Ange Postecoglou has admitted that Tottenham are looking at why a number of his squad are suffering fresh setbacks upon their return from injury. Revealing ahead of the Boxing Day game against Nottingham Forest that Ben Davies had returned to training and would potentially be available for Sunday's fixture at home to Wolves, the Australian confirmed on Friday morning that the experienced centre-back had sustained another issue in training and would now face another couple of weeks on the sidelines.
Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are also in the same boat at present and are not due back until the new year. Spurs' first-choice centre-backs returned to the team against Chelsea at the beginning of December but both made way in the 4-3 defeat with injury unfortunately striking Tottenham once again.
That in turn has left Postecoglou without any real experience at the heart of defence, with the head coach now potentially having no senior centre-backs available for the Wolves fixture after Radu Dragusin came off with an ankle issue in the defeat at Nottingham Forest. Postecoglou has issued a positive update on the injury front, though, after confirming that Mikey Moore and Richarlison are set to return to first-team training next week.
"Yeah him and Richy in the final phases. Next week they can start training," revealed the 59-year-old. "We've got a bit of a gap before the Newcastle game. The plan is Mikey and Richy come back into first-team training next week."
Due to the amount of injuries Tottenham have picked up this season and with players unfortunately sustaining further setbacks, Postecoglou was asked if he looks at his methods and the medical department when the same injuries are happening so often.
"Yeah. That's been our major problem this year - guys who are coming back from injury rather than us losing players as such," he said. "Knock on wood but the core group of players who are training and playing game have no issues.
"So we're looking at those things and why they're happening. It's certainly happened too often this year where guys have come back and they're the ones who are missing. I think just about all of them, apart from Vic, are recurrences of an injury. Even with Romero, it was a different injury, but it's still a guy coming back, so it's something we're looking at."
Tottenham's jam-packed calendar is rather different to 12 months ago when the team were not involved in Europe and exited the domestic cup competitions very early on. With very little time for his players to have a much-needed breather this time around, it was put to Postecoglou if everything including their sports science has had to change.
"It is challenging. All clubs are going to have to get their heads around it and authorities are going to have to get their heads around it," he admitted. "One of two need to happen: either you somehow change the fixture schedule, which doesn't seem feasible or you allow clubs bigger squads.
"Then you have other issues with that, as well. The attrition rate you're seeing -- and it's not just us, we're going through a particularly badly moment. Newcastle went through it last year and it affected them pretty badly, they were obviously in the Champions League as well and probably didn't have the squad to cope with it.
"It hits certain clubs at different times and is probably becoming more prevalent and for all of us it's a challenge as to how we navigate this process to keep our players healthy. It's not just a physical thing, it's a mental thing. For us it's been constant since August and we're not even halfway through the year, and they're not going to get a break now. So these things we're constantly assessing."
The quick turnaround continues this weekend with Tottenham back in action three days after their defeat at Nottingham Forest. Spurs will have the luxury of having a six-day break between the Wolves and Newcastle United games but it will only be a one-off with January set to be another hectic month with the midweek slots filled up by Carabao Cup and Europa League matches.
When asked if Tottenham can appeal the fixture schedule, with another Thursday game against Liverpool recently pencilled in, Postecoglou said: "Not really. We’ve always for some bizarre reasons seemed to have a day less than every opponent we’ve played so far so it affects us both ways… we all know how it works.
"We’re at the behest of higher authorities and broadcasters when it comes to fixturing. There’s very little say we have apart from accepting the fact this is going to be our schedule."
Amid all the injuries hitting Tottenham hard right now and with their form so up and down, it would be easy for the players to use the club's current woes as an excuse. That isn't the case, though.
"To be fair, credit to the players, they haven’t. They are still trying so hard," confessed the former Celtic boss. "That’s the first thing you look at as a manager: are the players still responding to this, or are they looking to an alternative out there? I haven’t sensed that at all.
"It’s very easy to, because it’s human nature to think we need to do something different or we’re obviously undermanned, let’s change something. I haven’t sensed that. The players still want to tackle this the way that we are tackling it. It’s a credit to them.
"But it’s up to me to guide them through that and show them all these things are temporary, you will get through it. If we do get through them in a positive way, the bonus and the benefit of us getting through it in the way I want us to is that t makes you stronger. Because you know whatever you face in the future, you’ve been through worse and overcome it."
Postecoglou is known for his emotional pre-match team meetings and they have proved to be very successful at his former clubs going on what they have achieved in the game. They are perhaps more important than ever for all concerned right now.
“I hope they’re still important because I think they are," outlined the Spurs boss. "They’ve been a big part of the way I coach and manage people.
“I think the ability to engage with people and tell stories, get them to believe in something is important. I think if something resonates with someone then they are more likely to go that extra level in terms of effort, in terms of commitment if they can understand why we’re doing it.
“It’s an important part of what I do. I still put a lot of stock in that, I think a lot about what I’m going to say to players, why I’m saying it, especially in tough times so the players still feel they are connected with what we are trying to build and trying to create. It’s really important.”
Pushed on if his messages steer away from football, he added: “Yes, very often. Some of it is lost on them because of the generation gap but that doesn’t stop me and I still keep going. I talk about whatever. There’s always things in life that you can relate to in terms of what we’re trying to do as a club, even the way we’re playing.
“There’s always people in life, people look at a bit curiously because they do things a bit differently and they’re a bit of a joke until they get it right then all of a sudden they’re a genius. That’s probably relevant to us right now.”
The full-time whistle in Sunday's game will mark the halfway stage of the Premier League season. Tottenham may not be where they want to be in the league table right now but that could soon change if they can string a run of results together as it is rather congested in the battle for European football. So is Postecoglou still confident that the club can get something out of this season?
"We’re not that far off. A week ago I was sitting here after winning a Carabao Cup quarter-final and having beaten Southampton 5-0 so it just seems like at the moment we can’t get a lot of traction in anything, in terms of getting healthy players or hitting a run of form but I think we have the capability of doing that," he said.
"We need some reinforcements. Some will come when we get some injuries back but I still think if you look at some of the teams four or five points above us in the league and I don’t think that’s going to stretch by any great lengths over the next period because all teams you see are suffering at some point. Ours is probably a bit more extreme than others but I’m confident we’ll work through that and once we’re through will be stronger for it."
Postecoglou's approach and football philosophy is so often a talking point, especially when his side are on the losing side. The Australian may have suggested after the Liverpool game that he's not going to talk about his approach any more but that isn't necessarily the case.
"Look, I'm going to get asked about it," said Postecoglou. "I think some people just aren't genuine about it, they just use it to poke me and after a loss I'm going to react. I understand that. It's part of the game.
"If there's genuine questions, I'm happy to answer them. But some people go, 'You know what, he's not going to be happy, let's ask him whether he's got a plan B'. They think they're clever and I'm a human being, I don't like losing so they're going to get a reaction out of me.
"They're happy, they go home and tell their friends about it and say, 'look what I made Ange Postecoglou say!'. But life goes on mate, it's fine. I'm happy to cop that. I'm always open to talk about my beliefs and my methodology to anyone who has got genuine questions about it."
So how much of a challenge is it for Postecoglou to find new things to say when he keeps getting asked the same questions?
"That’s a challenge of the role, It’s what I love about the role," revealed the former Australia boss. "As much as people think there’s a set way of doing this job, what I love about it is that it’s one where you just don’t know what’s around the corner. It’s never run a smooth past, whether that’s during a season, during a week, during a day or during a game.
"You have to always kind of be mentally alert to deal with what’s in front of you, to not get bogged down in things that you cannot really influence or control. There’s always things that come along.
"You ask any manager how he feels after a win and he’ll tell you that he feels good for about a second and then his mind is racing about what is going to come next. You never get up and know it’s going to run smooth today. Because of that I’m always prepared for these kind of situations.
"It is important, the way I am. My body language and how I speak are really important at this time because other people take a lead off that, and rightly so. I’ve often said in the past, we’re in a tough spot and there is a big fight at hand. But I love that. I love that I’m right in the middle of it and my job is to try to get us out of it."
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