Ange Postecoglou has been left mighty impressed with the impact that Dominic Solanke has had on the Tottenham side, both on and off the pitch, and reveals that the striker has already exceeded his expectations.
Dominic Solanke has silenced critics
Solanke was written off by many pundits even before he kicked a ball for Tottenham, with many suggesting that he was not worth the fee that the Lilywhites had paid for him.
The 26-year-old thus had to swim against the tide from day one, and he knew he had big shoes to fill as Harry Kane had departed Spurs just 12 months before his arrival.
However, six months into his spell at North London, there is no doubt that the centre-forward has won over the Tottenham fan base, not just with his eye for goal, but also for the work he does off the ball, and his play outside the box.
Ange Postecoglou on Solanke’s contribution off the pitch
Postecoglou has now lavished praise on Solanke for the tireless performances he has delivered, insisting that the striker would have done even better if he had been given more rest.
The Tottenham head coach revealed that the former Bournemouth man has quickly emerged as one of the leaders of the Spurs side despite only arriving at the club at the start of the season.
The Australian said about Solanke (via Football.London): “If we can get him some help, yeah [he will continue to fill the Kane gap]. Dom has just been outstanding in the way he’s carried the frontline for us during this period. With the way we play, we put a lot of demands on that position. It’s not just him standing up there scoring goals, it’s working hard for the team.
“I really think if Richy was available, I think [Dom)] would have been able to contribute even greater for us in terms of his output in goals. I really love what he brings to us as a team from a football perspective, from a cultural perspective. The only growth we’ve seen in recent times is him and Deki becoming on-field leaders in the team.”
“With Dom being a new player, it probably would have been easier for him to slip in and do his job but he’s taken on the responsibility of helping the whole team. He’s been great for us. I really feel there is more to him and his game. We’ll be able to get more out of him if we can him some help.”
Ange Postecoglou explains why he was confident about Dominic Solanke signing
While the £65m Tottenham paid the Cherries in the summer for the centre-forward seemed to be on the high side at the time, one can argue that the deal has turned out to be a bargain for Postecoglou’s side.
Top-class number nines are hard to come by in modern-day football and there are very few strikers who are as well-rounded as the Spurs man.
Former Premier League midfielder Michael Bridges even claimed a couple of days ago that Arsenal are ‘crying out’ for a player like Solanke to lead their line.
This comment was put to Postecoglou, who was then asked if he was surprised if there was not more competition for the England international’s signature, to which he responded: “I don’t know who else was in for him. I’m just glad we got him.
“In terms of outlay, if you’re trying to sign a striker with proven pedigree these days, it’s pretty hard not to spend. Clubs know how difficult it is to get those types. For me, Dom was proven in that sometimes when you look at players in other leagues, you think how are they going to do it in the Premier League? But he had already done it in the Premier League.
“He’s shown some real growth in his time at Bournemouth. Nothing is a sure thing, but I really thought he was a real safe bet for us. We knew what we were getting. We were getting a proven Premier League striker who was going to fit into our style of play which is the most important thing, but even in terms of what I was hoping for, he’s exceeded that in my mind.”