Following their 3-0 home win over Qarabag in the first round of the UEFA Cup league stage, Tottenham Hotspur manager Postecoglou spoke to TNT Sport and gave insight into a number of key points from the game.
Talking about the unfavorable early stages of the game, Postecoglou was outspoken about his displeasure: "Dragussin was sent off in the opening minutes, which was very undesirable. I was very unhappy about that because our start looked very sloppy. We had planned to start the game at a fast pace, but it seems that the delayed start had an effect on us, causing our passing to become passive and the players got a bit carried away as a result." He also emphasized that despite the poor start, the team's subsequent reaction was positive.
For young player Lucas Berival, who was forced off the field as a result, Postecoglou showed tolerance and encouragement: "That's part of soccer. Lucas is only 18 years old and he has a lot of games ahead of him. With him off the field, we needed to add a player in midfield to ensure defensive coverage. It's an adjustment we need to make, and I'm sure Lucas will have more opportunities to show himself in the future."
Brennan Johnson's goal was one of the highlights of the game, and Postecoglou had high praise for it, "Brennan's goal was great! We were playing with one man down and we were still pressuring and that's the way we want to play. Brennan showed a lot of confidence, which is very important for us. We knew that as long as we could regain possession, Brennan and Son would create space to attack." He also revealed the tactical considerations for replacing Brennan: "I wanted to bring Dejan (Kulusevski) on because he runs aggressively and can inject more energy into our second half. There was no problem with Brennan's form, I just made an adjustment based on the game situation."
In addition, Postecoglou praised Pap Sarr's outstanding performance, "Pap's goal was beautiful! It was his first full 90 minutes of play for us this season and he showed a tough attitude and great ability. We have worked hard on our set pieces and Pap's goal was just the reward for our efforts."
Postecoglou was equally complimentary about Dominic Solanke, who made the pass, "Dominic has been great for us! He's gone through two previous games where he didn't score, but that hasn't affected his performance. He not only scored the key goal, but also played a great role in the offense. He is a classic striker and is working hard to get back to his best."
