Will Postecoglou make Spurs assets great in FPL?
Over the last few seasons Spurs have changed their managers more times than most other clubs. With every new manager came different players and formations and as such different FPL implications. Spurs fan Sam from FPL Family shares her thoughts on Postecoglou and whether he will make Spurs assets great in FPL.
The last few seasons have been hard was as a Spurs fan. The departure of Mauricio Pochettino was a difficult moment for the club and since then we have bounced around changing direction with every new manager. Jose Mourinho, Nuno EspĂrito Santo and Antonio Conte have all come and gone with Spurs feeling further away from where we want to be than ever before.
When Pochettino first arrived at the club, I was excited. He was exactly what we needed on the back of Tim Sherwood’s time in charge. Pochettino offered a vision for the club, a journey for us to go on. That journey took us all the way to the Champions League final. Whilst that final didn’t bring the long awaited trophy, it did show potential. Since that moment we have struggled to find the right man to manage the club. With Postecoglou I have the same feeling as when I saw Poch holding a Spurs shirt. Finally this feels like a manager who, if we back and go on a journey with, could change the direction we are heading.
Ange Postecoglou as a manager
Postecoglou spent two seasons at Celtic and in that time won six trophies. He arrives with a football philosophy which he is uncompromising about. The Australian is a front-football manager, something which should excite Spurs fans and FPL managers alike. But Postecoglou is also ruthless. If players do not work hard or develop they will find themselves dropped, something which could frustrate FPL managers.
In his previous roles Postecoglou has had a good track record for working alongside the youth structure. He is known for bringing through young players and creating firm links between the first team and the academy. Depending on how the younger members of the squad are priced in FPL there could be some value and potential for minutes over the season.
Style of play and FPL
The new Spurs manager has traditionally favoured a 4-3-3 formation. He likes his teams to keep possession, play lots of short passes and when they lose the ball deploy a high press to win it back. He also enjoys the use of inverted full backs.
Postecoglou actively encourages his full backs to occupy the more central areas of the pitch, rather than staying wide and attacking on the overlap. This could be great for the Spurs full backs in FPL but also benefit the likes of Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski who should find more space in these areas.
Under Postecoglou the full backs will likely see a lot of the ball. The will be a massive benefit in FPL. The involvement of these players in the play will likely regularly position them highly in the bonus points system, especially if they register attacking returns.
Who could be the best assets in FPL?
If Harry Kane stays at Spurs this season he will be the natural choice for FPL managers. Postecoglou’s system will work well for the forward. At Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi netted 20 goals in 33 appearances under Postecoglou in his first season. He ended 2022/23 as the Scottish Premiership’s top goalscorer with 27 goals. This year Furuhashi also won the following awards:
- PFA Player of the Year
- Scottish Premiership Player of the Year
- Scottish Football Writers Association Player of the Year
Over the course of pre-season FPL managers should keep an eye on who Postecoglou deploys in those inverted full back roles. Spurs have a lot of options in those positions. There are the players who were at the club for the 2022/23 season as well as those who have been out on loan. Currently Spurs have the following options:
- Pedro Porro
- Emerson Royal
- Djed Spence
- Ryan Sessegnon
- Sergio Reguilon
- Ivan Perisic
Once FPL managers get some insight in to who Postecoglou favours these players have the potential to be great FPL assets. Especially if Spurs bring in the new central defender and goalkeeper that they are in the market for.
Kulusevski, Son and Richarlison could also offer great potential. Under Postecoglou they will likely be told to attack first and defend later. The are also likely to have free reign in the wider positions as the full backs will be more central. This space could really enhance Kulusevski and Son’s game as they exploit the space available to them.
Hopefully this is the season for most Spurs assets in our FPL teams!