Spurs boss laughs off Premier League supercomputer claim with warning to rivals
Ange Postecoglou laughed off the supercomputer that has given Tottenham a 0.1 per cent chance of winning the Premier League title.
And the Spurs boss has warned Premier League rivals that his team can finally start firing on all cylinders after welcoming captain Son Heung-min and key midfielder Yves Bissouma back from international duty.
Boffins at Opta published data earlier this week from their top-end machine that said Spurs, who are in fifth place and seven points behind leaders Liverpool, have only the slimmest chance of finishing top of the table.
And Postecoglou said: “A super computer! Does it go to a phone booth and change into something else from just a normal computer? “What did it say, 0.1 per cent? So we got a chance then. Let’s go for it. No problems, no issues with that, we’ve got a chance.”
Spurs host Brighton, who are without their suspended gaffer Roberto de Zerbi, this afternoon with “the healthiest squad” they have had since early in the campaign.
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Son, whose South Korea team lost to Jordan in the Asian Cup semi-finals on Tuesday afternoon, is expected to start, while Bissouma has been back in training since Mali were beaten by Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations a week ago.
Postecoglou says he is “definitely excited” by the chance to work with an almost full-strength squad. And while the computer scientists say Spurs have no chance over becoming champions, the Australian now expects his team to hit new heights.
He added: “It gives us a chance to put some things into place with our training, with the way we want to play our football, to see if we can go up another level or two or three between now and the end of the year.
“We’ve got 15 games to go and we’ve got probably the healthiest list since the start of the season. That gives us that platform but you’ve still got to go out and perform. It doesn’t make it any easier. It doesn’t give us any impetus unless we take advantage of that.
South Korea crashed out of the Asian Cup after losing to Jordan - meaning Son is back for today's game against Brighton. (Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)“Having the extra bodies means competition for places is also at a higher level which is always good. I like it, not because people get complacent, it’s just that everyone tries to raise their level, which is only a good thing whether you’re in or out of the team. All those factors give us a platform to finish the season strong.”
Postecoglou does not expect Brighton to play any differently without De Zerbi in the technical area and he is full of admiration for their style. Albion won the reverse fixture 4-2 six weeks ago, with a depleted Spurs unbeaten in the league since.
“I don't think they will be too much different,” he added. “The identity they have, the kind of football they play doesn't change since Roberto has been there.
“That's why they're such a challenging opponent because irrespective of their form, they're still going to go out there and be brave on the ball and play their football. We've got to be ready for that. The last game was pretty entertaining and I dare say this won't be a dull affair either.”
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