Tottenham have appointed Ange Postecoglou as the new permanent boss to turn around the club’s fortunes after a hugely disappointing 2022-23 season.
Spurs struggled for lengthy spells and missed out on European qualification, finishing eighth in the table. The north London side’s inconsistency over the years have seen them fall short of winning any silverware, and CEO Daniel Levy has now turned to Ange Postecoglou—ex-treble-winner with Celtic—to take this club back to the Champions League, at least.
By now, Postecoglou should’ve highlighted several areas of his squad to Spurs that he feels need strengthening. As the Australian tactician rebuilds his squad ready for next season, Spurs fans will be expecting better performances from the current group of players.
On that note, here are three Tottenham players who would be worth keeping an eye on under Postecoglou in the 2023-24 season.
- Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min and Harry Kane—if he stays—are likely to be the first two names on the team sheet under Postecoglou, although a lot of eyeballs will be on how the former performs next season.
Along with Kane, Son has been Tottenham’s best player in recent years, with the South Korean giving high praise for his ability to create chances, make things happen out of nothing and score beautiful goals. However, the 2022-23 was a season he will want to forget as quickly as possible.
The 30-year-old forward underperformed for large chunks of last term, ending the year on a hugely disappointing tally of ten goals and six assists in the Premier League. With a new manager in place, Son will be determined to bounce back and deliver the goods consistently. How he performs under Postecoglou, known for his attacking and expansive style of football, will be interesting to watch.
- Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma arrived at Tottenham from Brighton last summer amid a lot of expectations from fans and pundits alike. The defensive midfielder had a stellar 2021-22 season with Brighton but has struggled to recapture that form in Tottenham colours.
Bissouma endured an injury-hit first season in north London as he missed two months of action following ankle surgery. When fit, he failed to displace the regular midfield pairing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur, managing only 23 Premier League appearances.
After a year of adjustment to new surroundings, Spurs fans will expect Bissouma to come good next season and become a mainstay in Postecoglou’s midfield.
- Richarlison
Richarlison joined Tottenham from Everton last summer for a fee that could reach £60million, but largely failed to live up to his price tag during his maiden campaign in north London. Like Bissouma, he endured an injury-hit campaign, scoring just one goal in 27 Premier League appearances during the 2022-23 season.
After Spurs spent so much for the Brazilian’s services, Postecoglou’s job will be to help Richarlison regain his confidence and get back to his best. Always a tenacious and hard worker off the ball, Richarlison will hope to keep himself fit and show the Spurs fans what he’s capable of doing on a regular basis.