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Postecoglou unworried by ‘mentality’ of players despite inconsistent EPL start

Tottenham has problems, but mentality is not one of them. That's what their head coach Ange Postecoglou says.

It's been a rollercoaster for Spurs fans since the start of this season. Big wins at Manchester United and against Champions League rivals Aston Villa were blighted by miserable losses to lowly Crystal Palace and Ipswich, giving both clubs their first Premier League wins.

Spurs' consistency this season lies in their inconsistency. It's never boring. They win or they lose. Five league wins have been accompanied by five league defeats since their opening weekend draw against promoted Leicester City.

But while Postecoglou understands the question marks surrounding his team's psychological state, he doesn't elaborate.

“I'm not worried about the mentality of the squad or the other areas that people are focusing on,” he told Sky Sports ahead of Saturday's visit to Manchester City. “What I look at is how we grow from our experiences. And those experiences – as painful as they were and are – I still think we will get growth from them.”

Growth is a recurring theme as the Australian sits down with Sky Sports News ahead of his 50th Premier League match – a meeting with champions Manchester City at the Etihad.

In November last year, Tottenham topped the Premier League after their first ten games in the lead. Yet a damaging defeat to Chelsea, with red cards and injuries hitting his side, set the stage for a see-saw campaign. A dramatic fall in the spring ended any hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Spurs are now in tenth place and face a busy schedule.

But Postecoglou is optimistic about what has been achieved over the course of his previous 49 league games.

“From where we started, I think the first 50 games, if you look at it as a whole, we've made really good progress considering our starting point, which was eighth in the league,” he said. “That was our starting point. I didn't come to a club that finished first.

“I think we have shown that we have made progress and that we still have a long way to go.”

Perhaps that is why context is needed. Postecoglou took over a club that was reeling after the departure of Antonio Conte. The Italian took a swipe at the club's ownership and overall management over the past two decades before leaving.

However, the 'Spursy' tag remains focused on this group. It's a label they can't seem to shake. It will take Postecoglou another 50 Premier League games and perhaps more to ensure that his side is viewed through a different prism than a team that, despite the highs of a Champions League final and regular top-four finishes, has been there since 2008 failed to win silverware. .

His goal is to separate the past and the future. Yet criticism has been inevitable since the 2-1 home defeat against PhD candidate Ipswich just before the international break. And the issue of inconsistency is difficult to explain or resolve.

“Part of it is where we are as a club at the moment,” he said. “We're still learning to deal with certain things. It's just part of our growth. Beyond the results – because the results can mask things – the reality is that our performance has been inconsistent and that's the point we need to address.”

“We have been very good this year when we have been good. And we have been very bad when we haven't. We have to make sure we always reach a consistent level.”

Despite concerns about injuries at the back, Tottenham have the perfect stage to respond this weekend at the home of the champions. Spurs have already dumped Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup this season – the first defeat in a run of four for Pep Guardiola's side.

Tottenham have enjoyed success at The Etihad in the past, but Guardiola's contract extension, which was confirmed this week, looks like an inevitable catalyst to get the Citizens out of their troubled spell.

Guardiola's new contract will most likely see him play in sky blue for eleven years. And while Postecoglou isn't looking that far ahead, his mentality is to remain in North London to oversee a period of “sustained success” in the future.

“It's unlikely I'll be here another 10 years, but I guess you have to think about it that way,” he said. I think that's the only way you're going to get on a path where you understand exactly how you're going to reach that destination of sustainable success, and that's what we all want, especially for a club like this that hasn't had great years yet. deal with it.

“You don't want a peak, you want a sustained period. So that takes time and that's what we're trying to build.

“Every decision I've made is certainly based on what that platform is going to give us to say that over X number of years, we're going to be able to compete for everything.”

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