Ange PosteCoglou: Business as usual for Tottenham Hotspur boss ahead of Europa League tie | Football news
Ange Postecoglou should have remained in charge at Tottenham Hotspur, despite the club’s poor form.
Spurs blew a 1-0 half-time lead against Leicester on Sunday to suffer a fourth league defeat while their only top-flight win in their last 11 games came at bottom-placed Southampton.
Tottenham suffered back-to-back defeats against the struggling sides, after being beaten at Everton – a game that saw them 3-0 down at half-time – followed by a defeat at Leicester, who had previously lost seven consecutive league games.
Their alarming Premier League form, which has seen them edge closer to the bottom three than the top half of the table, has put Postecoglou under enormous pressure, but it is business as usual at the club and the Spurs boss expects to be on his pre- Press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Europa League home game against Elfsborg.
There is recognition that Spurs, who are on a run of seven league defeats in their last eight matches, are still in the mix to win a first trophy in 17 years with north London in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup Fourth Round and on course to reach the last 16 Europa League.
Results against Man City and Liverpool in the Carabao Cup offered a glimpse of what is possible under Postecoglou, with everyone at the club working together to improve consistency to avoid more embarrassing results like the defeats suffered by Ipswich and Leicester.
Also belief league results will improve as injured players return.
Internally at Spurs there is sympathy for Postecoglou with an injury crisis at the club.
Injuries have plagued and James Maddison is the latest player to be sidelined, joining a list of absences stretching into double figures. Postecoglou also revealed that both Richarlison and Pape Sarr, in an ideal world, would not have started against Leicester, but such are their injury problems, he had no choice but to play them.
Almost four weeks into the January transfer window, their only senior signing is 21-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, but Spurs will ideally help Postecoglou and sign at least one player before next Monday’s transfer deadline, depending on the right player being filmed.
There have been changes in the recruitment department in the last year, and all the moves in the market have been made to avoid panic and help in the long run.
Tottenham are understood to have considered signing a new left-back earlier in the window – carrying out checks on the likes of PSV Eindhoven’s Olivier Boscagli and Feyenoord’s David Hanck – but have instead focused on a new striker following the addition of goalkeeper Kinsky.
The club wanted to sign Randal Kolo Muani but he joined Juventus on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, while reports linking Spurs with Ajax’s Brian Brobbey are thought to be wide of the mark.
Sky Sports News They revealed last week that they are one of the clubs monitoring the situation surrounding Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, but a summer move is more likely, while they are also one of the clubs looking at potential loanee Evan Ferguson. Brighton have opened the door for their frontman to go out on loan and Fulham have also been linked.
There are other options and Tottenham’s focus on attack has come as a surprise to many fans given that they are one of the best attacking teams in the league but among the worst defensively. Spurs’ XG is the sixth best in the Premier League, but they are 14th in terms of XG.
Postecoglou Brushed off questions over his future after another Tottenham “low” against Leicester, but maintains belief the club can still achieve something special this season.
The home fans turned on Spurs chairman Daniel Levy during the second half and while the Boos greeted full-time after this latest defeat left them 15th in the league, Postecoglou, speaking after the game, felt his depleted squad still gives all in a period of 17 Fortifications in two months in the midst of a continuously growing injury crisis.
“I really believe in this group of players. Even today, what I asked of them, some performances were outstanding considering what they went through. For me, it’s all positive, but ultimately, the fact that we lost the second game of football , the focus is on that,” Postecoglou mused.
“All the time I felt that the players are still very dedicated to what we do. That’s important to me because I strongly believe in that.
“It’s probably as low as we’ve been so far this year, but I still think we can do something really special in these last three months and I think these players believe that.
“Right now it’s very difficult to visualize that when you think about the current circumstances we’re in today you have to look at our absence and everyone will be back.
“Even missing Madders (James Maddison) today, he was so good the other night.
“All these little things that don’t allow us to get any momentum, I’m sure they’ll change and when they do, I’m really confident we can make an impact.”
Redknapp: Spurs’ history means Ange has to find results
Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp:
“I will also say that the manager needs some help.
“They went down to what we call the bare bones. You might even go and find a couple of loans for him. They brought in a goalkeeper. Yeah, they probably should have done that. But they’re just giving him a little bit of support. You know, now you’ve lost Solanke and you’ve lost the others players in the middle.
“It just feels like the manager needs a bit of help. It takes a bit of support if you believe in him. There are huge games coming up.
“I think we’re all looking at the game against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
“It seems like a huge game for his Tottenham future, you know, and I think he’ll be a manager by then. If they come out of it, I think there’s going to be a lot of questions because there’s going to be a lot of question marks because this form just can’t continue, especially with the history of other managers leaving.”
CARRA: If you fire Postecoglou, who do you bring in?
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher:
“I’m in a situation where, who would you bring in? I think you have to let them get his players back. They’re not going to let themselves go.
“Let them have cup competitions. Who knows, the second half of the season, go back to the two centers, Solanke back. You can have a decent run in that Europa League, because I don’t think it’s great Strength in that Europa League.
“And then you go from there. I don’t think they should change any time soon. Let them get their players back and make it to the end of the season.”
Who is to blame for Tottenham’s woes? Charging in shooting
Analysis by Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:
The first chants of “We want Levy Out” were heard long before the implosion that doomed Spurs to their latest defeat against Leicester on Sunday. The home fans aired their displeasure at the beginning of the first half. What happened next only increased the volume.
Of course, of course, the embedded Ange Postecoglou had to face the cameras. That’s a lot of head coaching. But he is not the main target for the anger of home supporters. Chairman Daniel Levy is a man to shoot.
Tottenham’s upcoming nodes
- Elfsborg (H) – Europa League – January 30
- Brentford (a) – Premier League – February 2, live on Sky Sports
- Liverpool (A) – Carabao Cup – February 6, live on Sky Sports
- Aston Villa (A) – FA Cup – February 9
- Man Utd (H) – Premier League – February 16, live on Sky Sports
- Ipswich – Premier League – February 22
