The way Ange Postecoglou has come in at Tottenham Hotspur and immediately taken the Premier League by storm has been nothing short of remarkable. Let’s take a closer look at the tactics and data behind it.

The way Ange Postecoglou has come in at Tottenham Hotspur and immediately taken the Premier League by storm has been nothing short of remarkable.

His scintillating start with Spurs has been made all the more impressive by the fact legendary striker Harry Kane departed for Bayern Munich in a late, high-profile move. But the hard-nosed Aussie wasn't one to get caught up in the drama of it all, instead preferring to just get stuck into the task at hand. And that he's done.

No nonsense, direct and with an exhilarating football philosophy, the man who's proved his class and enjoyed plenty of success over the years managing the likes of Australia, Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F. Marinos and Celtic appears destined to be a real hit in North London too.

Tactically sophisticated, wanting to control proceedings in all phases and so progressive in his ideas, it's been a joy to watch him instill his philosophy so quickly and effectively, as Spurs have been one of the standouts of the season.

Currently sitting joint second in the table with three wins and a draw from his first four matches while playing an exciting and entertaining brand of football, their electric form has been one of the key talking points so far.

Stamping their mark especially going forward, watching Spurs implement Ange's ideas admirably already has ensured they've posed huge conundrums for opponents on how to stop them.

While they line up in a 4-3-3 on paper, their actual shape morphs into something resembling more of a 2-3-5, 2-3-2-3, or a 2-3-4-1, with the eights operating as dual 10s and the full-backs inverting into midfield alongside Yves Bissouma.

Tottenham's average positions from the Burnley win

As a result, they regularly form overloads and have a host of passing angles available to the ball holder due to the natural triangles and diamonds created, which gives them a strong base framework to move the ball crisply and carve through opponents.

In addition to this structure allowing them to enjoy good connections due to their spacing to promote slick ball progression and a solid central presence, the wingers then add vital width and depth to horizontally and vertically stretch opponents.

Wanting his team to pass out from the back, new goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has been crucial towards this, with his composure, decision making and distribution skills giving them a nice foundation to lure out and beat the press.

Center-backs Cristian Romero and new signing from VfL Wolfsburg Micky van de Ven are typically near the keeper to help draw out the first line of pressure while Bissouma and the inverted full-backs are just ahead ready to receive.

The attacking midfielders, who have smartly breathed life into passages by finding room between the lines and in the half spaces, then read where to move depending on the location of the ball to support while the wingers will stay wide ready to receive quick switches after opponents have been drawn to one side or be ready to go in advantageous 1v1s.

Fluid, waiting perfectly for the moment to penetrate opposition blocks to accelerate offensive forays, the fact Spurs also add in vital variations through their numerous rotations compounds issues for their adversaries. How they subtly adapt their positions and occupy different areas is also key in outfoxing foes.

With opponents constantly caught in two minds in relation to who to mark or where to be situated, this indecision is often all Spurs need to exploit subsequent openings to venture upfield into dangerous areas.

The use of principles like the overload to isolate, third man runs and the up-back-through also deserves mention, as Postecoglou's swiftly got his players up to speed even though he knows they're by no means there yet.

The attackers are also important in terms of pinning opponents to generate space and gaps within backlines for runners to exploit. Indeed, with Spurs frequently spreading five men near or across the last line of defense, this ensures there's minimal room for error for defenses, for one blown marking assignment is all Tottenham need to wreak havoc. Indeed, their passing numbers serve as a testament to their class, for they rank second in the league for key passes per 90, second for deep completions p90, third for progressive passes p90, and fifth for through balls.

Tottenham's key passes map this season

The close proximity of their attackers helps them combine smoothly, interchange coherently, use opposite movements and move rearguards to generate space to conjure openings.

How they populate the box with runners across the width, get the full-backs to maraud into the final third with underlaps and most notably get at the blindside of markers amplifies their threat, plus gives the man on the ball many options to aim at. Ranking second for goals, shots p90 and touches inside the box p90, this aptly underlines the danger they pose.

Tottenham's shots graphics
Touches inside the box in the Premier League this season

Obviously boasting a group of players who are confident, comfortable on the ball, know the demands of the system, and make sound decisions has been instrumental in bringing Ange's approach to life. While there have inherently been mistakes courtesy of their risky, high-octane style, this is something the manager accepts comes part and parcel with his way of playing.

Coming in first for dribbles p90, plus third for progressive runs p90 and dribbling success rate, their aptitude here has increased their unpredictability and menace in advanced areas.

Tottenham's successful dribbles in the final third

Their cohesive offensive structure also is a huge benefit when they lose the ball, for they are usually well situated to counter-press immediately to regain the ball high while stopping opposition transitions from developing. Another promising sign from their setup has been how it's allowed them to win back many second balls as a result of having many numbers around the ball.

Eager to impose themselves on their opposition with their defending, they've also pressed with authority and conviction to stifle build-up to recover the ball in ideal areas against spread-out shapes on their way to ranking third for PPDA.

PPDA (Passes allowed Per Defensive Action) in the Premier League this season

Doing a good job of responding to triggers, curving their harrying to use their cover shadow to block passing lanes, setting traps and working as a collective, there's been much to admire about their work in this compartment.

Tottenham's ball recoveries chart

Although they have been exposed in transitions at times and are only eighth best for XG against, there's still been a lot to like about their 4-4-2/4-1-3-2 pressing shape, horizontal shifting settled mid-block efforts, work rate to support one another and that the players are buying into what's asked of them without the ball.

xGA (Expected Goals Against) in the Premier League this season

Special stopping mention must go to ball-winning machine Bissouma and the energetic Pape Matar Sarr in midfield, the central defensive duo of Romero and van de Ven, who have handled their responsibilities expertly, and the polished Vicario in goal for denying many an attempt.

Tottenham's stats breakdown this season

Fluid, aesthetically pleasing and playing some fearless, breathtaking football, all the early signs have been tremendous for Ange's new-look Spurs. The thrilling thing for Spurs fans and frightening part for their opponents is they should only keep getting better as they further adapt to Ange's methods - a process that should be fast-tracked seeing as Spurs have no European football to worry about this term.

With weapons all over the pitch and Spurs recruiting shrewdly by bringing in the likes of Vicario, van de Ven, Brennan Johnson, Manor Solomon and especially James Maddison, whose unique capacity to score, create and conjure moments of magic from open-play and set-pieces has been a pleasure to observe, this new era at Tottenham looks set to be littered with upside.

Bringing the feel-good factor back to the club, getting the team playing in a pulsating manner and allowing the fans to dream again, the work Postecoglou has already done has been a huge boost for everyone associated with the club.

Keeping up their outstanding form and continuing to improve will serve as telling challenges ahead, but for now, all looks rosy at Spurs, with the departure of Kane getting overshadowed by Postecoglou's ability to galvanize the squad and produce the goods in terms of results and style.

Exciting times certainly lie ahead for Spurs, with this new direction injecting some much-needed positivity after many difficult years full of negatives. All hail big Ange.

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