‘EPL history’ Postecoglou scores ‘Manager of the Month’ hat-trick, becomes first 3 in a row and fourth in history to save Tottenham, Son Heung-min in the same season
England’s top goal scorer, Harry Kane, had left for Bayern Munich, and the previous season’s top scorer, Son Heung-min, was in a slump. Tottenham Hotspur’s choice to bring in a manager from Europe’s fringe leagues was met with some concern.
Just three months in, Spurs manager Enze Postecoglou, 58, has turned the world’s expectations on their head. He has even surpassed Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as the top manager in the English Premier League (EPL).
Postecoglou was named the EPL Manager of the Month for October, the league’s governing body announced on its website on Tuesday.
He was chosen from a shortlist of four finalists by a combination of fan votes and those of a panel of experts.
Spurs have eight wins, two draws and one defeat in 11 league games this season, with 26 points to trail leaders Manchester City (27). Spurs have been on a roll this season, especially after extending their unbeaten run to 10 games at Chelsea on Nov. 7. Spurs were the only team to win every game in October. The October Manager of the Month award was a well-deserved one for Postecoglou.
Postecoglou is the only EPL manager to win the award in three consecutive months after being appointed. He is also only the fourth manager to win the award three times in a row since the EPL’s inception in 1992, joining Antonio Conte (formerly of Chelsea), Guardiola (Man City), and Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool).
According to the EPL secretariat, Guardiola is the only manager to have won the award four times in a row. While the loss to Chelsea stings, the Red Devils are still only one point behind Man City at the top of the standings, so if they can regain the lead, they’ll have a shot at the November award.
Of course, with Hwang Hee-chan’s Wolverhampton Wanderers at 9:30 p.m. and the post-match A-match schedule, the only remaining game in November is against Aston Villa on Nov. 26, but City’s results are enough to make a run at the title. City have games against Chelsea on Nov. 13 and Liverpool on Nov. 25, so Tottenham’s back-to-back wins against Wolverhampton and Aston Villa could be enough to get them back on top.
Under Mauricio Pochettino (now Chelsea manager), Tottenham were at the height of their powers, finishing runners-up in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) with the likes of Son Heung-min and Kane forming a perfect partnership.
However, over the next four years, the club went through three managers in Jose Mourinho, Nuno Ispirito Santo, and Conte, but they never had a satisfactory season.
It wasn’t until Postecoglou took over this season that there were concerns. Mourinho and Conte, both highly regarded managers, have also failed to lead Spurs in a positive direction. The lesser-known Santos, unlike his time at Wolverhampton, received the worst reviews and was relieved of his duties. There’s even a rather harsh prediction that Postecoglou will follow suit.
Postecoglou led Scottish giants Celtic to their second consecutive league title. He was well known in Korea, where he brought in Oh Hyun-gyu last season and did well. However, pessimism prevailed that the EPL stage would be different.
It only took three months to change that outlook. The EPL has taken the league by storm with a fiery style of soccer that is based on playing together up front, pressing hard to win the ball and involving many players in the attack.
They also led the resurgence of Son Heung-min, who finished as the EPL’s joint top scorer in the 2021-2022 season before suffering a sports hernia last season. He brought in the likes of James Maddison to perfect his style of soccer and boldly started Son in Kane’s place, turning him into a goal-scorer. The team won the ball more easily, and with Maddison sharing the defensive duties, Son was freer to get in front of goal. The result was eight goals, good enough for second in the league.
It was a fantastic start to the season, but now they need to show how they can handle crunch time.
Looking ahead to this round, the EPL’s official website notes that Tottenham are in a crisis situation when they travel to Wolverhampton, saying, “The Postecoglou effect is more psychological than anything else, and his team is likely to bounce back from the (Chelsea) loss.” “In fact, he hasn’t suffered back-to-back league defeats since February 2021, when he was in charge of Yokohama F.Marinos in the J1 League,” it adds.
“There is no doubt that Spurs are vulnerable. “Tottenham’s commitment to wide-open possession football is non-negotiable, which is why today’s game will be a huge test. Their second-half defense against Chelsea proved that.”
Even with two men sent off against Chelsea, Tottenham didn’t back down. They went to extreme lengths to bring their defensive line up to the halfway line, demonstrating an intense desire for an extra goal that resonated in England.
Christian Romero and Destiny Udogie are both unavailable after last-minute sending-offs, while Maddison has been ruled out of the England squad. Mickey van der Penn is also likely to be out for at least a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
Other players are also struggling with injuries, including a groin strain for Xherdan Shaqiri and a torn cruciate ligament for Ivan Perisic. Even Son Heung-min, with his goal-scoring prowess at its peak, is likely to struggle under intense scrutiny compared to previous matches. 아톰카지노
That’s why the game against Wolverhampton is the perfect opportunity to prove that the ‘Enzebol’ still works. “This is another opportunity for us to grow as a group, as a football club, as a team,” Postecoglou said in the official press conference ahead of the game.
After rescuing Son Heung-min and Tottenham from the brink, all eyes will be on Postecoglou to see if he can do it again.
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