Tottenham forging a new era in women’s and men’s teams

At this early stage of the season, it would be easy to suggest that this is a new and improved Tottenham Hotspur – version 2.0, with faster stripes and a cup holder included as standard – but maybe still with the same dodgy wheels that tend to come off at the most inopportune moments. Yet, within both the men’s and women’s teams, there really is a feeling of being a newer, more evolved and more dynamic Spurs. The entire club seems to have bought into the values ​​of “one badge, one team”.

After struggling with confusing styles and underperforming players in recent years, it was clear a change was needed. The women’s team sacked Rehanne Skinner in March as the club found themselves two points above the relegation zone and finished ninth – their lowest position since gaining promotion to the Women’s Super League (WSL). ) in 2019 – under the leadership of interim boss Vicky Jepson. The Spurs men finished the season with their own interim boss (Ryan Mason), missed out on Europe by finishing eighth, then let star striker Harry Kane leave for Bayern Munich.

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But momentum was found when the recruitment team oversaw the arrival this summer of two new managers, Ange Postecoglou (men’s team) and Robert Vilahamn (women’s team), as leaders capable of implementing a style similar offensive. And both teams have taken over: the men lead the Premier League with seven wins in nine games; the women are third in the WSL with three wins out of four. And, for a brief moment on Saturday, both the teams were in first place.

More than just a position in the standings or goals scored, confidence is back.

“The atmosphere is amazing, we have signed some really good players and I love working with the new manager,” said women’s star Rosella Ayane. “The atmosphere around the training ground is really good. So it’s a really positive place.”

Ashleigh Neville, the longest-serving player on the women’s team, told ESPN: “We started again, we welcomed Robert and a new captain. [Beth England]new vice-captains [Molly Bartrip and Olga Ahtinen] and everyone invests in what they want and what the club wants as a team. This season we have no expectations from last season, we are just working behind the scenes to get the job done.

I think the main thing for us was to play exciting football that the fans want to watch. It was more about performance than ‘we want to be in the Champions League’, for example. It was more about getting prepare. how we want to play and then the points will follow and the table will show it.

Meanwhile, new men’s signing James Maddison told TalkSPORT last month: “He [Postecoglou] arrived and had his way of playing and his methods. The way he wants us to train day in and day out is contagious. There isn’t a day you can go out without enthusiasm. Every day and every training session is intense, it’s hard and it’s his way of doing things, but we’re reaping the rewards on the field.”

Rebound of the new manager

The renewed sense of identity comes from both teams being led by men with their own unwavering philosophies.

Much has been made of Postecoglou’s attacking ideals and his history of maintaining a barrier between himself and those he coaches, with the former Celtic and Australia boss always willing to improve, even if it means focusing on the negative aspects.

But that’s where he and Vilahamn differ the most, with the Swede never short of praise to lavish on his players. Vilahamn is more concerned about the bigger picture and the oft-heard Swedish refrain of getting better every day, or as his compatriot and Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson puts it: “A day better, not just a day older .”

Where Postecoglou was generally restrained following Spurs’ 2-0 win over Fulham on Monday night – noting that “it was probably the worst 45 minutes we’ve had all year. [with the ball]” – Vilahamn was full of positives after his side’s 4-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, highlighting the overall second-half performance and the way his players bought into his style of play. “You can see we we have very good results. character in this group,” he said. “We know how to keep going. You can see how brave we are in the preparation, how we play the Tottenham way. It’s also a big step for us.”

However, just like Postecoglou, Vilahamn is keeping his feet on the ground when it comes to his team’s high position in the standings. Speaking to the media ahead of the Villa game, the Swede reiterated that player development is key and his job is not just to adopt a more attacking style of football, but to help their mentality so they can bounce back after setbacks.

“There will be times when we fail, and games will also happen in which we lose,” he said. “Just making sure we continue to develop because the season is all about that, to keep going.”

It’s a far cry from Vilahamn’s debut with Swedish side Häcken, where poor performances punctuated a difficult start to the 2021 season. But just like his players, the young coach has grown and developed over the years. these first difficult months. This experience undoubtedly helped him adjust to life outside of Sweden, as he took Spurs to the top of the table. So far everything seems to be going well.

Trust the players and the system

One of the Tottenham players who is flourishing under their new manager is Scotland international Martha Thomas, who was signed at deadline day to fill the void left by injured Beth England. The 27-year-old has already surpassed her best WSL goal tally for a season (five in 18 games two years ago) to score six in her first four outings, including an eye-catching hat-trick against Villa.

“These players, the national team players who are on the bench of the biggest clubs, etc., you can find that in them, if you give them the trust. [20-year-old Manchester United loanee] Grace Clinton is the same: you give them confidence and they shine,” Vilahamn said.

In Thomas’ own words: “He has allowed us to have our own personality, as long as we stay true to his style. He wants to press and be on the ball, be a possession team, and he has the right personnel for that. I think it’s exciting for us to have that culture.”

Although many Spurs fans are accustomed to seeing the club fail to live up to their potential in both the men’s and women’s teams, there is no doubt that they have entered a new era. All teams, including youth and academy level, now work in the same way, promoting attacking football and collaboration.

“We talked about it the other day, when the men’s team won 2-0, the way their goals were scored was very similar to ours,” Neville told ESPN. “It’s great to see that the men’s team and some academy teams are top of their league, we’re pushing for that at the moment. But it kind of shows on the pitch that we’re all under the same club and we aspire to be the same.”

One of the improvements to the women’s team was the move of Hannah Sheridan, who worked as a nutritionist for the men’s team for many years, to the role of performance manager. Increased investment in sports science has led to improved working practices and Vilahamn now has spreadsheets detailing sweat loss during training (to help monitor its players’ hydration levels), which is something new for the women’s team. There is also a greater focus on streamlining the pathway from the academy to the senior team, with Vilahamn introducing a newly created role of “transition coach” for Anton Blackwood.

It’s working so far, but Spurs’ plan isn’t about this year in the Premier League or WSL, it’s about the new path they take, the long-term stability and success of the club and player development . Both managers can eventually dream of titles, but what matters at the moment is getting their teams to play attacking football and exploit their potential.

“I think Ange and I are trying to do the same thing with the way we play, trying to be brave enough to play good attacking football,” Vilahamn said before the start of the season. “In the long term, you’re going to see a Tottenham that dictates games, that presses high, that wants to lean forward and try to score a lot of goals.”

Fans of both senior Spurs teams are already seeing more than they could have hoped for.