10 months ago
60
DEJAN KULUSEVSKI can praise Ange Postecoglou all day.
Tottenham’s stars love playing for the popular Aussie, love his style and where it is taking them – but they definitely do not want to cross him.
Tottenham Hotspur
Rex
Tottenham HotspurThe Spurs boss has charmed fans from all corners of English football since his arrival from Celtic in the summer, making an impact well beyond N17 with his dry wit and honest opinions.
But he has one hell of a fiery side too.
Kulusevski told SunSport: “He gets angry for sure.
“There have been a couple of half-times when he thinks we’re not doing enough, playing safe and not pushing enough to win the game and then he lets us hear it.
“He goes really, really mad. But we always play better afterwards so it works!
“It is not fun but it is part of the job, you cannot always just give love to players sometimes you have to be hard on them like parents do. It is not scary because it helps us in the end.”
There is no denying it has worked. Only Manchester City and Liverpool have won more than Spurs’ 16 points from losing positions this season.
Postecoglou has players and supporters on side like no manager since Mauricio Pochettino in North London, there are no longer protests or toxic chants if Spurs are struggling late on in a game – only hope.
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His arrival has sparked a huge change of mood and culture at the club after the brutal messages and frustrating football from the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
Kulusevski, 23, was called upon to sell the club to new signing and fellow Swede Lucas Bergvall a few weeks ago, and spoke in glowing terms about the club.
Bergvall, who also spoke to Postecoglou, ended up choosing Spurs over Barcelona.
He said: “I met him and it was nice to see him because I know him a bit. I told him the truth, the same as what I tell everyone. How good this club is and the plans for the future.
“I didn’t want to tell him which club to join because that is hard, but it is the first time I’ve played with a Swedish player.”
Kulusevski also acknowledges that the sales pitch may well have been different a year ago.
The winger added: “Yes, it has changed at the club, absolutely.
“It has been a fantastic change and now it feels like the club is going on the right path and we are doing the right things.
“We are more focused on better things. It is a different mentality, we have to improve.
“It is not about we have to win otherwise it’s a catastrophe, it is about improving every day and if things are going to happen they will happen. It is more about the positive things.”
It certainly helps that Postecoglou plays the style of football that Kulusevski has loved since he was a boy.
The self-confessed football “nerd” who grew up playing Fifa all night and playing front-foot football during the day, loves the philosophy.
And having considered a coaching career of his own, it is one he would stick to.
The former Juventus man took time to help out with Tottenham’s Under-14s this week and paid a surprise visit to the club’s Spurred 2 Coach programme this week.
The Foundation initiative helps young adults without coaching qualifications take the first steps towards earning FA badges and Kulusevski surprised last weeks participants by taking part in a training session with them in the shadow of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
He said: “I love teaching kids as they make you so happy. I would like to train kids in the future.
“I played like that as a child.
“When I grew up, we kept the ball on the floor and wanted to have possession, we didn’t want to be afraid of anybody.
“That is exactly the same things as we are doing now. For a player to play this style is a blessing. It is brave and the most important in life is to not care about mistakes.
“As a coach I would not care about mistakes. I would just want my players to feel free to express their talent as every man and woman has talent.”
As well as playing like he did as a kid, Kulusevski is also dreaming like one under Postecoglou.
The manager rarely replies to title talk by ducking the question, he simply asks ‘Why not?’ A message reinforced with the players.
Kulusevski said: “We want to be the best, there is no reason why not we can be the best if we are doing this.
“When we were kids we were all dreaming and then people tell you to stop dreaming, it is nice to try to become more like kids again thinking everything is possible.”
The more realistic focus is a top four finish, returning to the Champions League, something which has been put into sharper focus by watching the tournament return this week.
He said: “It’s the worst thing seeing those games and you are not playing
“You try to be positive and with your family. As a player you want to be on the biggest stage.”
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