Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou hints at Mikey Moore plan for Crystal Palace with verdict on Timo Werner form | OneFootball

Spurs boss played down the chances of teenager earning a first Premier League start this weekend

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou is "cautious" about starting Mikey Moore against Crystal Palace on Sunday and says Timo Werner must "find a way out" of his dismal form in front of goal.

Moore was outstanding in Thursday's 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar, particularly after moving to the left following Postecoglou's decision to withdraw the misfiring Werner at the interval.

The head coach has said the teenager is ready to start "any game" but played down the chances of his full League debut in south London this weekend.

"He's one of the options," Postecoglou said. "[But] again, two games in a week...

"The biggest concern I have for him is physically more than anything else. He's still a growing kid. His body is still adjusting to this level, so to ask him to play two games in a short space of time, I'd be cautious about that. But we'll have a look at how the team shapes up."

Tottenham are set to be without Heung-min Son at Selhurst Park

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Richarlison or Wilson Odobert could also fill Son's shoes but both have only just returned from injury, leaving Werner in the frame to start again.

"He is definitely down in confidence, you can see that," Postecoglou said of the German, who missed two presentable chances in the first half on Thursday.

"It is a difficult thing to get out of sometimes. It can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. All we can do is try to support him and keep trying to get him to a place where he feels a little bit more confident with certain things.

"He has played a great ball in for Mikey to score early and if that goes in, that’s an assist for him it gives him a lift but it doesn’t happen. It happened at Ferencvaros as well, he played a great cross that Will Lankshear just missed but these things happen.

“He needs to find a way out of it because for us in those positions we need players to make an impact. I thought in a couple of moments he lacked some self-belief that we need to try to restore in him somehow."

Postecoglou says Moore's potential is "exciting" for Spurs but he warned the youngster he has not made it yet, and the says the teenagers who fade away after being promoted to the first-team should act as a "cautionary tale".

"[His challenge is] understanding that getting into first-team level is not the destination," Postecoglou said.

James Maddison compared Mikey Moore to Neymar on Thursday night

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"Players that have undoubted talent, those are the ones that people highlight. They get to the first team and sometimes they think they have made it.

"What we know is that is not the case. Because for every [Spain international Lamine] Yamal, who is 17, there are probably a hundred who debuted at 17-year-old who don’t [make it].

"There is a cautionary tale there that just because you make it as a young player, at a young age, and you start well…I think that is the biggest pitfall.

"I think players or young people who understand that and have the right network around them, they have a better chance of being successful in the long road.”

There is enormous excitement around Moore from Spurs fans, and vice-captain James Maddison fuelled the hype machine after comparing him to Neymar after this week's Europa League game.

Asked if Moore could handle the lofty comparisons, Postecoglou said: "Just to be clear, I didn't call Mikey Neymar!

"Address it with my captain [on Thursday]. I think you'll find that my demenour around Mikey will be the same today as it was yesterday and that's what he'd expect.

"The best indicator is the person himself and I've got a feeling that won't affect Mikey. I don't think we'll see him arriving with a different colour hair or a Ferrari. Well, he can't drive can he! I think he'll be fine."