Ange Postecoglou believes a desire to “reward” the fans is behind his remarkable managerial record in home matches.
Tottenham were trailing Sheffield United heading into the eighth minute of stoppage-time, but Richarlison equalised with a powerful header before Dejan Kulusevski fired home to complete a stunning comeback win.
That saw Spurs move up to second in the Premier League table, with four wins and a draw from the opening five matches of the season, with key matches against Arsenal and Liverpool next up.
The dramatic victory also meant Postecoglou is now unbeaten in 50 matches as manager, a run that includes 42 wins and stretches across his time at Yokohama F. Marinos, Celtic and now Spurs.
“It’s funny you say that because I do put a big emphasis on that, wherever I’ve been, because ultimately for your supporters, as much you enjoy the away wins because you’ve got to earn every one of them, it’s when they come to their home ground that you want to really reward them,” Postecoglou responded when quizzed on the record.
“From that perspective, if you can create that atmosphere, I’ve been very fortunate that at the last three clubs I’ve had we’ve had even in Japan 30,000 to 40,000, and at Celtic they’re always sold out, and it creates an atmosphere and you can see today it helps the team.
“I think that helps you as a club if you’re really strong at home so yeah it’s something I’m proud of.”
Richarlison played a decisive role off the bench in the comeback, setting up Kulusevski for the winner just a couple of minutes after he had scored at home in the Premier League for the first time as a Spurs player.
It came after a difficult week off the pitch for the Brazilian, who revealed he would seek psychological help after suffering a “turbulent time off the pitch during these past five months”.
“His football hasn’t been that bad, he’s still been contributing for us,” Postecoglou said.
“Sometimes when you struggle with certain parts of your life you let it go into other areas. But the football is one area where he can control, and he works hard everyday in training and really got his rewards today.
“And hopefully that gives him a bit more of a settled feel to deal with the other areas in his life. For everyone, it’s about not letting it overwhelm you. And hopefully a day like today helps him.”
