Tottenham’s 2023/24 campaign may have ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Newcastle United but Ange Postecoglou could take plenty of positives away from the friendly in Melbourne. Performing very well in the first half and creating opportunities on goal, Spurs went in at the break on level terms after Alexander Isak’s equaliser on the stroke of half-time had cancelled out James Maddison’s opener.
As was always going to be the case in the friendly game with two major tournaments on the horizon and both sides having a number of youngsters in their match squad, Tottenham and Newcastle made multiple substitutions across the remaining 45 minutes. The second half allowed Ashley Phillips to make his senior Spurs bow under Postecoglou, with other youngsters including George Abbott, Jamie Donley, Yago Santiago and Dane Scarlett getting a decent amount of minutes to their name.
Scarlett was lively when leading the line and tried his best to get his name on the scoresheet, including one attempt seconds after his introduction where he flung himself at Santiago’s cross in an attempt to direct a header on target. Santiago was also bright himself and put in a handful of inviting deliveries from his position on the right flank.
Tottenham fans were full of praise for the club’s talented academy players who entered the fray in the second half, with Tyrese Hall receiving plaudits for what he produced in only 19 minutes on the field. Starting the season in Tottenham’s Under-18s side and contributing with three goals and three assists, Hall has been a regular for the Under-21s since the turn of the year.
A pivotal figure in midfield, he was in the headlines just over a week ago after taking his place in the senior squad for the first time when the team hosted Man City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Without a handful of first-team stars through injury, it perhaps wasn’t a surprise to many that the 18-year-old was called up by Postecoglou following his recent performances.
Two days prior to his senior call-up, Hall contributed with two goals for the Under-21s in their Premier League 2 play-off quarter-final tie against Liverpool. He would also score a rather impressive spot-kick as the youngsters progressed on penalties following an entertaining 3-3 draw.
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Once again getting the green light to join up with the senior players for the end-of-season trip to Australia, the midfielder, who recently committed his long-term future to the club until the summer of 2029, was introduced by Postecoglou in the 71st minute as he took the place of Radu Dragusin. Half-time substitute Oliver Skipp moved back into central defence following Dragusin’s exit and that allowed Hall to take on the No.6 role in midfield.
The London-born player was calm and composed throughout his 19 minutes of action and produced a number of lovely touches as he got the team moving. His performance was that impressive that within an hour of the full-time whistle a compilation of all of his touches of the ball against Newcastle appeared on social media.
Spinning his opponent and retaining possession immediately after coming on, Hall always looked to pop the ball off to one of his teammates and his ability to not waste it was clear to see, completing 29 of his 31 passes in the process. He also demonstrated his passing range with a fine long ball out to Santiago on the right flank.
His ability to run forward with the ball was also on show, most notably in the 83rd minute as he beat his marker with some savvy footwork and then won a corner off the Newcastle United defender who came across to try and stop him. Causing a couple of issues late on with a some strong runs, he again wowed in stoppage time with a backheel flick that presented Scarlett with the ball just outside the Newcastle area.
However, it was his penalty in the shootout that had everyone talking as he coolly slotted the ball down the middle of Mark Gillespie’s goal. Nothing appeared to faze the player at all in his match time and he was coolness personified throughout, which the head coach will have noted.
Very much coming to the attention of Postecoglou recently for him to name him in his squad against Man City as well as the post-season trip to Australia, Hall has put himself in an excellent position going into the 2024/25 campaign. Opportunities are always there for Tottenham’s youngsters on pre-season tours and this year will be no different.
Postecoglou may not have his full complement of players available for the tour of Japan and South Korea due to Euro 2024 and the Copa America and that should open the door up for some of Spurs’ academy stars. Regardless of the major tournaments taking place, Hall should probably be in Postecoglou’s thinking for pre-season anyway as it will allow him the opportunity to take a closer look at a player who has excelled in 2023/24 and also someone who can potentially star for the first team in the years ahead.
Tottenham have some very exciting players coming through the system at present, with Hall most certainly one of them.
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
