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Where did it all go wrong for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou?
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Where did it all go wrong for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou?

Where did it all go wrong for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou?

It’s been a tough ride for Spurs this season, no doubt, with the early promises under Ange Postecoglou seeming like a distant memory now. What started as a hopeful campaign has gradually unraveled into frustration and inconsistency. The injuries and the defensive struggles—it’s all added up.

The big debate now is whether this is just a bump in the road during a rebuild, or a sign that the project might need a rethink altogether. Do they stick with it and give Ange the time, or will the pressure from fans and the board force a more drastic move?

It seems the only thing going right for Tottenham Hotspur this season is their Europa League campaign. Rescuing a draw against Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the quarter finals, Tottenham have continued a good run of form in this tournament.

So why has it gone so wrong for Tottenham all season long and why is Postecoglou’s job at risk? We take a look over Tottenhams performances across all competitions and where their struggles lay.

Premier League Struggles

When you are a club that has been grouped in as the ‘Big Six’ and you are underperforming by the margin that Spurs are, of course questions are to be asked of the manager.

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Losing over 50% of their Premier League matches so far this season, Tottenham currently occupy 14th in the league table. With only one win from their last five, Tottenham Hotspur are currently on route to equal their worst ever league finish, which was back in the 2008-2009 season.

It has become a running trend since their Europa Conference League qualification in the 2019/2020 season that Tottenham alternate the years they qualify for European football. Missing out on European football in the; 2020/2021, 2022/2023 and now set for to miss the 2024/2025 season.

Ange may have shot himself in the foot at the beginning of the season as he expressed to fans that he normally wins things in his second season.

However, much to the appraisal of the Aussie manager, The loss of Harry Kane has seemingly seemed insignificant as although stuck in such a low position, Tottenham Hotspur are the second highest scoring club in the Premier League this season with 58 goals from 31 matches.

Injury Concerns

To defend Ange for his team’s struggles, He is yet to have a game this season with all of his preferred choices of players fit and available for selection.

Their lowest number of injuries in one month was back in October where only five unique players were out through injury. Since then, it has been on average eight unique player injuries per month for Postecoglou’s side.

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Most notably has been Dutch youngster Micky van de Ven. Only featuring in two matches between the 31st October and 5th March, van de Van has suffered greatly through a hamstring injury.

Injuries have shaken up the team in ways the manager did not expect. Tottenhams newest midfielder protégé Mickey Moore found himself having to fall in at centre back before picking up an injury of his own.

Tactical Adaption issues

It is no secret that all managers have a system which they believe to be most optimal for getting results and prefer to bring that tactical mindset to every club they manage.

Ange Postecoglou has remained committed to this philosophy in that his teams play with high-tempo football keen on controlling possession and building out from the back.

This style of play began well at Tottenham Hotspur however, when the injuries began piling up, Ange was reluctant to adapt to the forced changes and remained his tactics were to stay.

Some fans have hailed this as impressive and argue he is building for the future with long term consistency however, his unwillingness to change has been heavily scrutinised as fans and pundits notice Tottenham are exploited and vulnerable in high-pressure situations.

Is Ange on borrowed time?

Ange Postecoglou has been a brilliant manager for Tottenham Hotspur, revolutionising an attack that had just lost its key striker and obtaining three consecutive Manager Of The Month awards at the beginning of the 2023/2024 season.

However, fans are in desperate need of action as although there has been significant struggles, Tottenham Hotspur are not a team that should be sat down in 14th position in the league table.

With Tottenham still displaying a high quality of football in the Europe and the injuries slowly starting to decrease, Ange Postecoglou may be in for a chance at Europa League silverware.

If his side can continue their Europa League form, Ange Postecoglou may have a stronger case to keep his job, but the Aussie manager does not have faith it will be much help. Will the board continue to show faith in Ange if he is unable to find a way back to glory to end the season on a high.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Ozzie Summerhill

Writer at Football Park

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