Dejan Kulusevski's recent piece in The Players' Tribune gives insight into Ange's impact
The Swede's contribution to the athlete-first publication perfectly captures the culture Ange Postecoglou has brought to the club, and it leaves fans wanting more.
The Players' Tribune is a remarkable publication. It has given athletes a platform to express themselves in poetic, angelic words, as they try to explain why they might struggle in certain games, for example, but that they will never stop trying for fans. Footballers are known to use The Tribune as a platform to talk about social issues they're passionate about, or about their journey to becoming professional players. Dejan Kulusevski is the latest contributor, with his "Letter To Spurs Fans" piece generating quite the buzz on social media.
The Swedish forward elegantly said how much he has enjoyed his time at the club since arriving on loan from Juventus in 2021. He explained how, when the time came to sign permanently for Tottenham, he did not hesitate to put pen to paper. He explained that it was "one of the easiest decisions I've made." Even amidst the turbulent 2022-23 season, Kulusevski knew Tottenham was his club.
In his piece, Kulusevski describes how the atmosphere in North London changed when Ange Postecoglou walked through the door. The Australian manager has fostered a family-like environment while carrying a quiet demeanor. He incorporates lessons taught by his father in Australia, and the unconventional path he's followed through football resonated with Kulusevski.
"He is different from any other coach I’ve had. Everybody talks about tactics and winning, and that’s good, but with Ange it means a little bit more, because it’s about you as a person. It’s about you as a man and what you believe in," Kulusevski wrote.
This season has been about implementing a specific style of football and getting the players to buy into Postecoglou's tactics. The manager has stressed that the top-four and Champions League qualification is not where he wants to stop. He wants to win trophies and continues to say so. He still believes Tottenham are in the race for the Premier League title despite the 11-point gap between them and Arsenal, who currently sit in first place.
Kulusevski is just as eager to end Tottenham's trophy drought. He said the team is fighting to bring one home and will do their best. However, he clarified that it will not be easy, and not every game will be won. This season was about finding themselves, Kulusevski wrote, and even Postecoglou doesn't talk about trophies in the dressing room.
"We’re not going to win every game. And actually, Ange never speaks about trophies. He says, ‘Yes, we’ll get there, but first of all we have to become us. We have to find ourselves,’” he said.
The winger's words show just how much Postecoglou has resurrected the culture at Tottenham in less than a year in charge. He took over when the mood around the grounds was dismal, with Harry Kane ready to move on, and fans ready to revolt. Since then, he's established an entertaining style of football and instilled the will that Tottenham can beat anyone.
The section that may have stuck out most to fans was about that match with Chelsea in November. While fans might call that a "disaster" and the moment that derailed Spurs' potential title run, Kulusevski described it differently. He said that game was "special," even with Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie getting sent off and Chelsea shipping four goals past Tottenham. Yet, despite the depleted team, Spurs kept trying for goals and playing the high defensive line. Had Eric Dier been onside, Spurs might've even nicked a point and been vindicated for their efforts. Kulusevski said it was the moment the team knew what they needed to be.
"I remember the moments near the end when we almost made it 2–2. I remember Vicario saving shots with an energy that was bigger than the entire stadium. I remember that we kept attacking, and not because Ange had told us to, because when Destiny got sent off he had no way of talking to all of us. No, we kept attacking because we felt it was the right thing to do. Ange was proud of that. We never stopped being us," Kulusevski exclaimed.
This game epitomized what Postecoglou is building. This article gave an inside look into the passion the players have for this manager and his style of football. The success is coming, and it should give fans reason to remain excited. It won't be perfect, but the club culture is changing, and the belief that they can win is there.
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