Tottenham Hotspur officially kicked off their pre-season campaign with a friendly match against Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle Park on Wednesday evening. This match marks the first official pre-season game under head coach Ange Postecoglou as Spurs prepare for the 2024/25 season.
Earlier in the week, Tottenham played a behind-closed-doors training match against Cambridge United, where one XI won 5-0 and another drew 2-2. However, the clash with Hearts signifies the start of their formal pre-season schedule.
Ange Postecoglou, who led Tottenham through a full season last year, returns to Scotland after his successful stint with Celtic. This pre-season is crucial for him to instill his strategies further and integrate new players into the squad.
The match against Hearts gave fans the first look at summer signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, both 18, and the newly re-signed Timo Werner, who returns on loan from RB Leipzig after a short spell at Spurs.
Tottenham reporters Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest provided live updates throughout the match, also covering Postecoglou's post-match press conference.
Match Highlights:
- Gray's Performance: Despite a risky back pass, Archie Gray showed composure in the center-back role, making crucial tackles and winning headers. Jamie Donley also impressed at left-back.
- Possession Dominance: Tottenham dominated possession, consistently probing for openings against a defensive Hearts side.
- Hearts' Early Chance: Hearts almost capitalized on a deflected pass by Pedro Porro, but Devlin turned Dhanda’s pass over the bar from inside the area.
The match began with a minute's applause for Dave Mackay, a beloved legend of both clubs.
For further insights, the latest episode of "Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham" is available, where the reporters discuss the behind-closed-doors game against Cambridge and look ahead to the Hearts match at Tynecastle.
