Postecoglou on the importance of youth development and integrating young players

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou on the importance of youth development and integrating young players  25/10.2024  Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK

Transcript

00:00Look, I think understanding that, you know, getting to first team level is not the destination.

00:08I think sometimes, you know, they, particularly players who have undoubted talent and have

00:16come through as always being one that people highlight, they get to first team and sometimes

00:20they think, oh, that's it, I've made it and what we know is that that's not the case because,

00:28you know, for every sort of Yamaal who's 17, there's probably 100 who debuted at 17 who

00:33don't, you know, so there's a cautionary tale there about just because you make it as a

00:39young player at a young age and you start well.

00:43So I think that's the biggest pitfall, not just for the player themselves, but for everyone

00:47around him, whether that's the club, his network of people to say, well, okay, getting to that

00:53level is great, but it's not that unique.

00:56It's about that's the beginning of the journey and I think, you know, players who understand

01:01that or young people understand and have the right sort of network around them have a better

01:07chance of being successful in the long run.

01:09Is it harder now for young players when you think of social media and the focus, I think

01:14back to Ferguson when they had rolling gigs and boys had really big tours, is it harder

01:18for managers and players because, you know, touch of a button and they get abused so much

01:22rather than they get to play?

01:23Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

01:25But again, we've got to, guys of our vintage, mate, without casting aspersions on your own

01:34age, they're growing up in a different world.

01:37I think they're a little bit more aware of it than we are.

01:39You know, like if it was me for my kids, I'd certainly be frightened about it.

01:43But, you know, hopefully young people are getting educated along the way.

01:48They've probably seen others and understand that, like I said, the people around them

01:52are really important.

01:54So, yeah, clubs are more aware of these kind of issues that potentially could happen.

02:01But again, it is, you know, whether it's today or 20 years ago, there's always those pitfalls

02:07that are potentially there.

02:10But like I said, I can only speak, obviously, about Mikey and, you know, from what I've

02:17seen, he's, you know, I think he's well equipped to handle sort of whatever challenges

02:23there are there.

02:26Would you say he's the one who stands out?

02:30Do you always kind of speak to them from that cropping academy or are there other players

02:34that, you know, you think are more likely to approach it in the same kind of way?

02:40Yeah, again, you know, you're always, because, again, players develop sort of differently,

02:46so you're kind of always trying to keep an open mind.

02:47There was no doubt that when we brought Mikey up last year, he was still 16.

02:51Like I said, he'd had a couple of injuries.

02:52But, you know, the couple of times he played in the 21s, he kind of stood out.

02:56And, you know, Simon Davies and the guys in the academy were really strong about, you

03:02know, him and his potential.

03:03So and then you look at them when they train and how do they train?

03:06What's kind of their behaviour like?

03:08What's their sort of mindset like?

03:10And he just came into it and fit in straight away.

03:14So that was the first thing you kind of notice.

03:16You think, OK, well, because ultimately you want to expose young players to our training

03:21environment, but you don't want to detract from our training environment either.

03:24Are they coping?

03:25Are they contributing?

03:26And he settled in really well, whereas others you think, well, you know, they probably need

03:30a little bit more time before we bring him, integrate him in.

03:33And then certainly through pre-season, he was always a standout for us.

03:38So but I think there's others in there.

03:40There's some young boys in there who are starting to, you know, make some inroads.

03:46You know, some are a bit younger, you know, around 15, 16 age group as well, which is

03:51exciting for the club.

03:52It's important for us as a club.

03:53I think having that pipeline, you know, means that hopefully if you go through a successful

04:01period, that it's more sustainable when you've got players within the club coming through

04:08rather than always seeking outside to try and get talented players in.

04:12What's your plan for him?

04:14Is the change generally going to try and force his way in?

04:17Can he become something of an idealist?

04:19Is it way too early?

04:21Look, I mean, again, I just keep an open mind about it.

04:25I think the most important role I've got is to keep my observation attributes on high

04:33alert with him to sense, you know, what the next step is, you know, rather than sort of

04:38get caught up too much in whether it's positive or negative in that sense.

04:43Just keep watching Mikey.

04:45He'll be the best guy to that.

04:46And the name I think is fond of, is there anyone that you're reminded of when you see

04:52him when he's playing?

04:54Mikey Mormon.

04:55Okay.

04:55Done.

04:57Sorry, same topic.

04:59Could he replace, or not replace, could he play something on Sunday?

05:06Yeah, potentially.

05:07I mean, obviously, you know, he's one of the options.

05:11Again, you know, two games in a week.

05:16Because, again, probably the biggest concern I have for him is physically more than anything

05:22else.

05:22You know, he's obviously still a grown kid, so his body is still adjusting to this level.

05:28So, you know, to ask him to play two games in this short space of time, I'd be cautious

05:35about that.

05:35But, you know, we'll have a look at sort of how the team shapes up.

05:38And on the name, I think it reminded me of when Coutinho compared Marcus Edwards to

05:43Lionel Messi.

05:44And he said they tied for corrective doing that.

05:46I mean, what gives you the confidence that you've talked about Mikey's maturity?

05:50Can you kind of give us an example of it?

05:52Just to be clear, I didn't call Mikey a name, all right?

05:55So just to be absolutely...

05:58Yeah, well, we'll address it with my captain then.

06:01No, look, like I said, I think you'll find that, you know, my demeanour around Mikey

06:10would be the same today as it was yesterday.

06:12And I think that's what he'd expect.

06:14But, you know, your best indicator is the player himself or the person himself.

06:20And I've got a feeling that won't affect Mikey.

06:23I don't think we'll see him sort of, you know, arriving with a different colour hair

06:29or Ferrari.

06:30Well, he can't drive, can he?

06:32So, you know, so I think he'll be fine.

06:35And I wondered, have you had any clarity on whether he'll be a potential ban?

06:40And is that something you're preparing for?

06:43No, no, I mean, I think that process is kind of ongoing.

06:46And I said, from our perspective, we'll...

06:50Well, my perspective, I'll just deal with the outcome of that.

06:53And we'll finish with George, please.

06:55Hiya.

06:56I remember last year at the stage where it was a lot, every week,

06:58you'd put your arm around the shoulder of a player.

07:01So I said, it's not really your style.

07:03I wonder, with Timo, would you kind of make an exception after last night

07:07and kind of toughen him down?

07:08Or just kind of unveil his confidence up?

07:11Well, yeah, I mean, there's a couple of things there.

07:13One is, you know, it doesn't mean I, you know, we don't, you know,

07:16I'm not totally sort of cold and callous in these situations.

07:21I mean, we're talking to Timo constantly.

07:23And we have, not just me, coaching staff.

07:27We understand that he's lacking some real sort of confidence at the moment.

07:31So everyone's been working hard at that.

07:35But again, with all these things, I think ultimately,

07:39you know, it's incumbent on him to kind of try and use

07:44as much of the support he's got around here to get himself out of it.

07:49And, you know, our role in that is to provide that support,

07:52whether that's internally, externally, whatever he needs.

07:56And then, you know, like I said, the onus is then on him

07:58to try and use that to, you know, to get him back to the levels,

08:04you know, he wants to be and where he can contribute for us.

08:08But, you know, it's, like I said, with all the players,

08:13what we try and do is provide an environment where,

08:16should they need help, it's readily available.

08:20How pleased are you with what you're doing here, I guess?

08:22And even in the games, it feels like until he gets in the box,

08:25he's doing a lot of the right things.

08:27And you've talked to him, I think, last season as well.

08:30Yeah, look, yeah, he is.

08:32But at the same time, we do need output from our wingers.

08:35I mean, that's the key part.

08:36I mean, it's kind of, I thought the difference last night was that,

08:41you know, when Mikey was on with Brennan,

08:44we were a real threat on both wings and we were getting outcomes from it.

08:48You know, it wasn't, you know, we didn't score,

08:50but I think, you know, three or four really good chances came from it.

08:53And you need that to happen with the way we play.

08:56So, yeah, well, so general play is important.

08:59And with Timo, you know, he's done well.

09:02You know, we still need more sort of in that front third.

09:05And I think we've got it in the second half.

09:08OK, thank you.

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