Ange Postecoglou sends message as ‘patient’ Tottenham go five points clear in the Premier League - ‘Let them dream’
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Updated 28/10/2023 at 07:19 GMT
Ange Postecoglou was delighted with Tottenham’s “patient and disciplined” performance to beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday. The result means his team moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and the Australian has encouraged Spurs fans to “dream” as their unbeaten start continues. “Let them dream, that’s what being a football supporter is all about,” he said.
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Tottenham Hotspur went five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday night.
An own goal from Joel Ward and a silky Spurs move finished off by top goalscorer Heung-min Son was enough to wrap up the three points, despite the late flurry from Palace which included a brilliant Jordan Ayew strike.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was delighted with how the away side remained patient following a tight, goalless first half, before coming up with the goods after the break in what the Australian puts down as a useful learning experience for his team.
“I knew we had to be patient,” he told Sky Sports. “It was a test of our discipline and sticking to our football, that’s why I’m really pleased because it’s another different way for us to win a game.”
On how Postecoglou wants SSpurs to be the best pressing team in the league, he added: “It’s probably been the best part of our game so far.
"I said during the week, there’s still a lot of improvement to do in terms of our front-third work. The one thing I could control this year is, we’re going to be the first team in the competition.
“There’s no excuse for not doing what’s helping us. If you look at the running stats in the league, we’re at the top of just about all of them, because we want to be the team to be aggressive, and if it’s not working out with the ball, we can create stuff without it.
“We’ve got them fit but then you’ve got to give them a reason to run because they won’t just run for no reason and I think the rewards they’ve had in the last couple of games give them a reason to run.”
It is another game undefeated for Spurs, who, alongside north London rivals Arsenal, are the only teams without a loss so far in the league this season.
Eight wins for Postecoglou’s side put them well clear at the top of the table for now - having played a game more than those around them - as the former Celtic manager continues his record-breaking start to a Premier League campaign.
It might be early in the season and too soon to predict a title charge, but Postecoglou wants Spurs fans to enjoy the positive start the team has had under his stewardship.
“Let them dream, that’s what being a football supporter is all about,” he said. “It’s fair to say that this lot have suffered a fair bit, so I’m certainly not going to dampen that.
“I’m really happy today, this is a tough place to come. We had to work for our victory but I thought we showed real discipline and focus, and I’m really happy with the effort the boys put in today because I knew it would be a difficult game for us.”
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