“The game is about glory,” said the great Danny Blanchflower. “It is about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.”
Only eight months into his tenure, Ange Postecoglou has taken Tottenham by the scruff of the neck and shaken a squad so used to defensive, reactive football into life again. For a club that helped revolutionise the push-and-run system, ‘Angeball’ certainly feels more aligned with Tottenham’s values.
It’s a fair assessment then that plenty of players throughout Spurs’ history would have thrived under the Australian’s management. With this in mind, here are a select few of those ex-Tottenham boys that would suit the current set-up perfectly.
Glenn Hoddle
Arguably the most gifted talent Tottenham have ever produced, Glenn Hoddle was a technically proficient, hard-working creative midfielder.
Garnering praise from the likes of Johan Cruyff and Ossie Ardiles, who told Soccer AM he was “basically Maradona without pace”, his eye for a pass and mercurial skill were unmatched.
For years, since the waning powers and eventual selling of Christian Eriksen, Tottenham had a desperately loose screw in the No.10 department before James Maddison was recruited. Postecoglou’s arrival also placed increased importance on that role with his 4-3-3 set-up.
4-4-2 was the usual formation in Hoddle’s playing days, but his strengths would be enhanced by playing in Maddison’s position behind the striker. He would also be canny to Postecoglou’s desire to have a roaming ’10’ capable of dropping deeper to fuel attacks and scoring at the end of them.
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Ledley King
In this hypothetical world, let’s also imagine that Ledley King isn’t constantly dogged by injury. Ah… what a world this is – the grass is greener, air is sweeter and Tottenham season tickets are reasonably priced.
As most Spurs fans are aware, King was one of the greatest central defenders of his generation. Strong, adept at tackling and armed with excellent defensive awareness, he was routinely lauded for his ability despite his bad luck with injuries.
Blessed with pace and athleticism, especially in his youth, King would be a sturdy component of a Postecoglou back four built on a high defensive line and possession-oriented game. He could push into midfield like Cristian Romero and be able to retreat like Micky van de Ven.
His famous tackle on a through on goal Arjen Robben is reminiscent of the slew of gut-busting runs the Dutchman has had to make when opponents have made it in behind the defence this season. It would be quite a sight to see a prime Ledley King in a Tottenham team as forthright as Postecoglou’s.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto
Perhaps not sitting at the same table of Spurs legends as Hoddle and King, Benoit Assou-Ekotto is still a cemented cult hero at the Lane. Signed by Martin Jol, he played his best football under Harry Redknapp, blossoming as a left-back in a back four.
As well as his defensive work, Assou-Ekotto also had moments to shine in attack, scoring both thunderous volleys and back post tap-ins.
Playing in an era before the flying full-backs of Klopp or Postecoglou’s inverted tactics, Assou-Ekotto’s peak was limited to a more binary nature for his position.
This development in the game could well have brought even more out of the Frenchman. And to those that doubt, lest we forget how woeful Pedro Porro was against Newcastle last season in his first time in a back four. Postecoglou’s coaching can improve things radically.
Steve Perryman
Tottenham’s record appearance maker Steve Perryman started his Spurs career aged 17 as an energetic, ball-winning midfielder, with Bill Nicholson himself writing ‘we shall never have been more pleased to welcome any boy to our club’.
Perryman took to Tottenham like a duck to water, becoming an instrumental figure in the dressing room and picking up eight major trophies in his service to the club.
As well as Postecoglou’s love for tenacious ball-carriers at the heart of his midfield (a la Yves Bissouma), leadership in that position is also crucial. Perryman’s eleven years as Spurs captain certainly fulfils those requirements.
Later in his career, Perryman was moved into defence as a right-back. And following Postecoglou’s inverted full-back remit, it’s likely he would be able to drift centrally with ease.
Cliff Jones
A key member of the greatest era in Tottenham history, Cliff Jones started his career in his hometown of Swansea and, upon moving to North London in 1958, was integral to the double-winning side of 1960/61.
A pacy winger with the ability to play on both flanks, Jones’ profile would be ideal for the Angeball system that relies so heavily on its widemen. Jones was not only a diligent provider of goals but a regular scorer of them too, notching 159 goals in 378 games.
Similar to Postecoglou’s attacking intent and “We never stop” mantra, Jones was also used to playing in a Nicholson team that demanded constant high performance, “Bill Nick always wanted us to win with style and entertain the fans. If we won a game and we’d played badly, he was disappointed.”
Jermain Defoe
There are many top strikers that have graced N17 with their presence down the years who would love to be the focal point for Postecoglou’s creative engine. Jimmy Greaves, Jurgen Klinsmann, Martin Chivers and (if his 4 goals against Shakhtar Donetsk didn’t already show) Harry Kane just to name a few.
This lucky choice forward, however, is Jermain Defoe. An incredibly talented finisher with dynamic dribbling and excellent game intelligence, Defoe is perhaps one of the most underrated strikers in England’s modern generation.
Two spells at the Lane garnered him 143 goals in 363 appearances, helping spearhead Tottenham’s rise from mid-table obscurity to European contention.
Postecoglou’s preference for nimble-footed, agile strikers who are able to press from the front would work well with Defoe’s physical fitness, which is how he was able to be so consistent across a range of teams throughout his career.
Mousa Dembele
Pape Matar Sarr flourishing as the more mobile of the two central midfielders this season under Postecoglou, Spurs minds could easily be cast back to the Pochettino era and a certain Mousa Dembele partnering the pragmatic Victor Wanyama.
Both physically robust and a dribbling wizard, Dembele’s combination of skill and strength made him perfect for linking the defence to attack and keeping hold of the ball. All of which, particularly the latter, would be ideal for Angeball.
There are countless clips of his teammates explaining just how good he was, with Kevin De Bruyne including him in his dream 5-a-side line-up.
Playing his best football in the high-intensity, possession-focused side that Pochettino fostered, Dembele would be able to imprint himself on Postecoglou’s side without doubt.
Pau Lopez
Remember Pau Lopez? Remember how he didn’t make a single appearance for the club in his year-long loan spell back in 2016/17? That’s him! He’s the pick of the past goalkeepers.
The demands of being a ball-playing keeper is unwavering in modern football, particularly so in an Ange Postecoglou side. An accomplished save-maker, Guglielmo Vicario’s success has also been down to his distribution and comfort with the ball at his feet, which Lopez is also secure in doing.
Still active at Olympique Marseille, there’s no hurry to resign Lopez frankly. But should the stars have aligned in a different way, he would fit Postecoglou’s system like a glove.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Paul Gascoigne
Stephen Carr
Ricky Villa
Gary Lineker
Bill Nicholson
Which other former Spurs players would have been perfect for an Ange Postecoglou side?
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