Ange Postecoglou tells James Maddison how to regain place in Tottenham and England side | OneFootball

Maddison has not been named in the England squad for the final international break of 2024

@Dan_KP

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has urged James Maddison to show himself and incoming England boss Thomas Tuchel that he deserved to be picked for club and country.

He was an unused substitute in Spurs' Carabao Cup win over Manchester City last week and played only the final eight minutes of normal time in the subsequent 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa, but scored an eye-catching free-kick in stoppage-time.

Asked if he hoped Tuchel, who will take charge of England from January 1, will give Maddison more opportunities after his goal last weekend, Postecoglou said: "I don’t think you pick national teams on the back of a free-kick!

“To be fair, I think you need more than that. That is the first thing.

"Look, secondly, I have always said team selections and squad selections, it’s more in the player’s hands than the manager’s.

"They are the ones that need to put up the compelling evidence for people to make decisions. When I select a team at the weekend or the England manager selects his squad, he is doing it on the back of the evidence he has before him.

James Maddison’s impact has been limited in recent weeks

Getty Images

"So, if you miss out then you have got to say, okay, I have to give you more compelling evidence next time to get back in there.

"I have never come across a manager who does not select what he thinks isn’t the best team for what he wants and the purposes of his brief.

"Whether it is Madders or anyone else, they have got to keep putting up the evidence that means they get selected for the next national team.

"We had Pedro [Porro] missing out for Spain for quite a bit. But the only way you can change that, and it wasn’t because the manager didn’t like him, he is just that there wasn't enough evidence then. Now there it there and he is performing well and is back in the national team, it’s the same for Madders or anybody else.”

A Spurs win over the Tractor Boys could take Postecoglou's side into the top four for the first time this season, with Arsenal and Chelsea -- both currently ahead of their rivals -- due to meet in west London later on Sunday.

Spurs' win over City was the start of a run of three straight defeats for the champions, while Arsenal are winless in four games in all competitions.

Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal head coach, said back in May that his side may need 100 points to win the title this term but Postecoglou believes the toll of the schedule will make it difficult for any club to reach that kind of level this season.

"If you look at the losses already that some of the top clubs have had and you're talking about those targets -- obviously Liverpool are still on course to potentially achieve that -- but Arsenal pretty much have to be perfect between now and the end of the year to reach those targets," he said.

"The competition in the Premier League and the demands that all the [leading] clubs have with European football, international football, the injuries, it's unlikely.

"Liverpool are still in that kind of position so it may take that [number] but if you look at the beginning of the Premier League, it will be hard for some other clubs to reach that level unless they're perfect. With Man City, that could very well happen."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.