Following a 3-0 home win over Qarabag in the first round of the UEFA Cup league stage, Tottenham manager Postecoglou attended a press conference to provide insight into a number of key points from the game.
Talking about one of the biggest highlights of the game - Brennan Johnson's outstanding performance, Postecoglou gave a high evaluation: "Brennan is really important to us, especially today the team in the early one person was sentenced to an unfavorable situation, he showed a strong offensive ability and confidence. It was his third goal in three games and I hope he can keep it up." Postecoglou also singled out Brennan's understanding with Dominic Solanke and Son as key to the team's ability to keep the pressure on and force the opposition into mistakes.
Commenting on the woes caused by red cards and substitutions early in the game, Postecoglou said, "We had a very slow start to the game and that put us on the back foot. Radu and Lucas paid the price for that, but as a team we didn't start the game the way we wanted and needed to. However, we responded great and the players showed tenacity and resilience." He also emphasized that the team needs to learn from this and avoid repeating the same mistakes in future games.
On whether the postponement of the game will have a knock-on effect on the rest of the schedule, Postecoglou was negative: "I don't think so. The players have had plenty of time to get ready for the game and we have our own routine flow. While a 35-minute delay will have some impact on warm-ups and other aspects of the game, we have to learn to cope and deal with those contingencies."
Speaking about the players' health, Postecoglou revealed that Son said he was feeling a bit tired after receiving treatment, but did not disclose the exact extent of the injury. Archie Gray, on the other hand, is still on the field and running consistently despite his ankle being hit and should be fine.
Postecoglou also emphasized how the principles the team set out last season were reflected in this game, "We want to be a team that responds in a specific way to whatever challenge we face. Today, after getting a man sent off, we maintained our attacking intent and pressure and ended up scoring. This is the kind of team we want to be."
He also shed light on Brennan Johnson's half-time substitution and Dominic Solanke's form, "Brennan's substitution was just a tactical arrangement, he's in good form. And Dominic is gradually recovering, he played very well tonight and made an important contribution to the team."
Finally, Postecoglou explained the reasons for choosing Guglielmo Vicario to start over Fraser Forster, "I just chose the lineup that I thought would win the game for us. Whenever I choose a starting lineup, I make a decision based on the players' form, the characteristics of the opponent and the importance of the game."
