Ange Postecoglou’s change in tone hints at longer-term Tottenham plan

Ange Postecoglou’s press conference to preview Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Manchester City was a largely routine affair, but the occasion did appear to mark a slight shift in rhetoric from the Tottenham head coach.

Postecoglou has previously been bullish about the club's short-term prospects, saying back in April, for example, that he expected Spurs to be challenging for the title this season, and last month reminding a reporter that he has "always" won a trophy in his second season at a club (which is true but nonetheless felt punchy).

But speaking between the 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday and the fourth-round tie against City, Postecoglou's message was more measured.

"If anyone can show me where things can turn around in 15 months or in two years, [at] any club, apart from maybe City where it took Pep [Guardiola] a year, which is like an eternity to be fair for Pep. It doesn't exist," he said.

Postecoglou has always been clear that transforming Tottenham's style of play, culture and the make-up of his squad would take time, but equally he has rarely made such an overt call for patience.

Perhaps more than ever before, the Australian sounded like a manager who is engaged in a project and much more like his most successful recent predecessor Mauricio Pochettino, who regularly preached about the need for patience and time in his first two seasons at the club.

"That does not mean, though, that this is going to take five years," Postecoglou added. "I'm not saying that. But you can't fast-track experience.

"You can't fast-track maturity. All these things need time and you've just got to stay true."

Postecoglou's change in tone raised the question of whether Spurs' up-down start to his second season - they have won four and lost four of their first nine Premier League games - has led the head coach to rethink the timescale of the job.

Postecoglou pointed to the examples of Arsenal and Liverpool as comparable clubs who have "stuck to a process" and eventually been rewarded.

Arsenal finished 8th, 8th and 5th under Mikel Arteta before finally emerging as a title-challenging team in 2022-23, while it took Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool three seasons to push City close and a fourth to finally win the League.

If Postecoglou's Spurs progress at a similar rate, this season is likely to be another year of building, rather than the title push he hoped for in spring.

A longer-term view of success certainly aligns with Spurs' approach in the transfer market.

In the summer, they signed three teenagers in Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert, while two more -- Luka Vuskovic and Yang Min-hyeok -- will arrive next year. With the exception of captain Heung-min Son and defender Ben Davies, Spurs do not have a single outfield player over 28.

Spurs appear to be building a squad to challenge for the League in a year or two, perhaps in a more favourable top-flight landscape when Guardiola has finally left City.

Many supporters, though, have heard this messaging before and lived through the Pochettino era without a trophy to show for it, so talk of another building project will be met with irritation in some quarters, particularly when the club appears to have all the tools neccesary to kick on.

Winning a trophy would be an enormous help -- Arteta was arguably afforded so much patience by Arsenal fans because he won the FA Cup in his first season in charge -- which adds to the magnitude of Wednesday’s game against what is expected to be a much-changed City.

Postecoglou knows how much a trophy would mean to fans but is wary of pursuing a short-term fix and reiterated that his aim is to get the club "to a space where we’re consistently challenging" for honours year-on-year.

"If we’re there in that space, where big clubs are, and where we should be, the rest will take care of itself," he added.

Spurs are set to be without Son against City, with the Korean targeting a return against Aston Villa at the weekend, while Odobert has suffered a "serious" setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury, according to Postecoglou.

If Odobert is sidelined long-term, Mikey Moore, 17, could get more opportunities to impress, but on-loan Timo Werner and Richarlison can also play from the left.