Postecoglou recreating the spirit of Nicholson's 'Push and Run'

Welcome to another perspective.

If you haven't been here before you have found something different.

You'll find thought-provoking articles like: 

• A New Dawn at Tottenham Hotspur: Ange Postecoglou's Positive Revolution
• Embracing 'Angeball': Shifting from Fear to Fearless Football at Tottenham Hotspur
• Is Daniel Levy Actually a Secret Genius? The Rise of Tottenham Hotspur Explained
• The Tottenham construction and significance of Postecoglou's appointment

Once you free the mind, anything is possible, the 4-minute mile or travelling to the moon with less computer power than you have in your mobile phone.

Overcome fear and you can overcome everything.

A total mental buy-in to something unlocks the extra element within you, that is impossible to get out in any other way.

It is in all of us.

Few unlock it to achieve greatness.

Postecoglou asks that total buy-in of his players o the style of play he is developing.

No total buy-in, then there is no place for you.

That's one of the 'Hidden Messages' in a chapter of Think and Grow Rich nu Napoleon Hill by the way.

Tottenham fielded the third-youngest side in the Premier League after having the third-oldest last season.

That's what he does, he ousts the old, ushers in the new open minds of youth.

So much of what Postecoglou does resonates with what we have been discussing for years now.

What Postecoglou is doing is saying find me all the players that fit this metric, wherever they are in the world and whatever league they are playing in at whatever level.

Then it's a question of investigating them from there and importantly, having a chat with Postecoglou, who will be mentally assessing their commitment to being the nest they can be.

I have discussed using sports psychologists and making Spurs the leading club in the world for mentality training.

Effectively, that is what Postecoglou is seeking, candidates, young players with that desire to grow, the players that will buy in.

That is going to come from players who have not made it to the very top.

Anyway I run off at an aside, there are so many avenues I could explore, but today we are concentrating on Postecoglou and Bill Nicholson.

Postecoglou has been a manager for 27 years in 5 countries and his Spurs side are slowly growing into his style of play.

If players move off the ball the game is easy because there is always a pass on and then you move to create other passing options. Sounds like 'Push and Run' to me.

Is this the modern version of the 'Push and Run' football produced by the great Bill Nicholson?

Spurs became the first team in the 20th century to achieve the 'Impossible Double', he first British side to win a major European trophy as well as domestic cup success.

The year after the Double in 1061-62 Tottenham again won the FA Cup but finished 2nd in the league all with Nicholson's new 'Push and Run' style.

Ange Postecoglou's coaching philosophy shares certain similarities with the "Push and Run" style of Bill Nicholson, the 'father' of Tottenham managers since his famous double-winning season in 1960-1961. 

Let's explore this today.

Proactive and Attacking Play

Both Postecoglou and Nicholson prioritize an attacking style of play. Postecoglou encourages proactive and offensive tactics to create goal-scoring opportunities, much like Nicholson's "Push and Run" philosophy, which focused on attacking from various areas of the field.

Passing and Movement

Nicholson's "Push and Run" style emphasized quick, one-touch passing and intelligent movement off the ball. Similarly, Postecoglou's approach often involves fluid passing sequences and players interchanging positions to create passing lanes and openings.

I'd suggest you find a full match replay and watch the game again, only this time forget the ball, watch the shape, watch the movement of players off the ball, see why a players is moving, what they are hoping to achieve.

You'll also note that for the system to work, the movement has to be constant, everyone has to keep moving in sequence, like a well-timed Mexican wave.

High Tempo and Intensity

Both coaching approaches emphasize playing at a high tempo and intensity. Postecoglou's teams often engage in high pressing to win the ball back quickly, mirroring Nicholson's emphasis on quick transitions and pressure to regain possession.

Technical Proficiency

Nicholson's style required players with strong technical skills to execute quick passing and movement effectively. Postecoglou also values technical proficiency, as his approach involves intricate passing patterns and creative solutions to break down defenses.

He has taken the game back to playing in triangles. Our passing out of defence now is a lot more assured than it was. It looks as if we know what we are doing whereas before if we were pressed we struggled.

The difference is the movement off the ball within the triangle principle and moving the ball o move the opposition around before springing out.

Bournemouth were pressing with 4 or 5 men and we just took them out of the game, which then gives us the advantage attacking.

Positive and Ambitious Mindset

Both coaches advocate for a positive and ambitious mindset on the field. Nicholson's philosophy aimed to dominate matches through attacking play, while Postecoglou's teams also focus on dominating play through attacking and taking calculated risks to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Embracing Innovation

Bill Nicholson was known for embracing innovative ideas and tactics during his time as a manager. Similarly, Postecoglou is recognized for his openness to adopting unique approaches and challenging traditional norms in football coaching.

Postecoglou highlighted in his pre-game press conference that talent can come from anywhere, just like he has.

Creating an Identity

Nicholson's "Push and Run" philosophy was a significant part of Tottenham's identity during that highly successful era. 

Postecoglou also seeks to establish a distinctive identity for the clubs he coaches by implementing a recognizable and effective playing style and philosophy.

Bill Nicholson left their marks on football through his innovative approach and dedication to attacking football.

Will Postecoglou emulate him?

COYS