Ange says “first class” Spurs man he hasn’t even picked is important to him

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has shared that one player he’s yet to pick this season is just crucial to him in Spurs training.

Tottenham vs Newcastle

The Lilywhites face yet another tough test in this crunch festive period of the Premier League calendar, with a fairly in-form Newcastle United side up next at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. Postecoglou, fresh off the back of a 2-1 defeat at home to London rivals West Ham, must now regather his squad for what will be a challenging encounter against Eddie Howe’s side.

Newcastle are chasing Europe yet again and could well fancy their chances against a struggling Spurs side right now. Despite humbling defeats to the likes of Everton and Bournemouth most recently, the Magpies have also clinched precious victories over Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United in their last five matches

They appear to thrive in big games, which is worrying for Tottenham since they’re winless since late October. The north Londoners have lost four out of their last five by contrast, and now could hardly be a better time to play them.

Spurs’ damp run of form can be put down to the wave of injury and suspension problems which have swept their squad in the last month. That being said, Newcastle have had to deal with their fair share of absences, too, with Postecoglou praising Sunday’s opponents for how they’ve handled it.

“I think it’s fair to say Newcastle are probably the only other club who have gone through anything like we have from an injury perspective,” said Postecoglou on Newcastle.

“That’s going to affect every club. I think they’ve battled through it reasonable well, very well in fact considering the number of disruptions they’ve had to their first team squad and the challenges they’ve had.

“I think that any club in the Premier League that has gone through that kind of period will find it hard to get a consistency in results. It will be a tough game on Sunday for us because again they’ve got a team that has goal threats and they work hard as a unit and we’ve got to match that.”

One position Spurs have had no trouble in atoll is between the sticks, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario dazzling since joining from Empoli in the summer.

Both Fraser Forster and Hugo Lloris appear unlikely to get any look-in, barring a disaster, with reports also suggesting Lloris could leave Spurs in January.

Ange praises “first-class” Lloris as “important” in training

Postecoglou, though, is adamant that the Frenchman has been “absolutely first class” behind the scenes. The Australian, speaking to media this week (via football365), also says Lloris is an “important” figure in Tottenham training.

“[Lloris’ future] is not my decision. It’s a decision for Hugo and the club. I don’t have that power and don’t want that power,” said Postecoglou, when asked about the 36-year-old’s immediate future, with his contract set to expire next summer.

“Hugo is a member of this squad and how he trains every day is important to me. If he wasn’t then I’d be dealing with it but I haven’t had to, he has been absolutely first-class.

“As a manager, I don’t take that for granted because that could be a problem for me. For most managers, it is the ones who aren’t playing who give you the biggest headaches. It’s his decision to make.”

While Lloris looks certain not to play a part on the pitch, his experience and presence in the dressing room could be pivotal during this crisis at Tottenham.