For someone with no previous Premier PINC League experience, Ange Postecoglou is doing an exceptional job of pointing Tottenham Hotspur in the right direction. The Australian wasn’t the North London club’s take first choice to take over in the summer, but he was clearly the right man for the job. That is obvious now.

Spurs have won four of their five Premier League matches under Postecoglou. With the first North London Derby of the season coming this Sunday, Tottenham are just two points behind Manchester City at the top of the table. The outlook hasn’t been this positive for the North London outfit in a long time.

Postecoglou hasn’t just delivered better results. Tottenham are playing an exciting brand of attacking soccer that has captivated a fanbase that had grown tired of the boring approach favoured by Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte. The club has come alive again.

“I felt the club was ready for that, they were seeking a change,” Postecoglou explained in an interview when asked about how his philosophy has been embraced so quickly by the Spurs fans. “There was no point appointing me otherwise.

“In the discussions we had, I told them this is what I was going to do and I wasn't going to compromise that. It is going to be scary, not always smooth. I think there was a willingness from the club, I think that is the space they are most comfortable with and that suits me. It is challenging but I love that.”

New signings have bedded in quickly. James Maddison is the perfect example of this with the England international now the creative force at the centre of the Tottenham team. Micky van de Ven is another new addition who has quickly become an important part of Postecoglou’s new-look team this season.

In many ways, though, the new-look team is the same as the old-look one. Postecoglou has given a second chance to several players who had been written off at the end of last season with the midfield pairing of Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr emblematic of this. The duo have become the ideal double pivot for Spurs.

Emerson Royal has also absorbed many of Postecoglou’s ideas with Son Heung-min showing glimpses of his best form again after a dismal 2022/23 campaign. Tottenham Hotspur are in good shape, but what can they truly achieve under their new manager? Could a title challenge be on the cards?

That might prove beyond Spurs at this specific moment, but a lack of European soccer this season means their small squad might not be stretched as would have been the case in past seasons. Tottenham are undoubtedly on an upward trajectory and Postecoglou is the one pushing them up the curve.