Ange Postecoglou admits that not all of his Tottenham players truly believe in his way yet
Ange Postecoglou believes that he's still not got the majority of the Tottenham Hotspur squad showing true belief in his philosophy.
At every club the Australian has been at, there has been a point when he knew his players had fully bought into his ways and they then went on to win titles. Spurs travel to Chelsea on Thursday and in the reverse fixture in N17, the head coach was given encouragement of that process as his players looked to still take the game to Chelsea with a high line despite only having nine players on the pitch.
"Yeah, look I think that's a fair reflection, but the question for me always is 'Are they doing it because I'm telling them to do it or are they doing it because they believe it?'" said Postecoglou. "And that's always the process you're going through. It's inevitable at the start that most of it is happening because you're telling them to do it. So at least I'm making an impact, at least they're listening to me - that's one box ticked.
"But for it to truly evolve into something, it's because the players believe it, and I've seen the players growing into it but we're not there yet. I came away from that game and thought 'OK, the players are all in and definitely the staff because they wouldn't have gone about it in that manner [otherwise].'
"But the question I take when I step back is 'Have I told them to do this or is there real belief that this is the way forward for us?'. That's always the thing that I'm sensitive to. It's great they're listening to me but it is challenging to play this way all the time. You can't just dip your toe in, you've got to be all in. I've seen growth within the growth for that, but they've still got a way to go."
READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou has say on Ben White gloves moment, Timo Werner future and Tottenham set pieces
READ MORE: The Ange Postecoglou situation at Celtic that should calm Tottenham nerves for next season
So how far are this Tottenham squad from being true Postecoglou believers?
"I think they're at different stages. They all go through their own individual challenges, whether that's injuries, loss of form or whatever, and all these things make them question it," said the 58-year-old. "But in my experience, the true belief comes when you've got the majority of the squad and staff [to a point] where if I didn't turn up, they would still go about things in the same way. I don't think we're at the majority yet."
Thursday night brings another chance for Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino to take on his old side, having spent five-and-a-half years at Tottenham, taking them to three top three finishes, including one runners-up spot, before reaching the Champions League final while finishing fourth in his final full season.
Postecoglou was asked whether he could sense the club was still hung up on trying to better what Pochettino did in those peak years under him which came without the tangible rewards of silverware.
"I don't know but I don't really ask those questions, I don't think's relevant. It's a funny one because if all we measure success on is just trophies, then ok, but I don't think that's what life is about," he said. "And anyone who doesn't think Mauricio's five-and-a-half years here were successful doesn't really appreciate football for what it is.
"Because to get to a Champions League Final, to be runners-up in the toughest league in the world, OK there's no silverware but in my mind, with the way he developed that group, he was a success, but this is the business we're in and we get measured by other things. We have to accept that, but these are not questions I need to ask or investigate. I go by what I see now, today, and today what is important to me is the lads training and getting ready for a big game."
Want breaking and top Tottenham stories sent straight to you? Join our Spurs WhatsApp community by clicking this link. If you're curious you can check out our privacy policy here.
Catch up with this week's Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here! In depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.