Ange Postecoglou tells Tottenham what they need to do this summer
Ange Postecoglou has made it clear to the Tottenham board what they need to prioritise during the summer transfer window in order to build a squad that can sustain the rigours of the Premier League and the Champions League.
Tottenham will be back in the Champions League next season following a three-year absence after making history in Bilbao by winning the Europa League, the club’s first European trophy in 41 years.
While Spurs fans are over the moon at seeing their side finally break their 17-year trophy drought, the win is also a significant boost to the club ahead of the summer window.
Tottenham’s finances are not in a strong position at the moment and the extra revenue that is guaranteed by Champions League participation should give them much more room to manoeuvre and strengthen their squad this summer.
Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham need experienced players
It remains to be seen whether Postecoglou remains in charge to oversee the club’s Champions League adventure next season, but the Australian is in no doubt that reinforcements are needed in the Spurs squad for them to compete at the highest level.
The Tottenham head coach admitted that Tottenham need to sign players who have tasted Champions League football and are comfortable making the step up to that level.
When asked if adding more experience to the squad is important this summer, Postecoglou responded (via Football.London): “Yeah, I think not just us but any club that gets into the Champions League, I think understands that. It’s the most elite competition in Europe and it’s a great demand.
“So yeah, I think every club that gets into the Champions League sees it as an opportunity to strengthen with experience is the right word, but players who have played at that level, who are going to be comfortable at that level, not players who are stepping up to that level. That’s the difference.”
Postecoglou says Spurs inexperience was exposed by injuries
The Lilywhites were decimated by injuries during sustained periods of the campaign, and the Tottenham boss has pointed to that several times over recent months to explain the side’s struggles domestically.
When some will question if Postecoglou’s training methods and style of play were responsible for Tottenham’s injuries, the Spurs boss has pointed out that the lack of experience among the squad players made the situation even worse for the club.
The 59-year-old reiterated the need for the club to sign quality backups who are familiar with the rigours of performing at the highest level.
When asked about the importance of injuries being mitigated next season, Postecoglou responded: “I’ve already said that’s part of it, but also, as I said, we signed three teenagers at the start of the year. Like we signed two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old. We went in that direction. If you think about who left last year, players with experience.
“So whenever you do that, there’s always going to be a little bit of a gap in the development. So that cascading into our injury situation at the start of the year, obviously had a massive effect on what we could do in the league.
“And again, it was our success in the Carabao Cup and our success in the Europa League that added to that as well. So you either assess it all in its totality or you just separate and say, well, you know what, it’s just not good enough, or it’s unbelievable. So you either fall into those categories.
“But at the start of next year, we will be in a much better position from the point of view of even the three young boys we signed, even though Lucas is not a young boy anymore, he’s going to be a massive contributor at the start of the year. You know, that wasn’t the case, Archie and Wilson’s hardly played this year.
“And if we do some good business in the transfer market, obviously brings some experience in, I’m not talking about age, I’m talking about players who have played at this level and can help the team, then I’ve got no doubt we can make the impact we want.”
The post Ange Postecoglou tells Tottenham what they need to do this summer appeared first on Spurs Web.