Ex-Tottenham player identifies key Ange Postecoglou difference between training and a matchday

Former Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga has admitted that Ange Postecoglou isn't the most vocal on the training pitch but you can "really hear and feel his presence" on a matchday. Now playing his football in the Championship for Millwall, Tanganga spent the summer of 2023 working under Postecoglou after the 59-year-old was named as Tottenham's head coach.

Their time together would only be short as the centre-back headed for German side Augsburg on loan at the end of the summer transfer window. Prior to his move to the Bundesliga, the Tottenham academy graduate did get an insight into Postecoglou's ways and the 59-year-old certainly made an impression on the player.

Postecoglou may have endured a rather mixed time of it in the Premier League this season but Tanganga believes the club have the right man at the helm at present as they look to achieve their goals.

"I think he’s a very good coach, a very good manager. I feel like he's the right man for the job at the moment," said the defender in an interview with SportsBoom.

"I did pre-season with Ange and that's when I left to go out on loan with Millwall last season. He was very good. In my opinion I was very impressed in what I saw during my time with him and the way he wanted his team to play.

"In training he wasn't the most vocal. He was observant and liked to watch, but when it came to matchday you could really hear and feel his presence. That's what stuck out for me from the friendly games I participated in."

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Tanganga's long association with Tottenham came to an end in the summer as he joined Millwall on a permanent basis following such a successful loan spell at The Den in the second half of last season. The ex-England Under-21s international is now thriving for Neil Harris' team, who currently sit outside the Championship play-off spots by two points.

"It was always going to be tough leaving Tottenham," added Tanganga. "It was my first club, I grew up there really. I was there from when I was nine until 25.

"It was always in my mind that I needed to go and further myself and my career. I needed to play football and that's what I've got at Millwall.

"The experience I got from my time at Tottenham is great. It's something I can use to my advantage, the information I've gathered from my time in the Premier League.

"The Championship is its own level itself and something you can't underestimate. I've had to learn as well. As much as I've played in the Premier League, I've had to learn what the Championship is like. The boys who have been in this league for many years have really helped me with that."

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