Ange Postecoglou has often come in for criticism for not changing his ways at Tottenham. The Australian is an attacking coach, playing his courageous brand of high-press, high intensity football consistently.
Or at least that’s what he expects of his players. They do not always carry it through, as seen in the shocking second half performance against Brighton & Hove Albion, when Spurs relinquished a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 on the south coast.
Postecoglou wants his team to entertain the fans. He wants his team to attack from the outset and continue to do so throughout, no matter the score and no matter the situation.
That is his philosophy and he will stick by it no matter what. And he has been proven right, in some respects, despite Tottenham being ninth in the Premier League table after seven matches.
Spurs have won three, drawn one and lost three of their opening seven encounters and are eight points off the top of the table. So how are Postecoglou’s methods working?
Well, in some ways, Spurs should be much higher in the table than they are. Looking at the stats in front of both goals, Tottenham have a better record than anyone bar champions Manchester City.
According to fbRef.com Tottenham have move shots per 90 minutes this season than anyone else except Man City, with 17.57. That translates to 6.57 shots on target per 90 minutes too, better than any other team except City.
Spurs also have the highest Expected Goals of any team in the Premier League with 14.8, proving they are doing the right thing when it comes to opposition penalty boxes.
And then at the other end, Tottenham have some incredible stats too. Postecoglou’s team concede the fewest shots on their goal per 90 minutes than anyone bar City too, conceding 8.71 shot on their goal per 90.
That translates to 3.29 shots on target per match – only better by City and Brighton. Their xG against stands at 8.0 though, which is bettered by six other teams in the league.
Those stats show Tottenham are doing everything right in both boxes, without getting the results they deserve, which has been the case in a number of games for sure already this season.
