Postecoglou and Paul Merson battles over choosing tactical approach against Arsenal
Ange Postecoglou and Paul Merson disagree on Tottenham tactical approach for Arsenal clash
In response to allegations made by former Gunners player Paul Merson, Ange Postecoglou has made his game plan for this weekend’s North London Derby match against Arsenal very plain.
When Tottenham plays Arsenal in the North London Derby this weekend, it will be their biggest game under Ange Postecoglou since his hiring in the summer. After winning their first five Premier League games without losing, both teams enter the match with 13 points, with Spurs only ahead of their bitter rivals on goal differential.
Spurs will have had more time to relax than their opponents from this weekend, while the Gunners played earlier this week in the Champions League and easily defeated PSV. Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Bukayo Saka were all replaced early, but despite some injury concerns, it is probable that all three will be match-fit for Sunday’s match.
Ivan Perisic, on the other hand, was handed a severe injury blow by Postecoglou prior to the game when it was revealed that he had torn his ACL during practice and would require surgery.Due to his lack of tactical knowledge or experience in the game against Sheffield United, the Croatian international played a critical role off the bench.
Although the Arsenal match likely comes too soon, Rodrigo Bentancur, Bryan Gil, and Giovani Lo Celso are all making progress toward returns.Postecoglou is therefore confident in knowing the matchday team he will choose for the quick travel across the capital.
Both experts and fans have been anticipating the outcome of the highly anticipated matchup, with former Arsenal player Paul Merson not holding back while calling for a hammering.He stated: “I’m very bullish, but I think Arsenal will win this game easily” in his Sportskeeda predictions. There is no denying that Tottenham has gotten off to a strong start this year.
“The Gunners, on the other hand, will annihilate them if they play gung-ho football and try to take the game to them. They might have a chance if they keep quiet and try to score on the break, but I don’t think that will happen since that’s not how they’ve played so far under Ange Postecoglou.
In recent years, Spurs have chosen a head coach who is pragmatist, but Postecoglou is unquestionably not one of those coaches. Despite the challenging job that awaits Spurs, his team has played out from the back and on the front foot in every league game thus far, and that does not appear to be changing this weekend.
Postecoglou responded when questioned about his game plan in his press conference, “Well, there is no other reason that we play this football than to be successful, so if I didn’t think we would be successful I wouldn’t play it. I frequently assert that I don’t build up my teams to play football that is enjoyable to watch. I prepared my team to play the kind of football that will win. They are sure to impress out on the pitch against Arsenal.
“You must have faith in that in the face of all obstacles and challenges. There will always be adjustments made because the opponent will make you change certain aspects of your strategy, but the fundamental ideas of the kind of team we want to be—no, I won’t duck them now because we’re up against a strong squad. To play the football we have thus far against one of the teams that will contend for the championship, we must go out there and challenge ourselves.
