Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has heaped praise on a player who’s been an “enormous help” to him behind-the-scenes, as his presence elevates those around him and encourages members of the squad to perform at a higher level.
Tottenham 3-0 Qarabag – 10-man Spurs seal first Europa League win
Spurs’ task of defeating the Azerbaijani champions was made all the more tricky when defender Radu Dragusin was sent off just seven minutes into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium clash on Thursday evening, but Postecoglou’s men performed very well, despite the disadvantage.
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It would be a real dampener for Ange.
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Qarabag had their opportunities to get on the scoresheet – some gaping ones at that – but it was the Premier League side who came out on top, courtesy of goals from the on-fire Brennan Johnson, midfielder Pape Matar Sarr and summer signing Dominic Solanke.
Postecoglou wants to give Solanke a significant confidence boost – which reportedly motivated his decision to start Solanke against the European minnows – and it was a call that paid dividends as the Englishman adds to his Lilywhites goal tally this week.
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Johnson was also subject to online abuse after his performance in the North London Derby against Arsenal nearly two weeks ago, with the Wales international deleting all of his social media channels as a result.
The 23-year-old has now responded in fine fashion with three goals in his last three games, which we can all agree is a testament to Johnson’s elite mentality as an athlete under pressure to perform at the highest level.
The victory over Qarabag means Tottenham have also won their last three consecutive games on the spin in all competitions, and Postecoglou apparently has an esteemed member of his squad in particular to thank.
Winger Son Heung-min – signed from Bayer Leverkusen for just £22 million by chairman Daniel Levy nearly 10 years ago – has gone on to become a superstar for the club, but his importance stretches far beyond his performances on the field.
Postecoglou says Son "constantly pushes" the Tottenham squad
Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports before their win over Qarabag, Postecoglou revealed that Son “constantly pushes” his Tottenham teammates, and the South Korea international is an “enormous help” to his manager.
“Pretty much what you see is what you get with Sonny,” Postecoglou told TNT.
“Anyone who’s had any sort of interaction with him or watched him from afar will know he’s a really positive guy.
“He’s very competitive, he’s constantly pushing himself and others around him. He’s got a real positive energy and been an enormous help for me since I’ve been here, because he’s been at the club for quite a while now. He knows the ins and outs of it. Having a guy like him, particularly with his positive nature works well with the environment I want to create. So, it’s great to have him as part of the group.
“He’s no different to what you see behind the scenes compared to on the football pitch. He’s ultra-competitive, but always positive with everything he does, his interactions with people and the way he engages with people is always with a positive backdrop.
“He can’t do enough for anybody that he comes across, but always in the back of his mind he’s a winner and wants to be the best that he can be. He’s an ideal person to have as a leader.”
The 32-year-old is out of contract next summer as things stand, but reports claim that Tottenham are set to trigger Son’s one-year extension clause to keep him at N17 for another year. This will come as music to the ears of supporters, as a player of Son’s calibre is extremely hard to replace in this market.
