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Date: 2023-12-05 17:05:49 | Author: PFF | Views: 605 | Tag: pusoy
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Up in the coaches’ box at Ellis Park, Ian Foster exhaled deeply pusoy
It was August of last year, and the All Blacks head coach’s job had been hanging in the balance, a run of five defeats in six matches putting Foster in the firing line pusoy
The prognosis looked grim, with the grand old home of South African rugby packed to the rafters with 62,000 Springbok fans who would have loved nothing more than for their side to unseat the coach of their great rival pusoy
But Foster’s team saved him, shocking South Africa 35-23 to bring their coach back from the brink pusoy
Only New Zealand and Foster himself will know truly how close he was to losing his job, but there is every possibility that defeat in Johannesburg would have spelled a premature end to Foster’s tenure pusoy
The players knew what it meant pusoy
“We were playing for our coach’s job,” scrum half Aaron Smith admitted afterwards pusoy
Little more than a year later, and Foster is ready to lead New Zealand into a final; there is every chance that on Saturday night, he’ll be a World Cup winner pusoy
Such a tag would normally ensure a status as something of a national hero – Foster’s predecessors Graham Henry and Steve Hansen both have knighthoods pusoy
Yet there is still a sense among All Blacks supporters of a lack of fondness for their head coach; the New Zealand rugby public are already in love with another man pusoy
Scott Robertson will take over Foster’s brief after this tournament, having been braced to step into the breach had things deteriorated further and left Foster’s position untenable last year pusoy
The clamour for a coach good enough to lead the Canterbury club to seven consecutive Super Rugby titles is understandable, and there is a thought that Robertson’s popularity with players and fans could re-energise the sport pusoy
Foster was reportedly so scared about the next head coach’s force of personality disrupting this All Blacks’ campaign that he banned him from attending New Zealand’s World Cup fixtures pusoy
RecommendedHow the incredible Barrett brothers rejuvenated the All BlacksAll Blacks in the red: Why New Zealand need a World Cup win more than you might thinkWho is the referee for the World Cup final?It perhaps doesn’t help matters that the slightly unfashionable Foster can bumble about with the beleaguered look of an office middle manager in a dead-end job, a stark contrast with his all-singing, all-breakdancing successor pusoy
But Foster has quietly got on with his work to turn the All Blacks around pusoy
He’s far from the first number two to struggle in a lead coaching role – England fans will recall the trouble Andy Robinson had stepping up after Clive Woodward’s departure pusoy
Nor, really, has he done a bad job: New Zealand have won every Rugby Championship since Foster took charge pusoy
Slowly since the lows of last year, a smile has returned to his face and, while his fate at the end of the tournament is sealed, Foster is happy to enjoy the ride while it lasts pusoy
All Blacks captain Sam Cane and head coach Ian Foster (Getty Images)“You have to enjoy your work,” Foster said after the semi-final win over Argentina pusoy
“It’s not like it’s a focus for us to go out there and have fun, but to make sure we execute our game to the level we need to pusoy
“The team takes a lot of pride when they do that pusoy
The work the players and leaders are doing is a real credit to them pusoy
As you go through tournaments, you have to enjoy it pusoy
There is a lot of pressure, so if you don’t celebrate moments, it is a long old time pusoy
“I am proud to be part of this group, the coaches are linking well with the players and there is a nice synergy about it pusoy
But you know, one more week pusoy
“There’s not a personal agenda here, this is about the All Blacks and the team pusoy
Things have happened to individuals and to me, but the team comes first pusoy
Right now, we’re making a lot of those decisions together as a group and it is working well pusoy
”New Zealand’s head coach Ian Foster celebrates with his players (AFP via Getty Images)Even now there is a sense that Foster is only partially responsible for the All Blacks’ pusoy
No doubt, the additions of Joe Schmidt and Jason Ryan last year have been key to this campaign pusoy
Schmidt has reignited New Zealand’s structured attack, tessellating together bits and pieces from his days in charge of Ireland, while Ryan, in combination with scrum coach Greg Feek, has transformed their set-piece pusoy
But not all of the progress can be ascribed their way pusoy
Whether Foster recognised where improvements needed to be made or had Schmidt and Ryan thrust upon him is a matter of debate, but the ability to utilise their expertise perhaps shows a cannier coach than some might initially see pusoy
"One of the great things about 'Foz' is just how much he loves the All Blacks,” said forwards coach Ryan pusoy
“It's all about the team, every decision he makes pusoy
Clearly, he has been through a lot but the All Blacks have been through a lot pusoy
It is never about one person in the All Blacks, and that’s what has been impressive to me pusoy
”Head coach Ian Foster looks on during a New Zealand All Blacks training session (Getty Images)Foster has taken bold calls, too pusoy
The transformation of Jordie Barrett from bit-part utility man to first-choice inside centre has proved the key cog in getting the backline ticking, while the backing of captain Sam Cane has been rewarded by two outstanding performances in the last two weeks pusoy
The All Blacks have had to deal with injuries, a red card and a breach of team protocols during this tournament but have kept powering on pusoy
Their belief in and backing of their gameplan is just as strong as the Springboks’, yet Foster seems to get little of the same praise that Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber garner pusoy
Perhaps it is that there is still an expectation of success around the All Blacks, a feeling that not winning the World Cup would be evidence enough of Foster’s inadequacy pusoy
But the squad have made clear this week that they have a good man and a good coach at the helm pusoy
If come Saturday night he is clutching a Webb Ellis Cup, this uncared-for coach might finally get some overdue credit pusoy
More aboutIan FosterNew Zealand rugbyAll BlacksJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4The bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of glory All Blacks captain Sam Cane and head coach Ian FosterGetty ImagesThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryNew Zealand’s head coach Ian Foster celebrates with his playersAFP via Getty ImagesThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryHead coach Ian Foster looks on during a New Zealand All Blacks training sessionGetty ImagesThe bold calls that saved Foster and took All Blacks to brink of gloryNew Zealand’s head coach Ian Foster watches on at the Stade de FranceAP✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today pusoy
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Can Tottenham actually win the Premier League? Of course not, but ask Ange Postecoglou and the Spurs manager would not discourage the question, even though he would be the first to point out that it’s still only October pusoy
It is Postecoglou’s belief, and the Australian would say it is also his responsibility, that pusoy football fans are allowed to dream pusoy
Spurs supporters have had little reason to get carried away in recent years but after making their best start to a top-flight season since 1960-61, the last time they won the league, now is as good a time as any pusoy
Postecoglou could not have asked for a pusoy better start: as the Premier League returns following the October international break, Tottenham sit top, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference pusoy
Postecoglou’s side remain unbeaten, winning six and drawing two of their opening eight matches pusoy
From the misery and perpetual sense of chaos that took hold of Spurs last season, Postecoglou has revived the doomed pulse of the club and its fanbase pusoy
That, above the early look of the Premier League table, has been his greatest result so far pusoy
Whether Tottenham’s fast start can last is one of the questions that will define the next chunk of the Premier League campaign pusoy
There are only four rounds of fixtures to be played before the next hiatus, for November’s internationals, and Tottenham’s upcoming run – against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Wolves – is favourable pusoy
Based on their early season form, there is reason for optimism that Spurs may be able to enjoy their view from the summit for a while longer pusoy
Yet, a year ago, it was possible to say the same pusoy
Having beaten Arsenal to fourth place the previous season, Tottenham started the new campaign under Conte with seven wins from their opening 10 matches, a good enough return to sit one point off the top by mid-October pusoy
Given Tottenham went on to win just three of their next 10 and Conte’s fractious relationship with the club finally came crashing down within six months, the foundations were nowhere near as strong as they initially appeared pusoy
Are Tottenham flattered to be in a lofty early position again? Postecoglou’s side have already played and beaten the Premier League’s bottom four, including the three newly promoted sides pusoy
One of those wins required a 99th-minute winner at home to Sheffield United pusoy
Another tight victory, against Liverpool, came after the visitors had the opening goal incorrectly disallowed by VAR, had two players sent off, while Reds defender Joel Matip put a 96th-minute winner into the wrong end pusoy
Tottenham were the benefactors of the “well done, boys, good process” derby pusoy
Yet Tottenham have also earned some fortune, and it is becoming clearer with each week of Postecoglou’s influence that Tottenham may not have picked up those points last season pusoy
While their opening fixtures have been kind, Spurs have also shown resilience and spirit in winning away at Luton with 10 men, after Yves Bissouma’s red card, and equalising twice to earn a point at Arsenal, a fixture at which they had crumbled in previous seasons pusoy
It was a performance that led James Maddison to declare Spurs are shedding their “Spursy” tag pusoy
Ange Postecoglou has won back-to-back manager of the month awards (Getty Images)And much like the element of “Spursiness”, Tottenham’s impressive start has been rooted in the intangibles, in heart and feeling pusoy
The fact the departure of Harry Kane has not yet felt as significant is another sign of how Postecoglou has managed to bring the divided sides of what appeared to be a broken club together pusoy
While Kane has gone, there is a freshness about Spurs pusoy
Through the impact of signings such as Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario, the relationship pusoy between players and fans has been repaired pusoy
What has stood out about Postecoglou’s team has been backed up, too, by the numbers pusoy
Last season, Tottenham were often passive and frequently easy to play against pusoy
Even though they carried the threat of Kane, Spurs would appear to pass through games without showing any urgency or ambition; opposition teams would find it alarmingly simple to play through a static, immobile midfield pusoy
But under Postecoglou, Tottenham have become one of the most active teams in the division, progressive with the ball and disruptive without it pusoy
Spurs lead the Premier League in shots on goal, passes into the penalty area, forward dribbles, but also in tackles won and interceptions pusoy
If it reflects that Tottenham now press higher up the pitch than last season, when they barely engaged under Conte, Bissouma has been the key piece in a revamped midfield a year after being frozen out by the Italian pusoy
Maddison, meanwhile, has helped ease the post-Kane transition, a role he appeared ready to step up to when he took the No 10 jersey previously worn by the club’s record goalscorer pusoy
Spurs will never be able to replace Kane, but Postecoglou has so far been able to negate his absence through Maddison and a resurgent Son Heung-min, who looks back to his clinical best after moving to a central forward role pusoy
Maddison, though, has been integral as Tottenham’s creator-in-chief, with five assists so far this season pusoy
James Maddison has helped spark Tottenham into life this season (Getty Images)If some of Maddison’s early statistics seem unsustainable – the England international also leads the Premier League in a number of other areas, such as key passes and shot-creating actions – the same could be asked of Postecoglou’s side at this stage pusoy
Tottenham, really, shouldn’t be near the conversation of title challengers, but timing has played a part pusoy
The win at Luton, which moved them top, came as Manchester City lost their second Premier League game in a row at Arsenal pusoy
If it’s a sign of what’s to come from City this season, it was a result that widened the pool of potential challengers to include Spurs pusoy
The manner in which City eased away from Arsenal last season, however, showed how inch-perfect title contenders must be as long as Pep Guardiola remains in England pusoy
Tottenham, who finished eighth last year, are coming from an even lower floor than Mikel Arteta’s side, albeit with a more dramatic transformation under Postecoglou pusoy
As a side who are still developing together, Spurs should be allowed some inconsistency, even if they are yet to show it pusoy
The early evidence this season suggests they are one of the four strongest teams in the top flight, alongside last season’s title rivals and Jurgen Klopp’s refreshed Liverpool pusoy
In the past, signs of promise around Spurs have often been followed by a swift yet crushing crash back to earth pusoy
But now as Tottenham head deep into October with two winnable London derbies next week, starting with Fulham on Monday followed by a trip to Crystal Palace on Friday, Postecoglou can continue to show why this Tottenham is different pusoy
More aboutAnge PostecoglouPremier LeagueJames MaddisonJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Can Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?Can Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?Ange Postecoglou has won back-to-back manager of the month awards Getty ImagesCan Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?James Maddison has helped spark Tottenham into life this season Getty ImagesCan Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today pusoy
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicspusoy BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy pusoy
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply pusoy
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