Hearts 1-5 Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou's side make flying start to pre-season as Brennan Johnson and three teenage stars get on the scoresheet in dominant win at Tynecastle
- Ange Postecoglou's side got their pre-season underway with a convincing win
- Five different goalscorers found the net, including three teenage stars
Ange Postecoglou returned to Scotland with Tottenham and made it clear that he is in no rush to move on again.
The former Celtic manager has been linked with the England vacancy, following the departure of Gareth Southagte but maintaining he was unaware of the latest speculation, he said his focus is on the London club and building on a positive first season in the English top flight.
'Mate, I was having a nap this afternoon, so I've got no idea!
'I reckon by the end of it there will probably be 100 [names] on it, so I'm in the top 100, thank you, that's decent!'
But while flattered he is keen to see things through at Spurs.
![Ange Postecoglou watched his side make the perfect start to pre-season and then dismissed speculation linking him with the England manager's job](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/17/22/87467821-13645113-image-a-2_1721250987698.jpg)
Ange Postecoglou watched his side make the perfect start to pre-season and then dismissed speculation linking him with the England manager's job
![Brennan Johnson (right) set Spurs on their way to a 5-1 victory at Tynecastle](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/17/22/87467847-13645113-image-a-3_1721251057297.jpg)
Brennan Johnson (right) set Spurs on their way to a 5-1 victory at Tynecastle
![Lawrence Shankland equalised for Hearts right after half time after an Emerson Royal mistake](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/17/22/87467873-13645113-image-a-4_1721251157447.jpg)
Lawrence Shankland equalised for Hearts right after half time after an Emerson Royal mistake
'I'm Tottenham manager and I'm determined to bring success to this club, as I have with every other club I have been at. That's where my focus is, totally. We haven't achieved anything yet, so until we achieve something, my work isn't done.
'It's a massive club, it's an unbelievable league and it's a challenge every week. The best players, the managers are there and you are testing yourself every week. It's what I want to do, it's where I want to be.'
Back at Tynecastle, to mark Hearts 150th anniversary year, memories of the legendary Dave Mackay united the sides ahead of play as the players lined up to pay tribute to a player who remains a key figure in both clubs' folklore. And, for nearly 39 minutes, despite the huge gulf in budgets and pay structures, there was nothing to separate them.
But just minutes after Kyosuke Tagawa had passed up one of several quality chances served up to him, Brennan Johnson proved more clinical at the other end as he broke the deadlock.
A match that ticked along with more intent, creativity and energy than the typical pre-season runarounds, there were promising signs for the season ahead. But both teams will be hoping that key personnel stick around to help them realise that potential.
If Postecoglou's future is the focus south of the border, Hearts are again keep fingers crossed that their top scorer for the past two seasons, Lawrence Shankland, stays put
![Will Lankshear put Tottenham back in front in the 55th minute of the match](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/17/22/87467867-13645113-image-a-5_1721251191473.jpg)
Will Lankshear put Tottenham back in front in the 55th minute of the match
![Exciting prospect Mikey Moore (pictured) gave Tottenham some breathing space](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/17/22/87467905-13645113-image-a-6_1721251263715.jpg)
Exciting prospect Mikey Moore (pictured) gave Tottenham some breathing space
![Djed Spence (right) made it 4-1 as Spurs ran riot in the second half](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/17/22/87467923-13645113-image-a-7_1721251313031.jpg)
Djed Spence (right) made it 4-1 as Spurs ran riot in the second half
Along with fellow Scotland Euro 2024 representative, Zander Clark, he missed the warm weather training camp in Tenerife but slotted back into the first team training set up this week.
Starting on the bench, last season's Player of the Year, could only watch as Hearts created the number of scoring opportunities few would have anticipated against a strong Spurs line-up that included James Maddison, who had a point to prove after being left out of the England Euro set-up, and the classy Heung-Min Son.
Yan Dhanda displayed guile and his play suggests that Hearts will find ways to slice through sides on domestic and European duty but there was also the impact made by Gerald Taylor. The Costa Rican right back was swift in thought and deed, reading the play and surging forward at pace and placing crosses on a plate for the men in front of goal. It was no surprise that the Tynecastle crowd rewarded him with a warm ovation when he was eventually substituted.
The biggest frustration for Hearts manager Steven Naismith was his forwards' inability to convert the openings being created, until Shankland joined the fray at the start of the second half and cancelled out Johnson's opener.
![Ashley Phillips (left) was the third teenager to score for Spurs to round off a dominant win](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/17/22/87467951-13645113-image-a-8_1721251368830.jpg)
Ashley Phillips (left) was the third teenager to score for Spurs to round off a dominant win
By then, Postecoglou had well and truly shuffled his pack, fielding a completely different XI after the interval and the game became more and more disjointed as multiple substitutions for both side's interrupted the second half.
'I thought there were loads of positives, especially in the first half,' said Naismith. 'When you go toe-to-toe with a team like Spurs you are going to get picked off and that's what you see at the end of the game.
'When we are bringing on some young guys who are just making their way in the game and the young players they are bringing on have been bought for £10million, the gap widens.'
In the 54 minute William Lankshear restored Spurs' lead and 12 minutes later Mikey Moore made it 3-1. Djed Spence was the next to make his mark before Ashley Phillips wrapped it up.