Graham Ruthven: Ange-ball might not be helping Tottenham’s situation, but sacking Postecoglou would solve nothing.

ANGE Postecoglou’s haunted expression at full time of Tottenham Hotspur’s latest indignity said a lot. So too did the shouts that came from the home fans towards the Australian coach. “We’re going down with you,” heckled one supporter as Postecoglou walked down the tunnel. The way the Premier League table is looking, he might not be far off.

Sunday’s home defeat to Leicester City was a new nadir in an atrocious season for Spurs. The Foxes had lost seven league games in a row before arriving in North London, yet were revitalised by a meeting with ‘Dr Tottenham,’ just as Everton were the week before. And Arsenal the week before that.

There’s no escaping the reality of Tottenham’s current situation. They have won just one of their last 11 league matches. Over the season as a whole, they have lost more than half the games they have played. Eight points is all that separates them from the bottom three. Spurs, it could be argued, are in a relegation fight.

Sacking Postecoglou would be a popular decision among a growing section of the Spurs support. The Australian has largely kept fans on side for much of the season, but Sunday felt like a turning point in his relationship with the club’s fanbase. Much of the anger was directed at Daniel Levy and Tottenham’s owners, but Postecoglou bore the brunt too.

 

Someone more pragmatic might stand a better chance of grinding out results and handling the crippling number of injuries Tottenham have right now. Matches like Sunday’s against Leicester City might have had a different outcome had Spurs had a more conservative, balanced manager in the dugout.

The bigger picture, however, is that sacking Postecoglou would change nothing for Tottenham. The whole point of hiring the former Celtic boss in the first place was to commit to a new long-term vision. Replacing him might push Spurs slightly further up the table, but to what end would that matter beyond this season?

Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho were short-sighted appointments that only exacerbated Tottenham’s institutional issues as a club. Another managerial hire of that mould would ultimately see Spurs go backwards, not forwards. Inevitably, they would be back in the same situation again before too long.

“Certainly, something I wanted to try and do when I took on this role was to try to unify the club and create an environment here where we are all focused on the one thing. Obviously it hasn’t worked out that way,” Postecoglou said. “It’s understandable; like you said, the fans are not happy with our current situation. It is a difficult one to navigate because we need them right now, especially at home to create an atmosphere.”

🚨⚪️ Ange Postecoglou when asked if Spurs can win a trophy this season: “I don’t usually win things, I ALWAYS win things in my second year”. pic.twitter.com/IwiksVx10s

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 15, 2024

As long as Levy and the current owners remain in charge, Spurs are doomed to repeat the same cycle over and over again. Mauricio Pochettino, Mourinho and Conte all experienced what Postecoglou is going through right now. They too were handed a squad ill-equipped to compete at the top level of English football.

 

Postecoglou has made repeated calls for help in the January transfer window. He needs reinforcements in all areas of the squad to get his Tottenham project back on track, yet goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky remains the only January addition so far. It’s remarkable Spurs still haven’t signed a new centre back considering their defensive woes.

The hope was that Postecoglou and his brand of positive, attack-minded football would help create a new culture at Tottenham. Instead, this season has brought the same old problems and insecurities to the surface. Another managerial change might provide some immediate relief, but the pain Spurs are experiencing needs a more meaningful cure.

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