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Ange Postecoglou has theory why James Maddison’s form dropped last season and has made pre-season change at Tottenham
Perhaps no Tottenham Hotspur player better mirrored Ange Postecoglou’s first season in north London better than James Maddison last term.
Maddison started the season in extraordinary form, he was a key reason why Tottenham were even being tipped for a title challenge in the early months of the campaign.
However, Maddison’s and Spurs’ form and momentum were halted when he and Micky van de Ven suffered key injuries.
The former Leicester City playmaker, who will face his old side on Monday evening, suffered an ankle injury that ruled him out from November until late January.
And after Maddison returned, he couldn’t reach the same levels he did prior to his injury, which contributed to Gareth Southgate’s decision to omit him from England’s squad for the Euros.
That being said, when speaking to , Postecoglou has now been sharing what Tottenham have been doing with Maddison in pre-season as they aim to get him back to his best.
Ange Postecoglou says James Maddison’s confidence isn’t an issue at Tottenham
Postecoglou explained that Maddison’s injury was hampering him last season, saying he couldn’t perform at his best.
Sharing his new plan for the , Postecoglou said: “I think with Madders, a lot of it last year was the physical element.
“When he wasn’t 100 percent fit, then he couldn’t really perform at the levels he wanted to and even when he came back from injury, I never felt like he reached those physical levels he did earlier in the year.
“So, that’s a real key for him, if he’s training really well and in a good physical condition then I think his game flows from that.
“That’s what we’re trying to do with him, we’ve tried to give him a really strong pre-season to try to push him in a physical way where I think when he feels good about that, the rest of it goes from there rather than him lacking any confidence or self-belief.”
Of course, Maddison now has an opportunity to make a real statement on Monday evening when he faces his former side.
Tottenham will have key player back from injury when they face Leicester at the King Power, aiming to start their top four pursuit immediately.