Turning everyone at Spurs into winners is more important for Postecoglou than making more disciples for his approach
Lange’s mission was to persuade Lucas Bergvall, one of the most exciting young players in Europe, to visit Spurs in the New Year.
Bergvall already had an invite from Barcelona and, when Lange sat down with the teenager and his family, Spurs were rank outsiders to sign him.
Over and over, Lange came back to the style - it was at the heart of everything, he told the Bergvalls - using video clips to show how the midfielder would fit in to Postecoglou’s front-foot team.
“[It was] not with the aim of him saying yes but the aim of him coming with his family to visit us,” Lange told Standard Sport in his first newspaper interview since joining Spurs last year.
When Bergvall - accompanied by his parents and agents - arrived at Hotspur Way on January 29 (the day before they flew to Spain for lunch with Barca’s sporting director, Deco), Spurs pulled out all the stops.
Having already heard from Lange, the Bergvalls were given the hard sell by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Postecoglou, as well as Lucas’s international team-mate Dejan Kulusevski and Spurs Women’s coach, Robert Vilahamn, another Swede. “They felt at home,” says Lange. “They’re very intelligent people who really wanted to make an informed decision and feel that we were right for him.”
Bergvall was bowled over by Spurs; by the club’s pristine training centre, Postecoglou’s zealous belief in his football and Kulusevski’s infectious enthusiasm for the project. On February 2, his 18th birthday, Bergvall snubbed Barca and signed a five-year contract in north London.
The deal capped a strong winter window for Spurs, who had pulled off another coup by beating Bayern Munich to the signing of highly-rated Genoa centre-half Radu Dragusin - again, following a charm offensive by Postecoglou and Lange.
“Everyone at the club should feel proud that those two players, one had the opportunity to go to Bayern, one had the opportunity to go to Barca, and they chose to come here,” says Lange. “That’s a huge compliment to everyone at the club.”
Bergvall was one of three teenagers to join Spurs over the summer, along with Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert, while 17-year-old Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic and South Korean forward Yang Min-hyeok, 18, will arrive next year.
“It is important to say we’re building a squad to be competitive here and now,” says Lange. “This is not a project [for] five years’ time. We want to be a natural destination for the best talent out there and those things go hand in hand.
The players [signed] are some of the best talents in Europe. They’re here to play now but of course with their age they have the potential to become even better, and that is exciting for everyone at the club.”
Lange, 44, joined Spurs in October last year from Aston Villa and, as technical director, is responsible for overseeing the club’s recruitment, working with the scouting department, Levy and Postecoglou to identify targets and complete deals.
It appears a smart set-up, with Postecoglou’s crystal clear vision of what he wants in a player complemented by Lange’s intimate knowledge of the market and Levy’s know-how and contacts book. The chairman remains hands-on at negotiating deals but has no say in deciding the targets.
“Daniel has great experience and a fantastic network,” Lange says. “Not to play to that strength would be silly. Ange and I have ongoing discussions all the time about the squad. It’s far from only about transfers... [but] of course, when we come close to the window, it’s about how we want to ideally end up after the window.
“When I speak with Daniel and Scott Munn [chief football officer], it’s more about strategy and developing the club overall. Daniel’s network can play a part of some transactions, case by case, but he will never go in and have an opinion about whether a certain player is a good fit or not.”
In trimming the fat, Spurs showed a ruthlessness that has not always come naturally; Tanguy Ndombele was paid off with a year of his contract to run and the club released Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga.
“[Being ruthless] is definitely deliberate,” says Lange. “A lot of players who left in the summer came to a natural conclusion of their time at the club. I think they also saw it that way themselves.”
Spurs might have done more, however, and the decisions not to sign a defender or cover for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario were surprising.
“If you have too big a turnaround in a window, that’s not necessarily positive,” says Lange. “We had a lot of players leaving, but building a squad is not something you do overnight. It takes a lot of careful consideration.”
Lange is enthusiastic about using data in the market, but he brushes aside the claim from David Pleat - whose long association with Spurs came to an end when he was let go as a scout in July - that he was told by the club: “It’s all data driven now, we don’t need eyes and ears.”
He says: “You need both. No player has been signed in my time at the club without us watching the player multiple times live and speaking with the player in person. We do a lot of background checks, speak with other coaches, former team-mates.
“One thing is the player’s technical and tactical ability but personality is highly important as well. We are data-informed, but which job today doesn’t have an element of data?”
Lange sees himself as “the bridge between the board and the football technical departments”. He is responsible for ensuring every member of staff is clear on the club’s strategy and it all comes back to the style of play - shared by Postecoglou’s first-team, Vilahamn’s side and all age-groups.
“The way we prepare our players has to be in line with the style of play,” he says. “How we analyse the games and our opponents has to be in sync. Everything is aligned.”
In-form Spurs will be looking for a fifth straight victory in Hungary after Manchester United demolition
Two managers who could both do with a statement win pit their wits in Old Trafford clash
Manchester United vs Tottenham LIVE!
Spurs head to Old Trafford in the Premier League this afternoon knowing that Man Utd are potentially there for the taking but also with a poor record of just two wins in their last 11 games against so-called ‘big-six’ rivals. One of those did come against United, in Ange Postecoglou’s first home game in charge, but the manager has struggled on the road with just two away league wins in 2024 so far.
Erik ten Hag is again under pressure, just months on from being rewarded with a new contract, after picking up just one win from United’s last four league games - against 10-man Southampton - and then being held at home by FC Twente in their Europa League opener in midweek. United are looking for their first win in four against Spurs, who have won their last three across all competitions after seeing off Qarabag on Thursday.
While Postecoglou is not under any immediate pressure, in the same way Ten Hag seemingly always is, a win for either manager would do wonders moving forward. Marcus Rashford returns for United today, while Heung-min Son is out for Tottenham as Timo Werner starts. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dan Kilpatrick at Old Trafford.
Manchester United vs Tottenham latest updates
Manchester United vs Tottenham
Underway at Old Trafford!
Feels like both sides - and both managers - could use a statement win this afternoon.
This could be a cracker...
Manchester United vs Tottenham
Here come the teams at Old Trafford as the Stone Roses blare out over the PA system.
Olympic gold medalist and Manchester United fan Keely Hodgkinson was given a nice ovation ahead of kick-off.
Manchester United vs Tottenham
More pre-match thoughts from Standard Sport’s chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick at Old Trafford...
Timo Werner facing big afternoon at Old Trafford
Standard Sport’s Dan Kilpatrick at Old Trafford
With Heung-min Son injured, Ange Postecoglou had the option to bring Dejan Kulusevski into the front three and play Pape Sarr or Yves Bissouma in midfield.
Instead, it's a second start of the season for on-loan Timo Werner, who was abject in the Carabao Cup win over Coventry last week.
Presuambly, the Spurs head coach did not want to move Kulusevski out of midfield, where he has been excellent of late, but it feels like a big afternoon for Werner, who has slipped down the pecking order at Spurs since last season.
No other surprises in the Spurs XI today.
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Manchester United must score more goals, insists Erik ten Hag
So what exactly is the main issue at Manchester United following another underwhelming start to the season?
Erik ten Hag thinks it’s very simple and obvious...
"We have to score more goals as a team,” he said this week.
“I think we have players across the team who have the ability to score. That's clear.
"You see all the opportunities we are creating, we are not scoring enough."
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Erik ten Hag: Struggling Manchester United must 'respect the criticism'
Erik ten Hag has usually tended to bristle in response to the plentiful criticism of his Manchester United reign so far.
However, speaking ahead of the visit of Spurs this afternoon, the Dutchman appeared to soften his approach towards his army of Old Trafford critics.
"First of all, respect the criticism," Ten Hag said. "There are many. You can have an opinion about football.
"When you are in the job, you have to deal with this, but I can't take every criticism into account.
"I don't read, of course, all the criticism. It's not even possible but I don't want even to know. I need to know some, and some are very good advice."
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Bold attacking Spurs side named by Ange Postecoglou
I wouldn’t expect anything less, but it’s a bold attacking approach from Ange Postecoglou in line with his well-established principles.
But with Spurs desperate for an overdue win against a ‘big-six’ rival and with only two away league wins to their name in 2024 so far, he should be braced for inevitable criticism if his side are beaten at Old Trafford.
You did wonder if the absence of Son might lead to either Yves Bissouma or Pape Sarr coming in as an extra midfielder.
But it’s Timo Werner who gets the nod as one of four attackers, despite having struggled to impress so far this term.
You do worry a little for that Tottenham midfield, but if they manage to overwhelm brittle United from the outset then maybe it won’t matter.
Have a feeling this could be a bonkers 4-3 kind of game, or a high-scoring draw at the very least.
Now cue the inevitable 0-0...
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Timo Werner replaces injured Heung-min Son for Tottenham
There’s no Heung-min Son as expected for Tottenham, with Timo Werner making his first Premier League start of the season as part of an attacking-looking side named by Ange Postecoglou at Old Trafford.
That is the only change from last weekend’s 3-1 comeback home win over Brentford in the top-flight, with the likes of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski all back in the starting XI after being handed a breather against Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday.
Four attackers on the pitch and no Son means that teenage duo Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear are the only forward options on the Spurs bench today.
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Manuel Ugarte and Marcus Rashford start for Manchester United
Erik ten Hag makes two changes to the Manchester United side that laboured to a goalless draw at Selhurst Park in their last Premier League outing against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Marcus Rashford is back in attack as summer signing Manuel Ugarte comes into the midfield, with Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo both dropping to the bench.
Matthijs de Ligt, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho all start after being named on the bench against FC Twente in the Europa League on Wednesday night, but Harry Maguire misses out entirely with a knock.
That means a place on the bench for the fit-again Victor Lindelof, alongside the likes of fellow recent injury recoverees Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund.
AFP via Getty Images
Tottenham lineup
Starting XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Maddison, Kulusevski, Johnson, Werner, Solanke
Subs: Forster, Spence, Dragusin, Gray, Bissouma, Bergvall, Sarr, Moore, Lankshear
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