Tottenham Hotspur Angers Postecoglou are top of the Premier League table with 20 points after eight games after beating Luton Credit: PA/Bradley Collyer
Among the celebrating Tottenham fans at Kenilworth Road on Saturday lunchtime, there was no doubt who had the biggest smile.
In the directors' box after the final whistle, Daniel Levy looked happier than a five-year-old child at a birthday party. And he has many reasons to be happy.
In the summer, after Harry Kane left, he became enemy number one among Spurs fans, who felt the chairman's lack of ambition was stifling their club. But Saturday's win over Luton, which sent Spurs top of the table, showed how the whole atmosphere around the club had changed. Suddenly, in the brilliant autumn light, everything seems pink. More importantly for a delighted Levy, he is no longer in the spotlight.
And the only person he has to thank is the manager he brought in from Celtic. In the immediate aftermath of that victory, Ange Postecoglou took pains to downplay Spurs' title run («look, it's only October»).
But the transformation he brought about was visible everywhere. After a perpetual slump under Antonio Conte last season, this Spurs team looks organised, determined and united, able to take three points despite being on the losing side for more than half the game.
Many Spurs fans were disappointed by the news this summer. Artists such as Mickey van de Ven, Destiny Udogi, Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison were not the top performers they wanted to replace their longtime hero.
James Maddison has been in fine form since joining Spurs. Photo: Reuters/David Klein
But while other clubs have forked out many millions and still show no signs of cohesion (not to mention Manchester United), Spurs' recruitment looks truly astute. All four were excellent at Luton, with Maddison especially keen to console those fans still mourning Kane's departure. The smile he wore as he walked back to the halfway line after brilliantly setting up Van de Ven for the only goal of the game will especially cheer every Tottenham fan. That smile showed that this player loved every minute of playing for the club. This is not something that was noticeable last season.
Moreover, Postecoglou appears to have transformed the players he inherited. Christian Romero, who often played like a volcano ready to erupt under Conte, was simply superb. Controlled, dynamic, disciplined — it was not difficult to understand what Lionel Messi was talking about when he called him the best defender in the world. “He's pretty good at football, isn't he?” — Spurs coach Messi said when he was given this assessment.
Pape Sarr, whom Conte apparently did not suspect was playing for the club, was another man suddenly discovered. So does Yves Bissouma. It was not his finest hour: he was dismissed after a second yellow, received for a comically theatrical jump just before half-time. But the fact that he pulled the card right on the edge of the Luton penalty area was an indicator of a new direction. Under Conte, no Spurs midfielder was allowed to move beyond the halfway line. Once there, they were required to always pass the ball to the side. Under Postecoglou's leadership, Bissouma is always looking to move forward. And he does so with constant malice.
Of course, the manager is more than aware that much needs to be done if Spurs are to maintain their high status in the table. The wastefulness in the first half, when 12 shots were recorded, all off target, cannot continue. And judging by the body language of the coach on the touchline when chances were denied, he will quickly solve the problem.
But given the way the coach dealt with so much of what went wrong at the club, you suspect that very soon his team will score a goal. Now it seems that the smile on Levi's face will only grow wider.
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