Solanke Looks a Good Buy

I thought Dominic Solanke showed some promise against Arsenal.

Yes everyone will hone in on his Sunday morning park football moment where get didn't even get a shot off when having for Premier League standards, an eternity.

Obviously, that wasn't good enough and raises questions, I understand that, but, there was things to like too.

He looks like an aerial threat, he looks determined to get on the end of crosses, although as a coach I'd want to work on his anticipation of where to be.

Against Coventry, he didn't get any service did he, but on the positive side he got some minutes under his belt after injury to aid adjustment to the system.

Let's hope he doesn't get the volume of vitriolic abuse that has affected the form and indeed desire of Brennan Johnson to play for the club.

His lack of celebration at a time of utmost celebration was profound - it said, you're not worth it.

The 43-point player checklist (written in 2014), Dele and the French Mathematician (Feb 2022), I Googled Player Motivation (Sept 2021) and Players increasingly getting distanced by abusive supporters (June 2023) all talk on this subject.

It's an ongoing problem that is getting worse as society continues to descend against the wokeness that's trying to over-sensitize it.

Ange Postecoglou Press Conference

Another exasperating press conference with a bunch of loser mentality journalists trying to create problems where there aren't any.

One even talked about facing Ivan Toney... who was sold in the summer!

It is clear that Ange Postecoglou is facing a challenging environment where the questions he receives often reflect a "fan mentality" rather than a winning, growth-oriented perspective. 

Journalists, as seen in the latest Week 5 pre-Brentford press conference, focus on short-term outcomes and short-term expectations, which can be frustrating for a manager like Postecoglou, who emphasizes long-term success and consistency. 

It is exasperating for people whu understand the process Tottenham are in.

His answers reflect confidence and patience, reiterating that results will come if the team maintains its principles and focus, despite the external pressure for immediate success.

Evaluating the press conference, Postecoglou comes across as calm and focused, but his frustration with repetitive or outcome-driven questions is evident. 

His statements about playing dominant football and the need for more efficiency in the final third suggest he's not fazed by the early results but is focused on a bigger picture. 

His remarks on social media, fan reactions and the mental toughness required of his players highlight his understanding of the external pressures but also his strong stance on keeping the squad insulated from distractions.

I would focus my questions on growth, strategy and long-term objectives. 

1. Ange, your team has dominated possession and created many chances. What specific improvements do you see evolving in the final third to convert that into more goals?

2. How do you ensure the squad maintains focus and confidence during this period of transition, especially with key players like Richarlison and recently Solanke out?

3. With many games coming up in quick succession, how will you manage the squad's freshness and tactical flexibility?

4. Your long-term vision is clearly about sustainable success. What are the key milestones you’re looking for in the team’s development this season?

5. You’ve emphasized the importance of mentality. How are you fostering a resilient, winning mindset among your players, especially in challenging moments?

These questions would allow Postecoglou to discuss the underlying strategies and processes driving Spurs forward, while avoiding the reactionary nature of questions focused solely on short-term results.

Perhaps we need two press conferences, one for people who understand this process and one for the journalists who don't.

The club needs to be judged against what they are doing, as does Postecoglou, not what fans want.

A bit more planning needs to go into these questions.

In the embargoed section the reporter start by saying if you had lost to Coventry everyone would have said you are in crisis, which shows the mentality of these people.

Spurs are not and would not have been in crisis at all, that's totally and utterly wrong. It highlights again a losers mentality.

Fans on social media are a massive distraction from what you are trying to do he says and that applies to what each individual player is trying to do, as we see with Brennan Johnsom having to shut his Instagram account through so-called supporters constant abuse.

The people around you are important so you get the right type of feedback which is exactly what I have been shouting for years and why the ant-crowd need to be blocked on social media or you have to do what Brennan Johnson has had to do and remove yourself from that platform.

Postecoglou goes on to tell reporters that you ignore the negativity on social media because it doesn't help one iota - and yet these people think that constitutes support!.

You have to embrace the struggle, well isn't that exactly what I say about winning mentalities seeing challenges as opportunities, not problems, while the losing mentality sees a problem, not an opportunity.

Journalists, fans don't understand the wisdom this Aussie gives out every press conference. If they took on board what he is telling them they would achieve more but it goes in one ear and out the other without understanding the meaning.

A winning mentality see stacks that reinforces their belief in their own mindset.

Show me a success story and I'll show you a struggle. 

Blimey, how many time have I written this, you have to fail before you succeed, perseverance, it's all in Think and Grow Rich, everything he is saying is in there.

You need to take the meaning from what he is saying, not just the words. 

That's probably a better way of putting it than saying a journalist doesn't understand, I mean the same thing by it, the underlying message is what you listen to.

How many times do journalists bring up social media in these press conferences and doesn't that show how important the rhetoric on these platforms is?

Fans need to grasp that and turn themselves into actual supporters helping with positive messages. Criticism should be framed in a positive manner not the destructive manner we have seen against Brennan Johnson and others.

A reporter then goes on about the Welsh winger having to turn super sub performances to performances from the start.

My immediate thought is, that's your narrative, that's the narrative of the social media folk who know, know different;y.

Postecoglou says no, he's getting into the areas we want him in, it's about improving his decision making. 

Our manager also talks about Johnson having to unlock in his head what he's good at and I start shouting that's what a bloody sports psychologist is for!

UPDATE: Solanke has shown Spurs fans his work rate is phenomenal and he has hit 4 goals in 6 games.

COYS