Despite the driving rain and darkish skies above, there was a collective spring in everybody’s step as coaching resulted in Enfield on Friday lunchtime and the Tottenham gamers strolled again over the manicured lawns having completed ultimate preparations forward of their Monday Night Football conflict with Fulham.

And why not, with the north London aspect sitting high of the desk going into the weekend (albeit they now sit fourth) because of an unbeaten begin to the season beneath new head coach Ange Postecoglou, who has made historical past by turning into the primary boss to win the Premier League supervisor of the month award twice in his first two months within the job.

“It is fair to say it’s been an encouraging start, it is probably reflective of the expectations going into it as people did not expect us to be performing this well,” stated the Spurs boss after we sat down to talk on the membership’s pristine coaching floor.

“People look at us at the moment with curiosity more than anything else.”

The Australian is true, too, to subtly remind folks of a few of these bleak pre-season predictions after the workforce completed down in eighth place final season, earlier than shedding their all-time report goalscorer Harry Kane in the summertime.

But, thus far, after six wins from eight league video games noticed them simply forward of native rivals Arsenal on objectives scored on the Premier League summit forward of the weekend video games, he and his gamers have proved the naysayers incorrect.

Big Ange, although, has been doing that his entire profession.

Monday twenty third October 6:30pm


Kick off 8:00pm

“From my perspective, the results have obviously been great, but I’ve really been pleased with our performances every week,” stated Postecoglou. “We have been really consistent both home and away against difficult opponents, we have had different sorts of challenges in every game.

“But we have maintained a extremely constant degree, there has not been many elements of a sport the place I believed our ranges have dropped. And that’s what is encouraging for us when it comes to what we are attempting to construct.”

The thrilling factor so far as the workforce and followers are involved, nonetheless, is the gamers haven’t reached anyplace close to their ceiling but having solely labored with their new supervisor for 4 months.

So, regardless of possessing the third-best defence and assault within the high flight, Postecoglou says Spurs are nonetheless very a lot a piece in progress.

Intriguingly, it’s the latter he feels wants most work on, whereas it’s the former that has given him most satisfaction thus far, particularly when you think about Spurs have nearly a whole new again 5 this season.

“It is ongoing,” he stated of the method of reinvigorating the membership’s assault after final season’s travails beneath earlier boss Antonio Conte.

“When you talk about a transformation, we have a lot of new players in, a new manager, a new way of playing, that kind of shift is always going to take some time.

“To be trustworthy, that half our sport remains to be the world that has probably the most enchancment in it, the attacking aspect of our sport – we could be much more aggressive in the way in which we play and create much more alternatives.

“But I would balance that up in the tremendous resilience we’ve shown and the defensive solidity we’ve had considering we’ve had a totally new back line and a new midfield set-up. So it’s kind of a balancing act these things of wanting to be this kind of team, but also understanding you have to build some other aspects of the side.

“At the second we’re juggling that fairly properly, however I nonetheless assume after we turn out to be the workforce I need us to turn out to be, that’s the space we nonetheless have probably the most bettering to do in – the attacking areas.”

Meanwhile, at the back, it is the impressive new central-defensive partnership formed between Cristian Romero and summer signing Micky van de Ven that has really delighted Postecoglou, even more so when he concedes he thought this is a part of the team that would struggle initially.

“That is the world the place we have now acquired to a spot the place there’s a actual understanding between the entire group when it comes to our defensive ideas,” he said. “Because my expertise in soccer is knowing between defenders, significantly goalkeeper, turns into actually essential when it comes to essential moments in a sport of soccer when there may be not lots of time to assume.

“Those issues take time and if something I believed we might be extra open than we have now been in video games and that’s credit score to the fellows we have now had enjoying there and the work the coaches have executed on the coaching tracks to provide them a great understanding.

“And, for me, part of the exciting thing is that we are still in the early stages, so as they do get more and more understanding hopefully that continues to grow.”

However, whereas every thing seems rosy within the Spurs backyard proper now, the 58-year-old is just not content material to cease and scent these roses, as a substitute he desires extra from his new fees.

“They have to [get even better], that is my role and when I keep on saying we are still in the building stage, it is not because I am trying to downplay expectations, it is because it is the truth,” he stated.

“We are eight games into a new cycle, four months into a new training regime with a new way of playing and thinking, a lot of our players are just beginning their Premier League careers.

“That is my duty now and we will not get sidetracked, as I’ve been on this place earlier than the place I’ve gone right into a membership and never had the smoothest of begins. And what I’ve executed throughout that point is be actually robust, I do know that is the street we’re taking place lads, simply preserve your heads, that is the place we’re going.

“It is just as important if things are going well not to move away from it. We are at the beginning of what we want to build, my responsibility, and I try not to shy away from it, is to keep improving and get better than we are today.

“Sometimes it is easier to do that when things are not going well because the players in that moment are looking to you and what you are going to do. And whenever I have done that and things have not started well, players are looking at my response, is this guy going to change all of a sudden? Is he going to change his approach, the way he talks and trains us?

“And I by no means did and it’s simply as essential when issues are going properly as a result of the gamers are actually me and considering, is he proud of how we’re going?

“And what they are seeing with me is what the Celtic players saw and everyone else in that I come in today and every day thinking, we are going to be better than this. Do not worry about we are going to play this way, this is who we are going to be as a football team.”

The subsequent problem for Spurs is a London derby with Fulham on Monday evening towards a Cottagers aspect who’ve already knocked Postecoglou and co out of this season’s Carabao Cup, in addition to leaving this a part of city with a 2-2 draw after beautiful Arsenal late on within the league in August.

So Postecoglou is aware of precisely what a tricky examination awaits him and his gamers in entrance of the Sky cameras on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“Fulham is going to be a great test, a great manager too in Marco Silva, we played them in the cup and were not successful and away from home, they are always a tough team to overcome and they’ll be a challenge,” he stated.

“We have only had three home games so far out of the eight, it is fair to say our home games have been fairly eventful, a Monday night, the atmosphere is going to be great. I’m really looking forward to it, it will be an exciting game and one in which we are going to need to be at our very best to overcome a tough opponent.”

As for any long-term goals he could also be setting the gamers, reminiscent of Champions League soccer, and even the Premier League title, properly the straight-talking Greek-born Aussie doesn’t do targets.

Instead, he does make one prediction and it’s an thrilling one if you’re a Spurs supporter – that that is simply the beginning of the ‘Postecoglou Project’, with far more to come back from him and his gamers.

I’ll be bitterly disillusioned if we have now not improved as a soccer membership from the place we are actually. I nonetheless assume we have now a lot extra enchancment in us.

“I’ll be bitterly disappointed if we have not improved as a football club from where we are now,” he stated with utter conviction. “I still think we have so much more improvement in us and that is what I am looking at.

“And if on the finish of the 12 months we’re in the principle leaders, it would shock a number of folks, nevertheless it will not shock me as a result of I’ve no set targets and wherever we end, is the place we end.”

Watch Tottenham vs Fulham live on Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm on the Monday Night Football; kick-off 8pm