Ange Postecoglou Discusses Squad Fitness, Fulham Match, and Player Performances

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou addressed reporters ahead of Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Fulham, scheduled for a 13:30 kick-off. The following are the main points from his press conference: Postecoglou commenced by providing an update on the squad’s fitness, stating, “I think everything is all right from [the Europa League draw against Roma on Thursday].” He added that [Cristian] Romero’s comeback is “probably the closest, but still unlikely,” though he is “not ruling him out” as Romero “has got to get through some things today and a session tomorrow.” He further confirmed that Dominic Solanke is “a bit sore” yet remains available for Sunday’s fixture. Regarding their upcoming opponents, Postecoglou remarked, “I’ve got a lot of time for Marco Silva. He’s stabilised them, the level of performance is good on a weekly basis and they have some good players in there. It should be a good game.” When questioned about Dejan Kulusevski’s notable running statistics, Postecoglou responded, “It’s not a fluke – it’s a lot of hard work. He has a real capacity to run at a certain level consistently and his recovery levels are elite. There’s also a lot of mental strength to it. It’s a big strength of his.” Addressing the current condition of his squad, he noted, “We had four schoolboys on the bench [against Roma] – two of them actually went to school this morning. We’re working pretty hard with some limiting factors.” Nevertheless, he expressed excitement regarding the potential of teenage summer signing Archie Gray, stating, “I’m so excited by Archie. I’m asking him to do some different jobs which isn’t easy, but he’s playing football and playing at a really high level. That is going to set us up well for the footballer he is going to become.” Lastly, when questioned about Brennan Johnson’s increased goal tally this season compared to prior years, Postecoglou explained, “The biggest thing is around the discipline in the positions he takes up. He’s always in the right areas and he’s making sure that he’s always disciplined about being there. I still think there’s more [to come].”