Michael Owen compares Ange Postecoglou to the early days of Klopp
Michael Owen offers one reason why Spurs fans can feel optimistic about Ange Postecoglou’s project at the club despite the inconsistent results.
Ange Postecoglou’s trophy dreams look tricky
Postecoglou has certainly not been shy about talking up Tottenham’s chances of competing with the best sides for the biggest trophies this season.
However, on the evidence of Spurs’ showing at Selhurst Park on Sunday, one cannot help but feel that the Lilywhties still have a long way to go before they can harbour ambitions of competing at the very top end of the table.
A lack of consistency continues to haunt Tottenham, whose record away from home under Postecoglou is extremely poor.
Michael Owen makes Jurgen Klopp comparisons
However, Owen has now pointed out that in the early days of Jurgen Klopp’s time at Anfield, Liverpool were similar to the current Tottenham side.
He pointed out that the Reds went to a different level only after the arrival of Virgil van Dijk, three years into the German coach’s time at the Merseyside club.
Referring to Postecoglou’s approach at Spurs, the former Liverpool man told Wide World of Sports: “It was a little strange way of setting down the markers and rules I guess but I do remember Klopp being very, very similar at Liverpool. It used to feel like every other week they’d go 3-0 ahead and just didn’t know how to defend the lead.
“And then people would say you’ve got to bring in another defender, another central midfielder and tighten things up but he was like ‘no, no, no this is how we’re playing, they need to learn’.
“What it also does is expose the weak links in your team, if you continue playing in the right way then it does expose the players that actually can’t carry out what you want. And then Jürgen Klopp went out and bought Virgil van Dijk, he went and bought a new goalkeeper, and more new players because, as I say, I think it exposed the players that couldn’t cope.”
“So there is definitely that train of thought and the end of the day like anything you’ll just have to judge people on results over a period of time and that will be the test I guess but I do like process and I do understand the process that certain managers do to get there.”
Owen makes claim about Spurs and Man Utd
Owen also compared the current situation between Spurs and Manchester United, suggesting that things are a lot more rosy for the former.
The pundit remarked that he can at least see a clear blueprint at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while no such thing is apparent at Old Trafford at the moment.
He added: “Absolutely. If I was a football fan of a certain team, if I can buy into a plan and the manager’s on the TV saying we’ll get there in two or three years. However, we just need to go through this process, we need to be this type of team and then when I switch on the TV or go to the stadium, I actually see that in front of my eyes then I’m happy as Larry. I’ve bought in and I’m ready for the ride.
“With Manchester United I just see nothing. I see no plan, after watching them for two and a bit years under Erik ten Hag, I don’t know whether they’re a counter-attacking team, I don’t know whether they’re a possession team or pressing team. I have no idea what they’re trying to do and that would scare the life out of me if I was a Manchester United fan.”
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