Three matches in the Europa League and three victories for Tottenham Of Ange Postecoglouwho rejoices in the press conference after the 1-0 win against AZ: “We had to do a bit of everything. It’s not easy, making nine changes to the team, interrupting the rhythm of our football… The boys handled it well the game for the most part, we created good chances, but we lacked consistency in the final third of the pitch and we had to defend ourselves. Fraser made good saves, which is good for us. We had three young players in the lineup starting, guys who haven’t played much. We will need the team, we have a tough program and getting a third win is a positive thing.”
What signal did the young people send you?
“It’s fantastic to see how they play. It’s not just me giving them games. They’re making an impact, they’re playing well, they’re growing in confidence and belief. When you’re talking about two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old, it’s fantastic for us. If they continue to contribute and develop at the same time, not only in the short term, but also in the long term, is a really encouraging sign.”
Maddison said he thought he would have Neymar instead of Moore on the left between the 45th and 65th minutes. What do you think?
“It’s kind of hard for me to keep it down, isn’t it?! It was exciting. I can’t deny it. There’s no point in denying it. I love how Mikey is taking everything in stride, working hard every day. He wants to grow up, he understands that this it’s a journey. It’s very easy for a guy like him, who just turned 17, to feel like he’s made it in some way, but you never get that feeling. You have a player that young, that he wants that responsibility to have an impact, whereas sometimes young people are a little worried about making mistakes. He’s growing well. We have to be very careful about how we use him, and when we use him, that’s the key for us, particularly in these early stages. I’m not afraid of throwing him in, absolutely not. I know it and I see it every day, he’s a great young player and there will certainly be more to come.”
Have you ever seen such strong 17 year olds?
“He handles everything very well, I think he still has to grow a little bit. When I look at him, he certainly has in the last 6-12 months, but with all these things, rightly so, you worry about putting too much pressure on the players. Particularly in the world today. But the thing that gives me the most confidence is how he’s handling everything. I don’t think if he hears what Maddison said about him, it will have repercussions on him tomorrow. That’s the key thing for us. I was excited. I wanted them to pass him the ball. Keep giving him the ball. It’s nice to see.”
He could have thrown himself down after a mistake, but he didn’t.
“He’s got to work on his head, he’s had a couple of those opportunities. He’s got a really mature outlook. He doesn’t let those things faze him. If he tries to get a player and it doesn’t work, he won’t back down the next time. I have deployed on the right, but he definitely seems more comfortable on the left in context, he still makes his contribution when he’s on the right.
Maddison handed the penalty to Richarlison. What do you think?
“As long as they score, it doesn’t bother me. I thought Maddison was exceptional. He was captain, he was so creative, he caused them problems. I think in that moment he felt that Richarlison had worked hard and that he had sort of started the his season tonight. For strikers, goals are important, so I thought Maddison made a great decision in giving him that responsibility, but Richarlison had to score and he did.”
Does Werner miss the goal?
“It’s hard to say. He’s definitely down in confidence, you can see it. Sometimes it’s a hard thing to get out of. It can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. All we can do is try to support him and keep trying to take him to a place where he feels a little more confident about certain things. He made a great pass for Moore, it would have been an assist and it would have given him energy… The same thing happened with Ferencvaros. He has to find a way to get out of it because for us in those positions we need players who have an impact. I thought there were a couple of moments where he lacked a bit of self-confidence which we need to try to instill in him somehow.”
How many points do you need to get into the top 8?
“I don’t even look at that ranking because it’s too confusing for me! I just think if we keep winning we have a chance of moving on, so we’ll just focus on that.”