"He’s a really likeable man but he won’t sit and have lunch with you or have any small talk": James Maddison discusses the impact Ange Postecoglou has had at Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur went unbeaten for their first 10 Premier League games before injuries and suspensions hit
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur have impressed with their fearless playing style this season and clinched a 3-3 draw away to Manchester City yesterday through Dejan Kulusevski's late goal.
It was a promising performance from the visitors, who were still missing several key players through injury and suspension, and ended a three-game losing streak.
When Ange Postecoglou had a full squad to choose from, Spurs went unbeaten in their first 10 games, picking up 26 points.
Absences have hit them hard in recent weeks, not least that of silky playmaker James Maddison, a £40million signing from Leicester City.
James Maddison down injured against Chelsea (Image credit: Getty Images)
After an excellent start at his new club, Maddison was forced off with an ankle injury against Chelsea and isn't expected to return until the New Year.
Spurs have missed his ease on the ball and eye for a pass but remain optimistic of getting back to winning ways at home to West Ham United on Thursday.
In advance of that London derby, Maddison spoke to former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster for Amazon Prime.
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More than just his coaching methods, the England midfielder was full of praise for Postecoglou's character.
Ange Postecoglou on the touchline against Manchester City (Image credit: Getty Images)
“He’s been good. He’s a really likeable man. You very rarely have a social sort of conversation with him. He won’t sit and have lunch with you or have any small talk," said Maddison.
"But there’s a level of respect there, and he’ll always ask about your family. But he doesn’t want to be too tight with players, there’s a boundary and he wants to treat everyone the same – there’s no favourites”.
Postecoglou has become renowned for his motivational skills and Maddison highlighted his effectiveness at communicating with players.
"He genuinely makes you want to go and play well for him. He has that charisma, the way he uses stories and messages when he speaks to us.”
Sean Cole is a freelance journalist. He has written for FourFourTwo, BBC Sport and When Saturday Comes among others. A Birmingham City supporter and staunch Nikola Zigic advocate, he once scored a hat-trick at St. Andrew’s (in a half-time game). He also has far too many football shirts and spends far too much time reading the Wikipedia pages of obscure players.
