribute
10:40and show what he can do.
10:42Yeah, I'm sure he'll get more opportunities.
10:45There were some chants aimed towards the board during Sunday's game.
10:49I'm not too sure if you heard of them.
10:50If you did, I just wanted to know what your reaction to them was.
10:55That's for the supporters, mate.
10:57It's not about – I've said it a million times.
11:00They have the right to express whatever they need to express,
11:04but hopefully they got to enjoy the other night.
11:08It was a special performance by the lads, especially in that 45 minutes,
11:11and we're going to need them tomorrow night.
11:15I've spoken about the atmosphere we got in Galatasaray and at Ibrox.
11:20I'd love that to be our atmosphere tomorrow night
11:22because it'll certainly help us in overcoming a tough opponent
11:26in a really big game.
11:31I know you're often reminded of the wait for a trophy here.
11:34Do you think United are actually quite a good example
11:37of how winning a domestic cup isn't a panacea by itself?
11:41Yeah, I've said that before.
11:44I guess it depends which way you look at it.
11:52I always feel that when you're building something,
11:55and certainly what my ambition is to build a team and a club
12:01that has an opportunity for sustainable success,
12:06then no, just winning a trophy I don't think shows that you've done that.
12:11But it can help the cause for sure because it allows you then
12:16to have belief in having the ability to win things
12:21and create an environment that does bring trophies to the club.
12:28It's definitely something that can help with the process,
12:31but it's not – well, it's just my own belief,
12:35but I just don't think it's the be-all and end-all
12:38when all the other factors aren't aligned with it.
12:41One of those factors is how the team is performing
12:46across all competitions, how the squad is developing.
12:50Is it stable? Is it consistent?
12:53Is there growth there so that when you win one trophy
12:56you're then in a position to win a second trophy?
12:59But if you win one but then you fall off a cliff
13:04and everything else, then I don't think it's the way forward.
13:07What have you made of Ruben Ameriem in terms of the impact
13:10he's had at United since he came in?
13:16He seems to have come in and made an impact straight away.
13:20As I mentioned earlier, it's a club that's always going to have noise.
13:23It's just that kind of football club.
13:25I guess that's as big a challenge as the coaching challenge
13:28for anyone who takes over.
13:30He's obviously tweaked the formation a little bit
13:33and given different players an opportunity.
13:36He probably wants to have a good look at everyone.
13:38But as I showed on the weekend, he's a very tough competitor still.
13:45I'm looking forward to meeting him and taking on the challenge tomorrow.
13:50Just on Rashford, I know you said you've got no interest in what he said,
13:53but he's a player who's been linked with Tottenham before.
13:56Is he somebody you might look at in January?
13:59If I looked at everyone that we were linked to,
14:02I'd have no time to do anything else, to be honest.
14:05I've got other people to do that part of the process.
14:11For us, we've been pretty disciplined in terms of what we're trying to build here
14:17and we'll continue to be so.
14:19Is that a no?
14:20That's not on my radar.
14:24You can ask me about Marcus, but you can ask me about every Premier League footballer
14:27and I'm going to say the same thing.
14:30Finish with George, please.
14:36You often talk about when you've got the success,
14:39to go back and look at the struggle before that.
14:42It feels like this period has been part of the struggle with the injuries and the form.
14:46How encouraged have you been by the green shoots
14:49and missed that with the young players stepping up
14:52and Deke emerging as a leader and things like that?
14:59As I said last week, I haven't lost any resolve or optimism about what we're building
15:04because I do.
15:05I see plenty of growth in this group.
15:13People are looking at our league position and our league form
15:19and within that context they're probably saying,
15:21well, there isn't things developing here.
15:25If you strip it away and look at the challenges we've had this year
15:31with the injury situation,
15:35we're probably one result away from people saying we're going OK in the league as well.
15:40With all these things, my view is just stay calm, stay focused.
15:44I see plenty of growth.
15:49Even Pape Same is still a young man and he's growing all the time.
15:52He's becoming a hell of a footballer.
15:54I just get so excited by all that.
15:56We're going to hit some smoother waters at some point.
15:58I believe that in terms of where the squad's at.
16:02These kind of players who are now carrying us through this tough period
16:07are just going to come out absolute.
16:10You talk about mentality, they've got through that.
16:12Not only got through it, but helped the club through it at such a young age.
16:17Anything they face after that, they're going to be able to crash through.
16:23For me, I certainly feel there's some real growth that has happened
16:29and is happening at the moment.
16:31You mentioned the atmosphere there.
16:33The cup game against City was very good that night, wasn't it?
16:36I know it's kind of a cliche, but when it's a winner-takes-all match,
16:40how important do the fans become, especially late on?
16:43Yeah, massively.
16:44Like you said, that night against City was a big game for us.
16:51The whole atmosphere that night, the way we started the game,
16:53the way we played the whole night.
16:56City were good on the night as well.
16:58It was a cracking game.
16:59We all had a cup atmosphere.
17:03We're going to need that tomorrow night.
17:04We're going to need that energy.
17:07All these games tend to be pretty tight games
17:09and if you get the energy of the crowd behind you,
17:11it certainly can lift the players.
17:14For us, it's going to be an important factor.