Goals on either side of the interval from the sensationally in-form Son Heung-min and James Maddison propelled Tottenham Hotspur to their seventh win in nine games at the start of the 2023/24 English Premier League season - and the summit! Tottenham beat fellow Londoners Fulham on the night of Monday, October 23, to extend their flying start to the campaign. The unbeaten Spurs lead reigning champions Manchester City by two points, having won three in a row and four of their last five games. (Football News)
The key to Tottenham’s splendid form has been manager Ange Postecoglou. The Australian tactician joined Spurs from Scottish Premiership side Celtic in the summer of 2023 and has set the record for most points accumulated by a new manager in his first nine games - 23. In doing so, Postecoglou surpassed the 22-point mark that had stood unchallenged since the 1992/93 season, set by Norwich City’s Mike Walker. Chelsea’s Guus Hiddink came close to breaking Walker’s record in his brief stint as the Blues’ caretaker manager in 2009 but finished level with 22.
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Speaking to the media after the game, Postecoglou played down the significance of his accomplishment, choosing, instead, to credit everyone involved in Tottenham’s outstanding season so far.
“Look, it's (a) credit to everyone. It's a really encouraging start to the season for sure. Performance-wise, we've been really consistent,” the Spurs boss said. “We had to work hard tonight; for the first half, we held it really well. We had to be pretty patient in the way we looked for the openings and I thought they [Fulham] were very well organized, particularly defensively.”
“I thought our pressing was outstanding all game,” he added. “But with the ball, it was probably the worst 45 minutes we've had all year.
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“We've got to make sure we stay disciplined in our approach. In the end, Vic [Guglielmo Vicario] made a couple of great saves to keep a clean sheet. In that context, we should have had much better control in the game.”
Born in Greece, Ange Postecoglou migrated to Australia with his family at the age of five. Having settled in Melbourne upon his arrival Down Under, he would grow into a celebrated footballer in the local circuit before taking a definitive step into management. After managing in both his native Australia and Greece, the tactician charted a sharp rise to the English Premier League, one that witnessed his climb to scintillating heights in Japan and Scotland en route.
At the start of the 2023/24 season, Postecoglou became the first Australian and Greek manager to take charge of a Premier League side. Shortly after his appointment, he claimed the Premier League Manager of the Month award for both August and September 2023.
