It is neither the weather nor California which will be our main topics over the coming minutes but instead a hot take of what the Tottenham -legend thought of Spurs in their first season under Ange Postecogolu.
“It started so well that in the end everyone was getting their hopes up. The season didn't finish brilliantly, but I think the games that we had were tough games. If they'd been spread out a little bit more then people wouldn't have made so much of it. From where the team have been the last four or five years you've got to look at it and say he's done a really good job.
“The quality of the football was what people want to see. Obviously, since it's the Premier League you've got to look at the defensive side of things as well. But as a Tottenham fan I think that you've got to be pretty happy with the way things are. He's got a pre-season now and I think everyone's got to be pretty positive going into this season.”
The charismatic Australian faced some harsh words during the spring, mainly for “lack of a plan B” as seemed to be the go-to criticism from assorted pundits. Every Spurs supporter would have gladly taken a fifth place at the start of the season, though, Anderton believes.
“Obviously, the aim is to be in the Champions League. That's got to be the goal, especially because Tottenham have been in it and we all know what wonderful nights they've had. That's the competition you want to play in. It also attracts better players to be in it, but you would not have expected Tottenham to be in the top four and we've got to be aware of that when looking back as a whole on the season,” Anderton continues, while remaining on the fence about Ange turning Spurs into a title challenger.
“It's just so difficult because the quality within the Premier League is so high. While Pep is around Manchester City it's going to be very difficult to displace him. I wish he would go and manage England or something,” says Anderton with a wry smile before going onto praise the Citizens.
“To be consistent, like Manchester City have been year after year, is incredible. Under Pochettino we had a bit of that consistency where for two or three years we came second and third and were very, very consistent. It feels like it will take time to get back to that level of challenging for the title. The first step is obviously to get back into the Champions League and then go from there.”
Ossie and his love for football
While Anderton gladly confesses to being in love with “Ange-ball”, he also knows the value of being defensively consistent to challenge for the title and points to Micky van de Ven as being potentially pivotal.
“What a player he is. If we can keep him fit, then we've got a chance of being much, much stronger defensively,” says Anderton and draws comparisons to a team he once played in himself which was set up for all out attacking football at White Hart Lane.
“We had Ossie Ardiles as manager and we played this amazing, entertaining football which everyone remembers fondly, apart from our defenders! It was so enjoyable to play in, the training was enjoyable, but teams worked it out and were able to hit us on the counter-attack. So, I have seen some similarities to when I watch this current team.”
Anderton imagines certain senior players might approach the manager if they feel the style of football might be a little too costly.
“Obviously, you can't win anything unless you’re defensively very good as well, so it's all about getting the right balance. We definitely had the conversation with Ardiles, you know, ‘what's our shape? When we lose the ball, we need to work on our shape defensively,’ and his response was just; ‘you're all good players, you should never give the ball away’! He just loved football, and you couldn't help but love him for it,” Anderton tells of the World Cup winning Argentinian who lit up the top tier of English football for a number of years.
But how has does Anderton feel about current wide men Timo Werner, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson?
“I loved Kulusevski. I think he's such a talent but I also think he was really disappointing towards the end of last season. The year he was so good and he's got the quality to be much, much better in the final third. He should score more goals; he should create more goals. His actual play from box to box I think is different class it's just when he gets in that final third his quality has got to be better.
“Brennan Johnson is going to be a very good player for Spurs, I think. I love his pace, I love the way he plays and, again, just got to get those things right in the final third, a little bit of calmness. But he's still young, he’s going to be a hell of a player, I enjoy watching him.”
- Darren Anderton was talking to Tribalfootball on behalf of William Hill