Udogie explains what Postecoglou is teaching him and how he adapted in Saka duel

Young left-back for Tottenham Hotspur The season gets off to a great start for Destiny Udogie, who has been discussing life under Ange Postecoglou and playing against Bukayo Saka.

Destiny Udogie has said that he learned how to cope with Arsenal star Bukayo Saka in the most recent North London Derby and feels the Tottenham Hotspur players already trust new head coach Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou, who joined Spurs before the current campaign, has had a significant impact on the club, as has Udogie, who joined the team after spending the previous season back on loan at Udinese following his signing for the Lilywhites in the summer of 2022. Few anticipated how quickly the 20-year-old would settle into the Premier League and Postecoglou’s very unorthodox role, which occasionally asks him to play inside as an inverted full-back.

Since moving to England, the Italian has established himself as one of the finest fullbacks in the league. In recent weeks, he has faced off against two of the best right wingers in the league, Saka and Mohamed Salah, and has come out on top thanks to his performances.

Tottenham is still unbeaten in the Premier League and can go to the top of the early standings after eight games if they win against Luton on Saturday. According to Udogie, everything depends on Postecoglou and the team’s faith in the Australian.

“Ange and his staff get along incredibly well. The young defender was quoted in an interview for Spurs’ matchday program for Saturday’s game against Liverpool as saying, “We trust the manager. The way he makes us train, shows us how to play, and how to stay calm under pressure.”

Every manager, in my opinion, teaches you something new, and the gaffer is showing me different ways to play inside, so I’m adjusting and growing a lot.

We work extremely hard every day in training, so we want to be able to run farther than the other teams, he continued. We aim to stay in shape so that if we lose the ball, we are prepared to counter-press the opposition. The coach expects this of us as players, so we must maintain our great work ethic every day.

Udogie grew up admiring Brazilian star Marcelo of Real Madrid, and under Postecoglou, he now has to balance his ambition to possess similar skill going forward with both his defensive duties and the inverted role.

“I was a huge fan of Marcelo growing up and watched a lot of his videos. I admired his ability to play under pressure and his skill with the ball, but as I’ve grown older, I now like watching myself play to identify the areas in which I occasionally err and where I can sharpen my skills, said the young Italian.

“I used to play as a wing-back, but now I play inside more, so it’s incredibly different, so I’m trying to study the role as much as I can in the new position. With the support of Ange, his staff, and my teammates, I can feel myself growing better. You have to read the game, know the timing, and get into good places, so I’m getting used to that – more with every game.

Udogie significantly adjusted and improved after a challenging first 15 or so minutes against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, during which he received a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Saka and nearly gifted the hosts a goal with a loose back pass, and his head coach Postecoglou said after that he dominated his flank as the game wore on.

Udogie described in detail how he felt during that North London Derby and how he handled his duel with Saka after receiving that early booking.

The Italian remarked, “It was my first Tottenham derby, and the atmosphere was fantastic. We were aware that it was a significant game for us and the supporters. Obviously, we fell short of the victory, but both teams played well.

“The team put in a tremendous effort to come back twice after falling behind; this is our current attitude. We want to demonstrate to everyone what we’re about while also demonstrating that we never give up until the game is over.

“Saka was a tough opponent, but it was a terrific battle! I was playing him for the first time. It was a good challenge since I knew he was a terrific player and Arsenal frequently gave him the ball.

“I was booked early, but I had faith in my abilities, so I left him to receive the initial touch; nevertheless, once that was through, I was there with him. Although it was really intense, I’m pleased with my performance.

We work extremely hard every day in training, so we want to be able to run farther than the other teams, he continued. We aim to stay in shape so that if we lose the ball, we are prepared to counter-press the opposition. The coach expects this of us as players, so we must maintain our great work ethic every day.

Udogie grew up admiring Brazilian star Marcelo of Real Madrid, and under Postecoglou, he now has to balance his ambition to possess similar skill going forward with both his defensive duties and the inverted role.

“I was a huge fan of Marcelo growing up and watched a lot of his videos. I admired his ability to play under pressure and his skill with the ball, but as I’ve grown older, I now like watching myself play to identify the areas in which I occasionally err and where I can sharpen my skills, said the young Italian.

“I used to play as a wing-back, but now I play inside more, so it’s incredibly different, so I’m trying to study the role as much as I can in the new position. With the support of Ange, his staff, and my teammates, I can feel myself growing better. You have to read the game, know the timing, and get into good places, so I’m getting used to that – more with every game.

Udogie significantly adjusted and improved after a challenging first 15 or so minutes against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, during which he received a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Saka and nearly gifted the hosts a goal with a loose back pass, and his head coach Postecoglou said after that he dominated his flank as the game wore on.

Udogie described in detail how he felt during that North London Derby and how he handled his duel with Saka after receiving that early booking.

The Italian remarked, “It was my first Tottenham derby, and the atmosphere was fantastic. We were aware that it was a significant game for us and the supporters. Obviously, we fell short of the victory, but both teams played well.

“The team put in a tremendous effort to come back twice after falling behind; this is our current attitude. We want to demonstrate to everyone what we’re about while also demonstrating that we never give up until the game is over.

“Saka was a tough opponent, but it was a terrific battle! I was playing him for the first time. I was aware that he was an excellent player because Arsenal frequently gives him the ball, so it was a nice challenge.

“I was booked early, but I had faith in my abilities, so I left him to receive the initial touch; nevertheless, once that was through, I was there with him. Although it was really intense, I’m pleased with my performance.

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Udogie has now made a new home and has developed a love for it.

He exclaimed, “The stadium, the fans, and the atmosphere in the stadium is incredible!” “I think playing against us at home is going to be really difficult,”

The Italian has relocated, and Spurs supporters may have discovered their new left-back for many years.