Tottenham midfielder discusses his "easy" transition at Spurs, the team's re-found momentum under Ange Postecoglou and why they have a point to prove at the Emirates Stadium this weekend; watch Arsenal vs Tottenham on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm; kick-off 2pm
Sunday 24 September 2023 13:59, UK
James Maddison says there is "something special in the air" at Tottenham right now, with the club enjoying an impressive start to the season under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
With four wins from their first five matches, unbeaten Spurs have turned on the style this season, with Maddison at the heart of their re-found entertaining, creative football. The summer signing has two goals and two assists and will be a key figure when his new side make the short trip across north London to face Arsenal at the Emirates on Super Sunday.
Tottenham's rivals may have warmed up for the big one with a midweek thrashing of PSV in the Champions League but Spurs have momentum of their own after a dramatic injury-time comeback win over Sheffield United last time out in the Premier League.
"We don't want to get too carried away. It's our job to stay focused and keep going. But I'd be lying if I said it doesn't feel like there's something special in the air at the minute," Maddison told Sky Sports.
"Just because of the feeling and the way we won against Sheffield United… I've never experienced something like that."
Maddison credits Postecoglou with creating an exciting atmosphere around the Spurs squad and describes his boss as a "motivational speaker", able to galvanise the entire group of players with his team briefings.
"He's a bit different to anyone I've worked with before," said Maddison. "He's a down-to-the-point, straight-talking man and as a player that's what you want. You want honesty, someone to tell you how it is.
"He is really good at [motivational speeches]. You come out of a meeting with him ready to run through a wall. He's a very motivational speaker and it's a big quality of his. He gets all the players wanting to go and work for him. Everyone is on board and ready to work.
"There was a good example on Saturday with the winning goal. The move was four of the substitutes combined and [Dejan Kulusevski] scored the winner. They're going on hungry and wanting to do well. Long may that continue and I hope we have a successful period together."
Postecoglou's methods have certainly benefitted Maddison, who has looked instantly at home as a Tottenham player. He is speaking to Sky Sports in his family's box at the club's stadium, which has had a refurbishment to personalise it for the player.
Maddison was named as one of the club's vice-captains by Postecoglou ahead of the start of the season. Given he had only been at the club a matter of weeks, it was a sign of the authority the former Leicester City midfielder brings.
It's also a role Maddison relishes.
"It can be a difficult transition when you move to a new club. A new style of play, new surroundings but it's been fairly easy transition and that's down to the people at the club, the manager, the players - they've warmed to me early on - the fans. It's been an easy transition and one I'm loving," he says
"I'm feeling free, like I'm able to go and express myself and that comes from the manager and his coaching staff and the other squad members. I feel myself. Sometimes when you have new players come in it's almost like they try too hard to impress or try to do a bit too much to impress their team-mates or manager but they've made me feel so at ease I've just been myself naturally."
On his leadership in the group, he said: "I try to take out the fact I'm a new player. I'm quite experienced now. I'm 26. I'm not a kid anymore, I've played a lot of games. I've been around football a long time now. Anything I can add or feel will benefit the team, I won't just shout for a reason, if I have a message to get to the team.
"That leadership in the changing room is important. I think I'd do it anyway without the vice-captaincy. That captain's not the only leader. You can have leaders who don't wear the armband. It's just something I'll do. Anything I can say to help the team, I will say. Whether I've been in the door four years or four weeks."
Maddison says he would be "honoured" if fans eventually thought of him in a similar regard to former creative Spurs stars such as Paul Gascoigne, Christian Eriksen and Dele but to do achieve that status he knows he will need to deliver in big games, such as this weekend's north London derby.
Maddison and his team-mates go there with a point to prove.
"If you ask the Arsenal camp, I don't think it's a brilliant time that they'd want to play us because we've started the season well," he says. "I had a little bit of banter with Bukayo [Saka] and Rammers [Aaron Ramsdale] and Declan [Rice] on England duty, all in good spirit, and I'm really looking forward to the game.
"It's these big occasions where we have to show we can progress as a team and continue these results on the big occasions. We want to show the Tottenham way and the new way we've got of playing under this manager.
"We're still early in the manager's reign but if you're a fan that's been watching you'll have seen changes to the team. We're not at the end goal yet because it's a process and takes a long time.
"Just like you saw with Mikel Arteta, he went in and had a bit of a shaky start at times and now Arsenal are one of the most consistent performers in the league last year and were very close to winning the title."
Tottenham and Maddison will be aiming for a victory on Sunday to show they have the potential to reach the same level.
