Ange Postecoglou has insisted that he has no concerns over Dominic Solanke, remarking that the striker showed enough in his performance against Leicester City to prove that he is a good fit for Tottenham’s system.
Solanke might have been hoping to get off the mark for Spurs in their first home game of the season but he was denied that opportunity, having picked up an injury ahead of the clash against Everton.
However, Postecoglou has revealed that the 26-year-old has a chance to be back in time for Tottenham’s trip to St James’ Park next Sunday.
The Spurs head coach said about the striker’s injury (via Football.London): “It’s not serious enough to keep him out for five weeks, he’s still got a chance for the Newcastle game. That’s the extent of it, it’s just about how quickly he recovers.”
It might not be the ideal way for Solanke to start his Spurs career, and some pundits such as Jamie Carragher and Paul Scholes have already suggested that the pressure of the big price tag and playing for a club of Tottenham’s stature might get to him (The Overlap).
However, Postecoglou does not share those concerns, confidently asserting that he expects the former Cherries star to enjoy plenty of success leading the line for his side.
The Australian continued: “Every story is written differently. They’re not all fairy tales where you come and make your debut and score a hat-trick. He was very good for us at Leicester and we’re disappointed because it was really exciting to see that he is going to fit in really well with what we’re doing.
“I have no doubt about that. It’s just a small hiccup. He misses a game or two, it’s game one of 50-plus games. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to recover from that. For me, the exciting bit was just watching him in the team last week. I can just tell he’s going to be a really good fit.”
When asked if he put an arm around Solanke’s shoulder after his disappointing outing against the Foxes, Postecoglou responded with a grin: “You know I’m not that type mate. He’s a big man and I have always said this to footballers – nothing runs smoothly.
“And think of the poor old manager – forget the player, what about me? I’ve just lost my key striker a week and a half after buying him – I need an arm around me! No, it’s all good. We didn’t sign Dom for one match and he knows that.
“He’s here hopefully for a long time to have a real impact at this club and bring success to it. I was excited with what we saw last week and this is just a small bump in the road. I’m sure he will be looking forward to getting back out there.”
Spurs Web Opinion
There is no doubt about Solanke’s attributes as a striker and his fit for Tottenham’s system but this is his first big experience of a big price tag. Pressure will undoubtedly start building the longer he goes without finding the back of the net.
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