The mentality switch for Tottenham from Antonio Conte always having “respect for your opponent” to Ange Postecoglou playing “irrespective of the opponent” was massive.

Former Tottenham manager, Antonio Conte:

I think that in every game it’s important to have a plan. It’s very important to keep your characteristic, and exploit your characteristic, but at the same time it’s important also to have respect for your opponent.

Against Liverpool, against City, if you go to press high, they are very good. Liverpool, they are very good to have three players in this position [left-wing and right-wing] and to attack the space. They are really good. The same also with Manchester City. Manchester City, they are really good with the ball. And in my opinion you have to try to exploit the weaknesses and defensively.

Current Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou:

If you want to be a team that challenges, you know you have to play that way irrespective of the opponent.

If we shy away from it, don’t play our football, manage to get a draw and survive the experience, what have we really learned?

Not to perform some cheap results based analysis but I have to mention that Tottenham are only three points better off at 53 points than they were last season at 50 points by match-week 29.

I personally prefer both ways of thinking, but I lean more towards Ange. I like brave, I like bold. I would want my team to play the way Tottenham have played this season but there’s a small part of me where if you see a glaring weakness in your game, you have to compensate. Not necessarily sacrifice but adjust and adapt.

I think Ange’s style to not play for the draw is what is needed for Tottenham to succeed, to punch above their weight, but I have a massive amount of respect for Conte in the way he was able to extract a lot of out of the squad he had. He made the sandwich though, he helped build that squad.