‘A weight lifted off us’ – Ben Davies reveals how things have changed under Postecoglou
Ben Davies has said that the mood inside Tottenham Hotspur has been extremely positive since Ange Postecoglou walked through the door over a year ago, insisting that there is a feeling among the squad that they can do something special.
Ben Davies enters 10 years at Tottenham
Davies is better placed than most to judge the mood of the squad, having been at the club for a decade since his switch from Swansea in 2014.
Despite being written off by a lot of people, the defender has been a key cog in the Tottenham side under various managers, with the Welshman admitting that being able to adapt to the coach’s tactical demands is one of his big strengths.
He told The Athletic: “I’ve never been the most physical player in the world. I’m not the best athlete, but I’ve had to adapt to different managers and different roles. When I have guidance — when a coach gives instructions — I’m good at understanding why a coach would have that thought process.”
Being one of the most experienced players in a young Tottenham squad, the 31-year-old confessed that he tries his best to set an example to the youngsters on how to behave off the pitch.
He said: “Young players will look up to you as an older player in the dressing room. One thing I’ve always tried to do in my career is behave well and do the right things.
“Don’t be late — I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been late to a lunch or meeting the whole time I’ve been here. These are the little details: the standards in training, the gym, the everyday things that have probably helped me stay at this level for so long.
“Hopefully, it rubs off on these young guys. I hope the new guys see me as someone they can ask advice from if they ever need anything. It can be quite daunting, coming to a big club like Spurs, so having someone to lean on can only help.”
Postecoglou has lifted a weight off Tottenham
Davies has seen plenty of ups and downs at Spurs but he confessed that the feeling around Hotspur Way has changed for the better since Postecoglou walked through the door.
Speaking about the impact of the current regime, the left-back said: “The feel of the players and the external feeling around the club has got a lot better. You can feel it when we get good results playing exciting football. There’s just been a weight lifted off of us.”
“He (Postecoglou) has a real effect on the team in the meeting room when he lays out his ideas very clearly and sets his standards. There’s no hiding if it’s on the videotape. There’s no harsh judgment or deep criticism, it’s just made very clear what he expects.
“It’s a more corrective style. If you make your mistakes trying to do the right things, that’s completely fine because there’s an acceptance that — just like in real life — mistakes happen. He’s more about how you react to them.”
The experienced defender admitted that there is a genuine belief at the club that this squad can achieve something special together.
The Wales international added: “We’re building towards something special and the fans have been understanding. There were times last year when it wasn’t what we wanted.
“We had a couple of tough results, but they stuck with us and can see that things are growing. Hopefully, we can do something special together.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Davies is an absolute manager’s dream, given his versatility, tactical acumen, professionalism and discipline, which is why every manager at Spurs over the last 10 years has valued the former Swansea man highly.
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