The Telegraph have quoted an unnamed Premier League manager as saying that Ange Postecoglou is quite fortunate that he does not have a congested fixture list in his first season at Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham do not have any European football to worry about this season for the first time in well over a decade after limping to a disappointing eighth-place finish last campaign.
That allied with the Lilywhites’ early elimination from the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup has meant that Postecoglou has essentially had just one game a week for a considerable portion of the season.
While some pundits have pointed to this as an advantage for Tottenham in the race for fourth place (BBC Sport), the Australian coach himself does not see it that way.
In fact, Postecoglou told Football.London last week that he has found that the team finds it easier to maintain rhythm when matches come thick and fast.
Tottenham have had an advantage over rivals
However, one anonymous Premier League manager has now told The Telegraph that it has been of big help to the 58-year-old, pointing to the success that Newcastle had last term when they were in a similar situation.
The manager was quoted as saying: “Spurs have a big advantage this season. Postecoglou has a week to prepare his players for each game and their load is much, much lighter.
“Newcastle really benefited from having a lighter schedule than their rivals last season, which helped them get Champions League, but they still played more games than Tottenham will this season. You can see how the increase in games has impacted Eddie Howe this season.”
Spurs Web Opinion
There is no doubt that having fewer games has been an advantage this season, especially since there has been an uptick in injuries at Spurs as the players adapt to the high-intensity style of play.
We will be much better equipped to handle European football next season after we have had another transfer window to reinforce the squad.
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