Pundit thinks forgotten Spurs duo could resurrect careers under Postecoglou

Jamie O’Hara has suggested that Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele may both be able to resurrect their Tottenham careers under Ange Postecoglou.

While huge swaths of the Spurs fan base seemed to be reluctant at the idea of hiring Postecoglou when the Australian was first linked with the job a couple of weeks ago, it appears as if most have now come around to it and are genuinely excited about what he will bring.

That is partly down to the glowing reviews that many heard about the 57-year-old from Celtic fans and perhaps also down to his unwavering commitment to playing high-octane, possession-based football.

O’Hara remarked that the Tottenham faithful finally have a manager in place who will stay true to the club’s ethos after enduring three years of negative football.

O’Hara thinks Ndombele and Winks will get chances

The former Spurs midfielder told Grosvenor Sport (as relayed by The Sun) about Postecoglou’s arrival: “I think it’s a good appointment. He’s won the treble at Celtic, he’s been in the game for a long time, and he’s been successful wherever he’s gone.

“I’m intrigued to see what happens – Spurs have had the big managers like Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, but it was just defensive football. They’re top managers, but it wasn’t the Tottenham way.

“For me, I think Postecoglou is going to bring in a style of football that Tottenham fans will enjoy – fast-paced, free-flowing, in your face and high tempo.

“I think it’s what Tottenham need and it’s what the fans want. They may lose some games and they’re still going to have some bad players at the club, but at least it’s going to be more enjoyable to watch.”

O’Hara admitted that Tottenham would need to clear out some of the older heads in the squad this summer but insisted that the likes of Ndombele and Winks, who spent the 2022-23 season out on loan, could have a new lease of life under Postecoglou.

He continued: “I think Postecoglou will have a look at the players on loan – you’ve got Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks on loan, players who have been talented footballers but for whom it hasn’t worked out for, but if you look at how bad it got last year, maybe these players might actually have an opportunity to get involved.

“I think it will be a fresh start for a lot of these players, but they need to get rid of a lot of players who have been there for too long – Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Hugo Lloris, the old heads that have been there for way too long.

“The club needs to move on from that. Spurs have been okay and sort of half successful with them, but now it’s time to move on.”

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While I can understand why the club will want to make some swift decisions on who to sell, given the bloated nature of our squad, I do hope that Postecoglou gets an opportunity to assess the likes of Winks, Lo Celso and Ndombele in pre-season training before a decision is made to sell them.

Those three have suffered from the fact that we have had two managers in Mourinho and Conte who have a cautious style of play.

There is a chance that they could thrive under a coach like Postecoglou, who encourages players to be brave and is accepting of mistakes in possession.