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Tottenham’s former recruitment consultant David Pleat has been speaking about the shortcomings of data in recruitment and the importance of having eyes and ears on the ground to watch players.

David Pleat recently left Tottenham Hotspur

David Pleat worked as a scout and a recruitment consultant for Spurs for a long time, helping the club identify the best emerging talent in the English Football League.

However, he vacated his role earlier this summer, with Tottenham’s new regime going for a more data-based approach to identifying players.

It has been well documented that the club’s technical director Johan Lange and his recruitment team use data analysis to narrow down their list of targets and identify players with the specific attributes that Ange Postecoglou is looking for (GiveMeSport).

Pleat says data is incomplete without scouting

Pleat has now acknowledged that while data is an increasingly more useful tool in recruitment, he insisted that the numbers cannot tell you certain things about a player.

He insisted that you need scouts doing the painstaking work on the ground in order to develop a more complete understanding of each potential transfer target.

Speaking about his exit from Spurs, the 79-year-old told Sky Sports: “They are more data-driven now, all clubs, not just Tottenham. There is still room for the eyes and ears, for men that go on with the cloth caps on a horrible evening to wherever to look for talent.

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“Data is a massive help to people who are out scouting, but they still need the scouts. They still need to know certain things. You might find out something more about the player by speaking to a manager of another club.

“You might find out if the player is particularly popular with his teammates, whether he is a good trainer – all sorts of things that data cannot tell you.”

Scouting has to accompany data analysis

I do not think you will find a single top club in Europe that has done away completely with scouting and relies purely on data.

Tottenham will have a trusted network of scouts who will run the rule over players after the club initially uses data to narrow down their search to a set of names.

Ange Postecoglou has said that one Tottenham youngster gets better and better with each training session and game, backing him to evolve into a top player.

Underused Spurs man has to step up

Radu Dragusin has not had as many minutes as he would have liked since his switch to Tottenham at the start of the year.

However, the Romanian now has an opportunity to impress over the next three games after Micky van de Ven picked up a hamstring injury, which is expected to keep him out until after the international break.

The 22-year-old will be keen to show everyone what he can do, and Postecoglou certainly does not doubt his capabilities.

Ange Postecoglou praises Radu Dragusin

Postecoglou has now spoken in glowing terms about Dragusin’s attributes and his mentality, revealing that the centre-back works hard every single day on different aspects of his game.

When asked about the defender’s time at Tottenham so far, Postecoglou told Football.London: “Radu’s been with us 10 months now and I think he’s been great.

“We signed him because we saw some really strong attributes in him in terms of his defending capabilities, his mindset and again a really unique journey that he had to fight hard to get where he wants to. So, he had all those things I look for.

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“He is still young and he is working hard every day on his game and all aspects of his game. Defenders you know they tend to get better with age with experience, the good ones, and with him, guys like Micky and Destiny, the reason we signed them at the age they did is we really believe in years to come they’ll get stronger and he is doing that. Every time he is out there I think I can see improvements.”

Dragusin adapting to Tottenham’s system

Postecoglou pointed out that the centre-back has had a steep learning curve, having arrived from a Genoa side who play very differently to Spurs.

The Tottenham head coach revealed that Dragusin has really embraced his system and is now getting more comfortable with the demands placed on him.

The Spurs boss added about the defender: “He is really embracing the way we play. It is very different to where he came from, playing so aggressively with our line and defending one-on-one but he’s embracing that and enjoying that.

“I thought he was great the other night. Not just in his football but in terms of his presence and demeanour, he took some leadership there. Obviously, we lost two of our back four during the game with Micky going down and then Cuti (Cristian Romero) out.

“He had Archie next to him who is 18 and I thought he really stood up in that time just to make sure with those disruptions, we maintained our organisation and I thought he was really good.”

Ange Postecoglou admits that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a much more intimidating venue for opposition sides when the fans are vocal and get behind the team.

Tottenham’s excellent home record

In contrast to Tottenham’s poor away record under Postecoglou, their record at home has been outstanding, with teams struggling to get much joy when they come to N17.

That has been the case this season as well, with Spurs having won seven of their eight home matches across all competitions so far in 2023-24.

Their biggest win of the campaign so far came against Manchester City on Wednesday, with the Lilywhites consigning Pep Guardiola’s men to their first loss of the season and progressing to the quarterfinal of the Carabao Cup.

Ange Postecoglou’s confession about atmosphere

Postecoglou admitted that part of the reason the stadium is such a happy hunting ground for his side is due to the boisterous support that they get from the home fans.

He praised the atmosphere that the Spurs faithful create, claiming that it makes it uncomfortable for opposition players.

When asked about Tottenham’s excellent home record, the Australian told Football.London: “It’s been strong and it has to be. The supporters play a big part in that.

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“I thought they were brilliant on Wednesday night and that’s part of it because if they can generate that energy in the stadium, the players certainly feed off it and it makes the opposition uncomfortable.

“Particularly with the way we play because we want to be at the opposition all the time and if the crowd is up all the time, it gives the opposition the sense they can never get composed or recover. It’s a big part of it and hopefully, we continue to grow.”

Postecoglou on the team’s role

Postecoglou also acknowledged the players have a responsibility to produce moments that get supporters excited about what they are watching.

He added: “Of course, we need to give our supporters a reason to make that atmosphere but when it goes hand in hand like it did on Wednesday night it’s a great place to be and certainly can help us in terms of becoming the football team we want to.”

The Tottenham boss will be hoping that a similar atmosphere awaits his side at every Tottenham Hotspur Stadium fixture this season, with some huge European nights on the horizon.

Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on Wilson Odobert’s latest injury and has shed light on how long the winger is expected to be sidelined.

A difficult start to his Spurs career

Wilson Odobert’s time at the North London club has not got off to the best of starts, with the winger having made just three league appearances since his switch from Burnley due to his injury problems.

The 19-year-old spent nearly a month on the sidelines before returning to action against AZ Alkmaar around a fortnight ago, but unfortunately, he subsequently suffered another hamstring injury on his return.

Postecoglou previously confirmed that the injury is a ‘serious one’ (The Standard), and he has now shed more light on the problem.

Ange Postecoglou provides Wilson Odobert update

Postecoglou has now revealed that the Frenchman will spend a ‘significant’ period on the sidelines, perhaps even longer than his previous injury. However, the Australian refused to put an exact time frame on the summer signing’s return.

When asked if he has any more information to share on Odobert’s expected return date, Postecoglou told Football.London: “No, no real time but it’s significant, so he’ll be out. Again, because it’s a reoccurrence we’ll have to be a bit conservative.

“I’d say a similar timeframe to his last one, maybe a bit longer, but it’s one of those where you don’t want to put a timeframe on it because it will really depend how quickly he heals from it.”

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Opportunity for Timo Werner and Mikey Moore

While Odobert’s injury is far from ideal for Tottenham, it does provide an opportunity for Mikey Moore to keep impressing and for Timo Werner to show that he can contribute to the side.

The German will take confidence from the goal he scored against Manchester City and he will be keen to prove his detractors wrong.

Tottenham Hotspur look to extend their perfect Europa League start as they travel to Turkey for a Thursday night clash with Galatasaray.

With three wins from three games, Spurs are joint top of the league table and only trail Lazio across the tournament standings. Fresh off a commanding 4-1 comeback against Aston Villa, they’ll be looking to build on their recent momentum.

However, the Istanbul atmosphere and the Turkish champions’ attacking approach will present a new level of challenge for the visitors, who will also be without several key players due to recent injuries.

What time does Tottenham v Galatasaray kick-off?

Europa League form guide Tottenham v Galatasaray

Tottenham enter this clash with a flawless record in the Europa League, having secured victories over Qarabag FK, Ferencvaros, and AZ Alkmaar. Their domestic form has been strong too, capped off by a comprehensive 4-1 win over Aston Villa, although earlier setbacks include a tight 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace and a dismal 3-2 defeat to Brighton.

Galatasaray, meanwhile, have won two and drawn one of their Europa League matches. They are unbeaten in their last 11 games overall. At home, they are even tougher to break down, going unbeaten in their last seven matches, aided by one of Europe’s most hostile stadium atmospheres.

Tottenham team news

Spurs are contending with multiple injuries, especially in defence. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are both struggling with recent injuries, leaving Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies likely to step up at the back. Richarlison, who assisted Solanke’s second goal also left the Aston Villa game early with a hamstring issue, limiting Postecoglou’s options up front.

Wilson Odobert remains a longer-term absentee. In the absence of Richarlison, the focus will be on Timo Werner, who showcased his regained confidence with a composed finish against City in the EFL Cup.

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Galatasaray team news

Galatasaray’s main concern has been the recent absence of Victor Osimhen from training, although it appears to be precautionary, and he is expected to play. Osimhen’s involvement could be decisive given his goal contributions this season, both in domestic competition and Europe.

The only confirmed absentee for Galatasaray is Ismail Jakobs, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.

Predicted Tottenham line-up

Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Maddison; Moore, Son, Werner.

Our prediction

Expect a tactical clash, with both teams favouring possession and aiming to exploit gaps through swift transitions. Galatasaray’s attacking movement, particularly their use of long balls over the defence, will challenge Spurs’ backline in the absence of Romero and van de Ven.

Tottenham, on the other hand, will look to Maddison’s creativity in midfield; his impressive 62.5% dribble success rate in the Europa League highlights his playmaking ability. The wide play of Werner and Moore will also be key in stretching Galatasaray’s compact mid-block setup.

In a challenging away atmosphere, Spurs will need calmness under pressure and precise passing to navigate Galatasaray’s pressing and the influence of their intimidating home crowd.

Tottenham Hotspur are now plotting a move for one of the Ligue 1’s best emerging central defenders following Micky van de Ven’s latest injury setback.

Spurs got lucky with Micky van de Ven injury

Micky Van de Ven went off holding his hamstring in the first half of Tottenham‘s 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Manchester City last Wednesday.

Given the history that the 23-year-old has had with hamstring injuries, some Spurs fans were fearing the worst. After all, last time he picked up a hamstring problem, he faced a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

However, Van de Ven did give a positive hint on social media on Monday, posting the caption “Back soon” on his Instagram stories. Ange Postecoglou then followed up by saying Spurs hope to see the centre-back return after the November international break.

Tottenham’s plans for January

Football Insider initially predicted that Van de Ven could spend four to six weeks on the sidelines and that his injury has pushed Spurs to accelerate their search for a centre-back ahead of January.

The Lilywhites are now said to be ‘doing their homework’ on defensive targets ahead of the winter, and one player has reportedly caught the eye.

According to the outlet, Lens starlet Abdukodir Khusanov is admired by Tottenham, with the club now monitoring the 20-year-old’s situation closely.

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Is Abdukodir Khusanovready for ths step up?

Football Insider say that the Uzbekistan international is also on the radars of several top sides from around Europe.

It is explained that the young defender is rated very highly at Lens and seen as an ‘exciting prospect’ for the future, but there are some doubts among talent spotters over whether he is ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

Many allegedly feel that the young defender needs more experience before he is ready to make a big move.

One of Tottenham’s newcomers has achieved that no new Spurs signing has managed for the past 14 years. Rafael Van der Vaart was the last person to tick off this particular record in a Lilywhite shirt.

Dominic Solanke is a huge hit at Spurs

Solanke has had to deal with plenty of doubters since the summer, particularly given the huge transfer fee that Tottenham paid for him.

However, the former Cherries star has not at all looked fazed right since the moment he set foot on the pitch, exuding a calm confidence.

Not only has been immense off the ball with his pressing, but he is quietly racking up goals and assists, showing that he can carry the burden of being Tottenham’s main goalscorer.

Solanke matches Van der Vaart’s record

With his brace against Aston Villa, Solanke has now scored four goals and provided one assist in eight Premier League matches, and five goals and two assists across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

According to BBC Sport, he is the first Spurs player since Rafael Van der Vaart back in 2010 to score at least four goals in his first eight Premier League appearances for the club.

The 26-year-old will now be looking to build on this impressive start and try to better the tally of 21 goals he got for Bournemouth last season.

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Solanke is the goal poacher Spurs needed

There has been a lot said and written about Solanke’s all-around game, including his tireless pressing, combination play and ability to drop deep.

However, what is also clear is that the centre-forward is a top-quality goal-poacher, who sniffs opportunities inside the box, with both goals against Villa being evidence of that.

The Englishman is exactly the kind of goalscorer that a high-volume chance-creation side like Tottenham needs, and he will fancy his chances of getting 20-plus Premier League goals this season.

Heung-min Son is set to extend his Tottenham Hotspur career into a second decade as the club prepare to trigger a clause in his current contract.

Heung-min Son deserves a Tottenham testimonial

Heung-min Son joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2015 and, despite a slow start to his Spurs career, has become a permanent fixture in the side ever since.

It is a well-known fact that Son actually asked to leave Tottenham after a difficult first season in N17. He was eventually convinced to stay by Mauricio Pochettino (SkySports).

Fast forward to the present day and the South Korea captain has scored 165 goals and assisted another 87 in 417 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur. He is, and will forever be, a true club legend.

New contract extension for Sonny

The Telegraph now report that Tottenham fully intend to extend Son’s contract for another season at the club. His current deal expires in the summer of 2025, but Spurs have the option to extend for another 12 months. This would take him into his second decade with the club, having first joined in 2015.

The report claims that all Spurs have to do is inform Son of their decision to trigger the extension. The South Korean star has no ability to accept or reject that extension.

Of course, a contract extension does not rule out the chance of agreeing a new deal with the club captain altogether. In fact, some outlets have reported that Spurs intend to do just that (Football Insider).

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What has Heung-min Son said?

When asked about his future with Tottenham and the chance of a new contract in North London earlier this year, Son said (via Football.London):

“We haven’t talked [about a new contract] yet. It is very clear from me. I am very focused on this season. At this age every second is like a goal, especially this season we are in a lot of competitions, it feels like I am taking even more care on this.

“I am fully focused on this year and just want to win something that everyone at the club deserves. In the future, you never know what will happen, but I will give everything for this club because it’s been 10 years I give everything.”

Given how much Son still contributes on the pitch and how valuable he is commercially to Tottenham, it seems entirely possible that a brand-new three-year contract could be in the offing at some point this season. It would certainly make sense for all parties involved.

Ange Postecoglou has explained why he could not bring James Maddison on sooner after leaving the attacking midfielder on the bench for a second game in a row.

Team balance was prioritised

The Tottenham head coach once again opted for a midfield trio of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Dejan Kulusevski against Aston Villa, with Maddison having to be content with a place on the bench.

The Spurs head coach later explained in his post-match press conference that he needed runners in the middle of the park to be able to match the work rate of the Villa midfielders (Football.London).

Maddison was eventually introduced on 82 minutes in place of the injured Richarlison (who himself had come on as a substitute), and the England international scored a lovely freekick in stoppage time to put the icing on the cake for the home side.

Ange Postecoglou’s Maddison confession

While the decision to leave Maddison on the bench was understandable, some might have been surprised that it took so long for Postecoglou to bring on the Spurs vice-captain.

With the Lilywhites 1-0 down at half-time, many may have even wanted or expected the 27-year-old to come on in the interval.

When asked why he did not bring Maddison on sooner, the Tottenham boss told Sky Sports (via The Independent): “The game wasn’t going the way it had to go for me to bring Madders on. I say to the guys they are all there to make a contribution. Madders will be key for us.”

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“The game wasn’t going the way it had to go for me to bring Madders on. I say to the guys they are all there to make a contribution. Madders will be key for us.”

Postecoglou’s full-time gesture

There was a lovely moment after the full-time whistle, with Postecoglou giving Maddison a big embrace while he whispered something in the midfielder’s ear.

One would assume it was some kind of message about there being more chances to shine in the near future. Just because he has spent the last two matches on the bench, doesn’t mean he should get comfortable there.

This shows that the Tottenham head coach continues to value the former Leicester man highly, and recognises that he is going to be a valuable player for the remainder of the season.

Djed Spence speaks about the challenges of adapting to the inverted full-back role and reveals that one Tottenham teammate has helped him a lot in his quest to do so.

Djed Spence has hardly put a foot wrong this season

Spence has primarily been used as Destiny Udogie’s backup at left-back this season and he has impressed every single time he has been handed an opportunity.

The Englishman has been a bit unlucky not to get more game time than he has, with Tottenham’s lack of homegrown and club-trained players forcing Ange Posetecoglou to leave him out of the Europa League squad for the group stages.

With matches now coming thick and fast, there is no doubt that the 24-year-old will have a role to play over the next few months as Spurs look to compete on multiple fronts.

Spence on the challenges of new role

Spence confessed that the role he is now getting used to is very different to the ones he has played previously, having primarily been a touchline wing-back in the past.

However, the Englishman made it clear that he is keen to learn and insisted that he has the attributes to thrive in this role.

The full-back told Tottenham’s matchday programme (as relayed by Football.London): “It’s been a difficult couple of years for me personally, but I think this year will be a good one for me. The manager has been great. He has his way of playing and we’ve bought into it – it’s been relentless in a good way!

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“We play great football and that comes down to hard work in training as we play how we train. No matter what the style of play, as a player you always have to learn and adapt so you have to put your mind to it, buy into it and then we can go to great places.

“It’s different from what I’ve been used to. I’m always willing to learn and I’m a good learner as well. It requires certain abilities and I believe I have those, so it’s just a new position to add to the toolbox and it’s good for me.

“You pick up good positions, one minute you’re left-back, next you’re in midfield and then in the 10 position, so it’s a good role to try to master and I think it’s a good role for me personally in terms of my development as a player.”

Spence on relationship with Destiny Udogie

Spence revealed that he has a good relationship with Udogie and that the pair often give each other feedback on what they could have done differently in training sessions and matches.

He added: “I’m always happy to help the team win. And, on a personal note, I want to play well for myself as well so I have to keep working and training hard and try to keep putting in good performances when I’m called upon this season.

“l always speak to Destiny and we chat a lot outside of training. When I’ve played, he’s giving me feedback and coaching me with certain things I could’ve done better with and certain things I’ve done well. And I do the same with him.

“It’s different when you’re not playing and you’re watching them play your position, you can spot certain things that he might not have noticed live at the time so we help each other out, we talk, we always have our little competition but we have a really good relationship.”