- Postecoglou makes best start in Premier League
- Son and Maddison score in 2-0 win
- Spurs boss unhappy with second half
WHAT HAPPENED? Postecoglou has had the best start of any new manager in the Premier League, with 23 points amassed from a possible 27, but he said that the excitement of topping the table was dampened by his team's shoddy performance against Fulham in the second half of their 2-0 victory. Thanks to goals from Son Heung-min and James Maddison either side of half-time, the home crowd was in a festive mood. Spurs may have paid the price had London rivals Fulham been more ruthless with their finishing, though, as they lost control of the game in the closing thirty minutes due to errors in passing and missed tackles.
WHAT THEY SAID: "We had a really encouraging start to the season with results and performances," Postecoglou told reporters. "We had to work hard tonight. I thought we had to be patient. Fulham were very well organised. Our pressing was outstanding. But I am really disappointed with the second half. That’s the worst 45 minutes we’ve had with the ball all year. We have to stay disciplined with our approach.
"I’m not trying to make a point. We took some liberties. We took some extra touches. I’ve been around long enough to know if you try and take liberties you’ll get dragged down quickly. I’m not going to let the fact we won the game disguise the opportunity we have to improve. There was no reason for it. My role is to give the feedback to the players. They want to get better and improve. It would be so easy for me to sit here and say ‘We’re a great team’. We have to be better. Absolutely we can."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: With seven victories and two draws so far in the Premier League at Tottenham, Postecoglou has beaten the previous best managerial start set by Guus Hiddink (20 points) in February 2009, after the Dutchman's first nine games in charge of Chelsea.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Postecoglou's men will be back in action on October 28 when they take on Crystal Palace in a bid to extend their run at the top of the table.