Tottenham coach: 'Winning against Man Utd boosts confidence'

Coach Ange Postecoglou sees Tottenham's dominant second-half performance in their 2-0 win over Man Utd in the second round of the Premier League as giving them more motivation and confidence.

"The performance in the second half will boost the players' confidence for the upcoming training sessions and matches," Postecoglou said after the match. "Now, my colleagues and I have to continue to encourage them, help them to play consistently on the road ahead, despite the challenges and setbacks, maintaining their character, courage and determination."

Coach Postecoglou watches Tottenham players in action during the match against Man Utd in the second round of the Premier League on August 19. Photo: AFP

At Tottenham Hotspur's home ground on August 19, in the first half, Postecoglou's students controlled 57%, shot seven times with three on target, compared to 14 and 3 of the opponent. However, Tottenham had many heart-stopping moments when Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes missed the opportunity to head the ball close to the empty goal. Alejandro Garnacho's shot hit the hand of center back Cristian Romero in the penalty area, but referee Michael Oliver did not blow the whistle. It was not until the end of the first half that Tottenham gave an answer with two consecutive situations hitting the crossbar and the post.

It was not until the second half that Tottenham made a breakthrough, scoring two goals from two somewhat inconsistent situations. In the 49th minute, Dejan Kulusevski crossed the ball past center-back Lisandro Martinez and changed direction, and Pape Malang Sarr swooped in and scored a one-touch rebound into the roof of the Man Utd net, scoring his first goal in a Tottenham shirt. In the 83rd minute, Ben Davies missed a shot in the penalty area but Martinez cleared the ball into his own net, leaving Andre Onana rooted to the spot.

Postecoglou admitted that Tottenham played clumsily and made many mistakes in the first half because the squad had many young players or new players who had just experienced the atmosphere of the Premier League. Yesterday, Tottenham's squad included 20-year-old left-back Destiny Udogie, 22-year-old center-back Micky Van de Ven, 20-year-old midfielder Pape Matar Sarr and new goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario - who was recruited from Empoli to replace Hugo Lloris.

Compared to the shaky first half, according to the Australian coach, his players were more stable after the break, maintained their pace of movement, circulated the ball faster, dominated and then scored two important goals.

Pape Sarr (No. 29) scored the opening goal in the 49th minute of the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 19. Photo: Shutterstock

Davies missed the shot, but the ball hit Martinez's foot and changed direction, making it 2-0 for Tottenham. Photo: Reuters

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, captain Son Heung-min also agreed with coach Postecoglou's comments on the significance of the victory and how Tottenham transformed in the second half. "We lacked confidence and made many mistakes in the first half, but the team played incredibly well in the second half. That shows that this team can still improve a lot," said the Korean striker.

Compared to the opening match, which drew 2-2 at Brentford, Postecoglou made two changes, starting Pedro Porro and Sarr instead of Emerson Royal and Oliver Skipp. Postecoglou stressed that it would be foolish to keep the same tactical formula every match and wanted to continue to explore, learn and give opportunities to each player.

After the final whistle, Postecoglou walked into the centre circle, paused and looked out at the stands. The 57-year-old explained that, despite being a coach for 26 years, he still cherishes every moment on the pitch. "You want to feel the moment," he said. "I love what football gives people, especially in these moments. You take a moment to think about the 60,000 people in the stadium and the people watching at home. I feel very lucky to have a moment like this."

In the third round of the Premier League on August 26, Postecoglou and his team played the earliest match at Bournemouth.

Hong Duy

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