Ange Postecoglou was spotted having a chat with Rodrigo Bentancur and Pedro Porro in the sun during Tottenham’s latest training session, and he has now revealed why he has seemingly changed his ways.
Ange Postecoglou is now well into his second season as boss of Tottenham Hotspur, and while things have not gone exactly to plan in the league, there is still plenty to be optimistic about, with Spurs set to contest the Europa League final.
The Australian made it abundantly clear during his early days at N17 that he was not particularly interested in forming deep friendships or personal relationships with his players.
Postecoglou believed that allowing such bonds to develop could lead to unintentional favouritism, something he has long felt could damage the harmony and competitive edge within the squad.
He said: “We have so many people here. My goal is to make every single one of them feel valued so I try and get across as many as possible…
“Most of the chats I have with the players are as a group. Of course, players can come to me with issues. It’s just that I won’t be sitting down with them and asking how their day was.”
He continued: “I have to make decisions and some of them are hard. It’s human nature that if I like one person more than someone else then I ask: ‘Why am I making this decision?'”
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Postecoglou changes stance after chat with Rodrigo Bentancur and Pedro Porro
However, in the build-up to Tottenham’s recent clash against Aston Villa, Postecoglou was spotted having a relaxed sit-down with both Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur.
The Tottenham manager has since addressed the moment and explained that while he did not previously place much value on forging close personal ties, his perspective has shifted with time, and he now believes those connections carry real weight.
Speaking to football.london, he said: “A lot of that stuff is references from when I was a young manager. When you get older you mellow a bit and you realise the world’s changed and people need connections.
‘It was a nice day and it was good to sit and chat. They are both great guys and it was good to get some feedback. They played a bit yesterday. It is a fairly common occurrence [to chat with players].”
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou showing signs of evolution
Football has most certainly evolved, and that is reflected in the way top Premier League managers now operate, with many leaning heavily on the emotional side of leadership.
During Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Liverpool, there was clear evidence of just how close he and his players were, and a similar dynamic has been seen with Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City squad.