Dec 09,2024
Ange Postecoglou believes it is impossible to compare Tottenham's current project with London rivals Chelsea.
Spurs continued their Jekyll and Hyde form on Thursday with a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth and while they are in the middle of an injury crisis, recent discourse over the club’s inconsistency has turned the focus on their decision to target youth in the summer transfer window.
Tottenham brought in three teenagers alongside £65m forward Dominic Solanke in Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert, with another in 18-year-old Yang Min-hyeok set to be available from January, but on Sunday they will face the team with the youngest average age in the Premier League in Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca is only a matter of months into his tenure at Stamford Bridge and yet able to work with a squad which has been put together in a £1bn spending spree by owners Clearlake Capital since they took over in 2022.
It led to Postecoglou quickly dismissing suggestions there are similarities.
He said: "I don’t think so. The sheer volume that they’ve invested, both from a financial perspective but also a numbers perspective (means) that we are nowhere near being in that boat.
"The players we’ve signed are not only young in age but young in experience. Archie Gray made his senior debut last year in the Championship. Lucas Bergvall has come from Swedish first division. Wilson’s out (injured) but the teenagers weren’t experienced either.
"It’s different in both approaches and really almost impossible to compare what we’re trying to do."
Postecoglou’s current energy is being poured into breaking Spurs’ cycle of inconsistency which has seen them win six and lose six of their 14 league games this season.
"It doesn’t sit well with me. Nor should it. I’m not going to accept it," the 59-year-old said.
"My role within that and my responsibility is to change that because if we’re going to get to where I want us to get to, we need to break that cycle of not showing the belief and resilience in key moments.
"Nothing has changed in terms of my resolve to play the type of football I want to play and be that kind of team.
"It’s just that we haven’t understood the other side of that and that is the discipline and resilience to overcome difficult moments, so that the football we have can come through.
"When we have won this year, we have been pretty compelling. It’s not just struggling victories. Every game we have won, we have been very dominant and exactly the team we want to be.
"So, we have shown the potential of what we can be but that kind of gets diminished by performances like (Bournemouth)."
A regular stick to beat Tottenham with is the 'Spursy’ tag which has followed the club amid a trophy drought going back to 2008.
Postecoglou, who could have vice-captain Cristian Romero back on Sunday, pointed out this season’s wins in Manchester should show there is not a mentality issue at Spurs.
He added: "It’s a funny one because if you talk about mentality, you’d think mentality would be ‘well, against the big teams, you come up short.’
"I didn’t go into this job where I felt there was something institutionalised here that would stop this club having success. I just don’t think that way.
"I think everything while I am here is in my control. So, I’m not going to palm off responsibility to whatever we’re going through to things that have existed in the past.
"From the moment since I’ve come in, I have the ability and the opportunity to change things so that’s what I am endeavouring to do."
