Presser points | Newcastle vs Spurs | Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou faced the media on Friday ahead our Premier League clash against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Sunday (1.30pm UK).

Here's what he had to say...

Team news

Ange was asked for the latest team news...

Ange: "The main ones, I guess, Dom Solanke close but we'll err on the side of caution, he won't play on the weekend with the international week, we've made a decision to wait until after that. Rodrigo Bentancur's all good, he's trained well, gone through all the protocols and most important he feels good training-wise. Richy pulled up sore, I think there's a muscle injury there, we're just getting more information but he'll be out as well."

Europa League

Ange was asked about today's Europa League draw - not least as a former Celtic manager going back to Ibrox, where we'll face Rangers...

Ange: "Exciting. Good to be a part of it and some good games. I'm sure I'll get a warm reception at Ibrox, they'll be looking forward to seeing me."

Yves Bissouma

It's Bissouma's birthday - Ange was asked what he wanted to see from the midfielder, who came back into the team with a goal in our 4-0 win against Everton last weekend...

Ange: "I don't want to be too flippant about it because we've said all along this is about trying to guide Biss so he becomes the best version of himself, both on and off the field. There's no doubting his qualities as a player. From the moment I arrived, every time he's been fit, he's played - that's how highly I rate him. At the same time, we feel there are areas of his game he can improve, just around his discipline, his positioning, the way he plays the game. There's a correlation to off-field as well. He's been really focussed since the incident. I think him not playing in that first game really hurt him, as it should. You can fine players but when they don't play, they feel it more. He doesn't want to be in that position again. He knows that not just for himself but for the whole group, we need him to be at his best so he can contribute to the team and he'll only do that if he continues to show the same focus and discipline that he has."

James Maddison

Ange was asked how pleased he's been with James Maddison's start to the season...

Ange: "Yeah, he has been good Madders, really good. I think I said last week when Madders is physically in a good place, and he really is, his training is excellent, it's consistent. We know he is such a creative force in this league, he's done it for many years and it's great to have him back up and running. He has been excellent in the first two games and I can see in him he wants to take his game up another level. Hopefully he can."

The Toon

Ange was asked what he took from the results against Newcastle last season - a 4-1 home win, but a 4-0 away loss...

Ange: "A bit of a contrast. Here at home we did really well against them, but fair to say up there we didn't. It was a good learning curve for us that game because we started okay, but we conceded and lost, probably for the first time all year, our composure in a game. We allowed them to score quickly and we know what it is like up there, the crowd create a brilliant atmosphere for their team and we just didn't handle it at all well. It is a good learning curve for all our players. Obviously we want to learn from that, but it's still a tough game. Any time you go up and play Newcastle, it's a tough game. They have some outstanding players in their team, they're well coached and it will be a great challenge for us."

Back to Europe...

It was put to Ange if he was happy with the minimum of extra eight games participating in the Europa League will provide this season, as opposed to playing only 41 matches last term...

Ange: "Yeah, absolutely. I said on a number of occasions where people were trying to steer me towards the fact less games means we're fresher for the league and in some respects that works, but it doesn't work when, like us, we have a lot of injuries and we're putting in players who didn't have a lot of football. Whereas now, it allows with the fixtures to get into a rhythm of knowing we have two games a week pretty much until the end of January. Players within the whole squad will get utilised so if we do have injuries we're not throwing in someone who hasn't played for six or seven weeks. It allows you to get into a rhythm and it means less training time, but they've gone through a good training block leading into this international window that sets us up for the rest of the year. I much prefer having a programme like we have now than what we faced last year."

Ben and Sonny

Ben Davies recently celebrated 10 years at Spurs, Sonny is in his ninth year and 10th season - Ange was asked what players like that give to a manager...

Ange: "It is a bit of a rare occurrence, particularly at big clubs where players stay for that length of time, but credit to both of those guys. They've stayed at this club and played under numerous top managers who have all rated them very highly to keep them at the club. They are both great guys, they understand what the football club is about and it's great when you have 18-years-olds walking into a dressing room and probably two of the first people who will go and greet them are Sonny and Ben. I am quite comfortable in them being their first points of contact because they are outstanding people apart from being fantastic footballers. I think it is great and only right they get heralded for not just their longevity, but the service they have provided."

Richarlison

Ange reported at the start of the press conference that Richarlison picked up an injury in training this week - he was asked how frustrating it must be both for him and Richy that he hasn't been able to get into a rhythm during his time at Spurs...

Ange: "Yeah, that's it and that's a challenge, I guess. It's something we've got to look at again. He's been in that cycle for quite a while and predating me, I guess. We've put a lot of thought into it, we took a really sort of conservative approach with him. He didn't play in any of the pre-season games, and he's really only played 20 minutes of first team football but, again, obviously he's had a setback. So, it's something we've just got to go back with Richy and work through the steps now of getting him back up and running, because you know, when he's fit, , he's such a handful. Even last week, that 20 minutes he played, you can see the options he gives us in that position. But like you said, it's frustrating probably for him as much as anyone else but frustrating for us, too. That's the reason we brought Dom in, but obviously he picked up an injury in the first couple of games, but again it's something we'll work with Richy on."