Contemporary top-level football is complex. Double pivots, inverted full-backs, gegenpressing, I’ve banned the expression A***ball but that too – I get it. But it’s not overly simplistic to say, at free kicks, get your big bloke on their big bloke. Or don’t get too many players upfield and let teams score on the counter. Or defend a bloody corner properly. And when we have a problem defending set-pieces, don’t give stupid free-kicks away.
What infuriates me are all these mug goals. We are total mugs, handing opportunities to opponents instead of making them work hard for them. Regardless of different tactical approaches, think of how many of the goals we’ve conceded lately are mug goals. Sitting in the Park Lane on Sunday, watching their players’ expressions as they celebrated their goals, they couldn’t believe their luck. Without playing well they held us in check but to score their goals required scant ingenuity or overpowering skill. On Thursday, three unnecessary tackles, three fouls, two goals.
And underlying those fouls is a sense of indecision laced with a liberal dash of panic. Minds as well as limbs are weary after a season of hard yards and tough matches. Nobody took control. Nobody settled things down. Nobody said, let’s be confident in our ability to resist when CFC attack, let’s keep our shape and keep the ball when we get it. Nobody assessed what was happening on the field and said, oi big bloke, get out there to mark that other big bloke. There are no gamechangers out there.
As a fan, I ask for, indeed demand, clarity of thought from players and manager, yet I find that impossible because of my attachment to the club. There’s so much to say, so many things going wrong lately, there’s disappointment and some anger obscuring the progress this season. Perspective is hard when you’re so invested.
Ange has the right ideas, the right approach and – this is important for me – the right values. He understands the club’s heritage and what supporters want. It’s a philosophy that can change the ethos of the entire club and he has the capacity to get people to believe.
But now we’re at the sharp end of the season, time to take stock and do the accounts. And once more we’re ending a season wanting it to rush by and end before its time. Different players, different manager but that same sinking feeling.
The biggest, perhaps insurmountable problem Ange faces won’t go away. The weight of expectation has become a burden, as his predecessor discovered and ran away. If anything, he’s added to it because he created such an exciting start to his time in charge, because he was so different from what had gone before.
We fans carry this too. Lately, it seems like each overhit pass carries not only too much weight but also the weight of past frustrations. As each cross sails into the distance, it becomes a symbol of serial failure. Not again, we lament, not again.
Save Our Seniors is the fan campaign to reverse the club’s decision to cut the discount on senior concessions and to not issue any more senior concessions after next season. It’s a disgraceful decision that directly affects not only the club’s most loyal supporters but also reveals how little the club values the loyalty of every fan. The campaign continues – updates on social media @SaveOurSenior66 and I wrote about it last time
So of the many things on my mind, a short list in no particular order.
Key players have disappointed in the second half of the season. Maddison is easily drawn into petty squabbles that distract him. If he wants to be a big player at a big club then he’s got to play like one and run the midfield, rather than be a bit part actor however scene-stealing his cameos are. Bentacur too is off his game, Bissouma is not a strong presence in that key centre mid role, while Sonny gave everything in the Asian Cup, as he should for his country, but he has little left for us.
That said, modern players expect to be coached into a system. I can’t escape the felling that too often our midfielders are not clear where they are supposed to be. They allow huge gaps to open up between them and don’t get this coaching fundamental about connection and awareness. And some of that has to be down to the manager.
I read that Ange has no plan B. While this was never truly accurate, we’ve seen plans B and C this week and neither has made a significant difference to the outcome. To me, the defeat to CFC was the worst of the lot precisely because we changed our set-up to be tighter out of possession and still the Blues easily circumvented our defence. And substituting the complete midfield smacked of desperation rather than a clear plan of action.
Compare with Them Lot up the road – I’m afraid we were forced to on Sunday – they’ve had several years of gradual development and are clearly well-drilled out of possession. They close down space and passing lanes. For a couple of minutes last Sunday, I watched Rice in defence – there was nothing much else to catch my attention. He’s constantly on the move even when in a relatively tight defensive situation, proactively thinking about space and angles. As for us in this respect, let’s just say we have much to learn. And also remember, it took them years and a lot of money to be where they are.
I’ve got to say something about corners. Vicario looks uncertain when earlier in the season I felt he was good at this aspect of his game, given that he doesn’t possess huge physical presence. But it’s wrong to focus all the attention on him. A firm low-ish ball around the packed 6-yard box is a favourite for many clubs at the moment. A lot of keepers have a problem with these. They simply do not have the time let alone the space to get to these crosses.
We don’t defend as a team in these situations. We have no presence at the near post, another reason to miss Harry as he was so effective there. We’re not a big side, and our smaller guys employed to do the blocking as part of the zonal set-up aren’t strong enough and are easily overpowered. Romero and VDV have many attributes but a standing jump without much of a run-up is not one of them. And every other team has at least one player to protect the keeper. We didn’t. Then we did. On Sunday, we didn’t again and gave two goals away at corners. Then we did in the second half when it was too late.
Mug goals, mug tactics. How on earth can we be so disorganised, so weak, so consistently. We adapted with a man to protect Vic, then on Sunday we left him exposed. I simply don’t get it. Admit it, it’s not just me who thinks, what’s the point, heart in mouth time every corner and free kick.
The same can be said for allowing teams to score so easily on the break, a regular feature of recent matches. Attention has focussed on the abilities or lack thereof of individuals – VDV against Newcastle, Davies on Sunday. But isolating a defender, any defender in the world, against a quick skilful forward is the stuff managers’ dreams are made of. Saka didn’t have to beat Davies, all he had to do was pull the ball across him because we left Davies unsupported. Again.
Anyway, that’s got that off my chest. Nobody said the rebuild would be easy. Ange made it appear it was with such a stunning opening to the season. In fact without going over this all again, it will take time, determination and clear thinking to turn around problems embedded in the club psyche, let alone our transfer policy.
Overall this season, we’re up a few points. We’re shite but 5th, a reasonable foundation to build upon. We know what the manager wants, and we all know from personal experience that we can learn from mistakes as well as successes. The question is, how willing is Ange to adapt? We are too open in midfield out of possession and rubbish at defending set-pieces, so two areas there where little apparent change has taken place despite strong reasons to act.
On the other hand, we forget how relatively inexperienced many of our players are, this is a the first season with a new manager and his very different ways. And we’ve not replaced Harry. Also, and I may be reading too much into this, but against both AFC and CFC, he altered tactics, certainly on Thursday out of possession we looked very different.
On Thursday, Ange was visibly furious at players who were not doing what they should, and yesterday’s press conference he declared, “We need change. Change has to happen.” Good. The question as always is, does the board agree with his plans? Past experience not only casts doubt over this but also tells us that the chairman does not react well to public criticism, overt or implied. Shots fired.
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
Like many Spurs fans at the moment, I can’t be anything other than massively disappointed. In truth it’s not been ‘right’ (whatever that is) for a while. Sideways, prevaricating football, shot shy, poor defending. It all becomes a same old, same old situation yet again.
I really like Ange and he’s tried manfully to get the best out of a mediocre bunch of players. But more mediocre in spirit, than ability. A lack of fight and a lack of judgement.
It’s been said about how close the players are as a group. But that seems to mean that rather than a few individuals performances dropping, it’s the whole bloody team failing!
They also have no excuses about feeling knackered, given the 37 or so games they’ve played, compared to Villa’s 54.
We’ve struggled to get over the line in most of the 18 league games we’ve won this season, and the need to repair the damage done in an ineffective first half has been there since early on this season.
There are at least 15 players in the squad who are palpably not good enough to play regularly at a high enough standard in a top six premier league team, but moving them on has proved to be an incredibly slow process, so the board and the hierarchy need to do more to clear out the dead wood and give Ange more quality to work with.
Failure to do this will only prolong the agony. We have a fantastic stadium, but unfortunately not a team to match.
The Academy teams seem to be doing great things over the last couple of seasons. I know the gulf in class between U21 football and the Prem is massive, but unless you give some of these players a chance how are we ever going to know if they’re good enough?
Depressing rant over!
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If the current 1st choice defence is the same next season (and we are continually advised that they are all excellent players who have had great seasons) it is difficult to see how the simple addition of a quality defensive midfielder can cure all those ills articulated above. How can players being coached since the age of 7/8 not be able to master basic defending not to mention avoid continuous stupid individual mistakes but I seem to have been asking those questions since 1970.
Alfie Conn’s Sideburns
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Dear Alfie, I see your sideburns and I raise you Chris Waddle’s mullet…
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Great assessment as ever Mr Fisher – let’s hope that change is incoming this summer. 🙏
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Cheers mate!
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Alan always love your blog….
regarding Vicario and the defence on set plays. Do you know much about Zonal Marking and if we do this a lot Alan. There is zonal marking generally and also on corners…..Vicario stays on his line…is this part of it? Against the Arse they 3 or 4 started at the back far post and ran in as the ball was kicked startling our defenders…can you shed some light on that Alan?
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Good to hear from you Ron. Said many times I watch as a fan not as a tactical analyser, but my reading is that at corner, we have VDV Rom and another pl;ayer going zonal at the edge of the 6 yard box. Somebody takes the near post- Richie did a good job v CFC, Hojbjerg – og. We really miss Harry there. The other players go man to man with the main aim of stopping opponents having a clear run. I think teams reckon they can out muscle our markers and aim for the gaps in the zonal set-up.
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Alan just read all of it its absolutely right on. I write on a Facebook Group and my sentiments are very similar. I put your article up on it (The 1882 Lounge -Tottenham Hotspur) they approved it
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Ange’s kamikaze football is already being figured out, his ideas aren’t resonating with players, and his outdated tactics are highlighted when he refuses to address issues like set-pieces, despite his poor track record with them throughout his career.
‘I’m not interested, Never have been. Not in the least.’
‘It’s not the first time I’ve been questioned about set-pieces in my coaching career. There is an underlying reason for that which I’m very, very comfortable with.’
Without much competition in Scotland he was successful at Celtic. But guess what, even there, Celtic’s ability to defend set pieces was really poor.
On Sunday, AFC were better coached, but more importantly, player for player, their skill level is much higher than ours. Maddison is no Odegaard. VDV is no Saliba – can go through the whole pack.
Much to do, and it will need money and great coaching – maybe at a level beyond Ange.
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Remember Arteta has had 3, or is it 4 seasons. I think our players could be up to their level in that time but their organisation is streets ahead. Ange so far shows he’s lacking in that respect
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Can I share the unthinkable – that Postecoglou isn’t all we thought he was and he’s as much to blame as the players? I suppose he deserves another season but if it’s another season like this then he can move on as far as I’m concerned. I can accept that one of two players are out of form at any one time , but when it’s more than half the team (Maddison, Bissouma, Sarr, Kulu, Son, Porro, Johnson, etc.) who are all out of sorts then it hints to me that something is not right between players and manager. One of the biggest differences between us and the teams above is the sheer number of unforced errors our players give up and we don’t have the team spirit to work as a team and get about the opponent to get back into the game. I don’t know what Son says to the team during the huddle but I think it’s along the lines of “Right lads, let’s play like sh*te for the first half and then give it a go in the second half. Also, let the other team do what they want at corners and remember, no one should take leadership and make sure Vic is protected. Finally, their #9 hasn’t scored at 15 games so let’s give him a couple of goals.”
But what worries me as much is the strange reaction by Postecoglou (No longer Ange to me) to questions about corners and defending generally. Instead of recognising the obvious he blusters about other problems. And then he made those strange comments about caring more about performance than league position. Wake up A.P. – the two are one and the same! Play well and you go up the table – that’s how you just progress. What a strange opinion to share and I think these two recent comments have got through to the players who basically now realise their manager doesn’t care where he ends up. This explains everything about our end of season collapse. The players have spoken.
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I cant argue with that….
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You’re right, those comments sounded like a manager on the back foot, self-justification. I don’t want a change, I do want to see him him change – got to do something about our defending, which isn’t just about the back four.
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We won’t be finishing 5th. 7th or 8th most likely as I don’t see us getting another win.
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I think we got to look at it realistically, I am currently on the fence with Ange since start of season.
Mainly any manager that came in and played more attacking footy was going to be an improvement from previous 2.5 managers (I’m giving Nuno a .5), secondly most managers that come from the SPL to EPL tend to realise its a massive difference, (Steven Gerard, Neil Lennon, Martin O Neill all successful in Scotland but ultimately failed in England).
Then there is the no Plan B. Not sure if this is true, but even Pep and Jürgen play differently away against certain teams, will still try win ball high upfield but try be more cautious in defence, as the philosophy, if you don’t concede, you don’t lose. We concede waaay too much last few seasons, since early Poch era.
However, I do believe each manager needs time to build their own teams, and if Ange can get us playing attractive attacking high press footy, with better defending then I say give him the players and time. But there lies the rub, this is Spurs and Mr Levy may think otherwise as it’s top 4 or nothing with him, whereas a fan like me, a trophy, any trophy will trump top 4 for one season then progress.
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just adding.. after the Pool match AP said he was actually pleased with our first half display, as it was more like the way he wants us to play… Hmmm 2-0 down, 1 shot, none on target, no threat upfront. Not sure fans were happy.
Yes second half was better after subs but why not play Richy upfront and Son out wide to start with. Was talking to other fans and they believe better managers out there available (Amorim, Flick, Zinedine Zidane plus Girona and Atalanta managers, but not sure if they would want to manage us) that would be better for us. Prob wishful thinking or just angry emotions after recent results.
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I do think Ange now has a plan B, problem is that he’s not coached the players on this for long enough, one outcome being yesterday’s shambles at Liverpool
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Nice commentary as far a I see it. I saw an interview with our manager this week where he was asked about where the team/club are now and specifically on the shortcomings more and more people in the game have identified more recently and more precisely than the ‘why were we great at the start of the season and why are we not so great now’ ?
However what concerned me a little more than a little was his replies and more specifically one reply ‘that this is our I want us to play and that this has brought success elsewhere’.
Yes people/fans/the press and Levy etc can accept this but you be left wondering will this actually work in the Premier League ?
‘what do i know about football ?’ well not much more or less than the average football/Spurs fan I’d suppose. This amounts to being born about a mile from the ground, went to nursery in Park Lane, the infant school (St Pauls) about 30 foot from the ground, played school football for my school and District (thanks to late Dicky Moss who was a true legend).I later in life took my first coaching badge when it was 85% practical and 15 % classroom and over the years as things became more sophisticated more the other way more for practical reasons qualifying as a referee.
I was sorry to hear that Terry Medwin has passed away. question As an interesting question I wonder when did you first start going to the Spurs ? and secondly do you still go? This last part prompted by the latest decision by presumably Daniel Levy to minimise the number of discounted tickets that will be available.
NB. My first game was Spurs v Manchester City (1959-60) season when i believe Cliff Jones missed a penalty ( I will no doubt be corrected on this.) I still have the programme somewhere. I stopped going 2 or 3 years ago mainly due to having a stroke and more recently a hear issue. Come on you Lilywhites
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Good to hear from such a loyal supporter, and sincerely hope you stay fit and well. My first game was in 67, been going regularly since then. Had to move from the Shelf to the South Stand a few years ago to get my discount. I’m angry with the club’s policy on concessions not so much for me, although money’s tight and I will have to think about the increase, but for all the other fans who won’t ever be able to get a concessionary ticket. And most of all, angry with their message – they don’t value our loyalty in the slightest, however old we are.
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We may not finish 5th at the rate we are going, but it will be where we deserve to be. The board have to decide what they are there for, just to make money or to make money to furnish a winning team. I think AP has to shoulder the burden of always having to prove himself and having a very fanbase that is very entitled, primarily because it’s made up of Londoners; compare our home fans to Liverpool’s, for starters. I think and hope that AP is changing the ethos of the club from top to bottom. There is a manager who also did that, but who was never given the chance to rebuild. He was there the other night, still in love with us, but not with the fans or board of the club he is at.
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Agreed. Although don’t think we are entitled as much as entitled to be brassed off with so many missed opportunities and playing the highest prices in Europe for the privilege.
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I agree with most of what you say, Alan. What a beautiful dawn that was, the first 9 and a 1/4 PL games. Then the implosion against Chelsea (a team for the taking) but in our desire to truly smash them up, all reason and concentration dissipated and we only succeeded in smashing up ourselves! Chelsea weren’t even THAT good the other night, a mirror of their season, but still did the double over us! Anyway, following that earlier Blues melt-down, we jogged along hoping that our superb form would return once the injuries, suspensions and latterly the Asian and African Cups were over. But it never happened, or only sporadically. Angeball (always hated that term, as though attacking football was new to our club) depended on all our decent players being fit and buying into his system. However, Ange didn’t count on so many good players getting worse, not better, as the season progressed. And none of us counted on Ange being little more than a wonderful man-manager rather than coach (didn’t Harry Redknapp pretty much say the same?).
But he deserves at least another season to display the tactical nous that the modern game warrants. We need the plan Bs and Cs and we need to plan/counter/address the opposition’s game beforehand too, not simply during it. The old adage ‘go out and score more than the other lot’ as Blanchflower or Billy Nick once said, doesn’t always lead to
Glory anymore.
Also, we’ve not been exactly awash with game time in this stop start season, so resting players hasn’t been an option. Bissuma and Sarr, a sight to behold in those first few months, have been relatively ineffective since. And you’re right about Son since the AC. Heavy lies our captain’s head as he wears the crown, and his influence in games has worryingly withered. He is not a focal point, as Kane was, and recently, whether on the wing or as central striker, he looks like he’s playing with strangers. Sonny always had huge talent, but he’s never had the football brain of a Messi or a Rooney. Others around him, like Kane, allowed Son to be his exceptional self, but now he is clearly struggling to influence or inspire even himself, let alone his comrades, on the pitch.
But it’s a big fault list. Madison, who displayed true England form and looked, for a while, like the final third midfield messiah we’ve craved (in the footsteps of legends like Gazza, Hod, Ardiles, Eriksen, Modric, Dele etc.) when he first arrived, has not been the same player since his injury against, yes, those ‘bleeps’ Chelsea. Bentacur, a beautiful midfielder who was waiting for someone like Mads to play with, something we fans hoped for too, has also been unable to replicate any type of consistent form since his long term injury. And there’s the overall crux. Consistency. We have good players, but they’re not consistently good. A player has a good game when he comes on as sub, but disappoints in the next when starting. So Ange changes again and again and again. Kulu, Johnson, Werner, Richarlison ..good players all, but inconsistent, so to the detriment of our club and our aspirations.
So is it another clear out? I do know we need a focal point, a consistent striker, so is it time to go big with a bid on Tony? Is it time up now for Hojbjerg, Davies, Royale, Skippy,
the ever absent Sess (who was never better than when he was 17 anyway) etc.? We can only hope that bringing in a few good players this summer will re-inspire our midfield and attack, and take pressure off our defence, but it’s yet another depressing rebuild at Tottenham Hotspur I fear.
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Please, no, not Ivan Toney…..
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Agree with you. You’ve touched on the question for me re the players, which is are these players out of form (and can therefore improve) or are they not good enough? I tend towards the former, and our lack of defined structure in the middle has unsettled some players and left them isolated. So I hope Ange can sort that – all eyes on him really
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Some good shots fired, my friend…,but where the has this zonal marking crap come from?
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Ha, happy to be corrected. See above – zonal with our main defenders, others mark but primarily to block runners. No?
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lets be honest if are current form continues we could well end up finishing the season in 7th/8th ??
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IknowAlanGilzean:
Thanks Alan. More time, lots of it, needed. Will Levy hold his nerve as we have to? After last season, happy to see Spurs try to play on front foot (although Conte CL season lot of decent football). Nothing says progress has to be linear, but I do have doubts as we haven’t really played exciting go at ’em football for some time. I think the players have lost some belief in leaving 2 at back to cosplay The Alamo on counters and tikka takka thread ball through eye of the needle round their box or get the fella wide to cross to fella on opposite wing to score is going to be enough or even works s anyone half decent anymore. At Chelsea, Postcoglu having to really rant about playing it forward seemed proof of this to me, as should be second nature by now after 9 months?
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Hope all is well with you. Sadly agree – I think players have lost their belief and commitment to the tactics. Always a bad sign…we know how this has ended in the past…
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Liverpool
Oh dear me!
After conceding yet another fistful of goals Postecoglou finally realises (why on earth did that take so long?)that Sonny is not a No 9 and switched him with Johnson who is also not a No 9. More realisation sets in and Richey comes on Kulu goes off and Johnson finally arrives at his normal position. Apart from poor old Emerson we now have players in their normal positions and you don’t need me to tell you of the improvement. Had the score remained at 4 – 0 or worse then I doubt Postecoglou would be around this morning.
It strikes me as sensible that an incoming manager/coach would look at his new squad and at least start off by playing them in their preferred (i.e.strongest) positions & then gradually introduce the tactical changes over time.
Postecoglou is very similar to Conte in his ‘its my or the highway’ approach as illustrated by his willingness to play players out of position in order to maintain his tactics. For example Emerson against Saka and Salah are clear mismatches. Would not playing Dragusin & moving Mikey VDV (with his speed) out to left back have been a better solution?
Hibberni
P.S.Comments on Alan’s post & replies to follow.
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Hi Alan,
In your last paragraph you highlighted Postecolou’s call for change and I agree DL may not be in a receptive mood. Here’s my reasoning…
Firstly the club has has lost £220m over the past 3 seasons.
Secondly the loss from football trading matters rose from £80m to £127m (+59%) although the sale of HK will help to ameliorate 2024’s report.
Thirdly there is the impending changes to the FFP rules.
Fourth we have 8 players out on loan with (in my view) only Alejo Véliz & Ashley Phillips to be retained.
Fifth we have a full squad of 26 with Udogie & Sarr loosing their U21 status In November
Therefore, knowing DL, player sales and not purchases will be first on the list and that makes sense financially. Most EPL clubs have little room to manoeuvre in the transfer market and there maybe some bargains that will tempt DL’s approval but I don’t expect any £50m plus purchases unless sales go better than expected.
I believe we have good squad (average age 25.4). They’re pretty much all current internationals & there are 2 World Cup winners and, as one of the anons has mentioned, we currently have a very good U21 squad to draw from.
If Postecoglou wants change he needs to start looking at himself…
Hibberni
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Admit I’m not counting the pennies but I think DL has room for further purchases. That loss is mainly down to transfers, isn’t it (happy to be corrected) – the club itself and the stadium is generating good revenue stream and puts us in a good position re FFP as opposed to many other clubs in the PL. Some players will move on in the summer although I don’t anticipate that will generate a fortune. Agree, we have a decent core squad if players are allowed to mature. We need a central striker.
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Yes Alan,
It’s the amortisation of player transfer costs with less than 5 years to run on their contracts. I looked at the detailed view of the squad on Transfermrkt and one can count the number of players that have been with us for more than 5 years on the fingers of one hand.
Even Ndombélé’s contract doesn’t end until June next year.
Hibberni
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Open letter to Ange,
How about working on your interview style both before and after the match? We get that you feel as sick as us with the defeat but the ‘shoegazer’ body language only reinforces the perception that you are a loser. Display confidence in what you are doing and represent this proud club appropriately. If you have run out of things to say then give the job to someone else, in all senses.
And don’t feel as though every question is an attack. It seems that every question is met with a pushback or a rebuttal. I am getting tired of hearing, “We’ve got bigger problems, mate.” and “I don’t think of things like that”, or “Nah, I don’t care about that.” You might be right in all of that but it comes across as chippy and lacking respect with those who might want to know how the team (and you) managed to lose four games on the bounce for the first time in 20 years. At the moment you look as though you hate the place and would rather be anywhere else but talking to your fans through the media.
The fans don’t care about Plan A or B or even a C. They care about fighting for every point. If we are failing to do that with the tactics you demand then maybe accept that other teams have done their homework and are preparing to work around a midfield that is clearly unable to deliver your style. A case in point is poor Emerson who got roasted by Salah. Many defenders have also suffered this indignity so let’s not place all the blame on him. We knew ‘Pool would exploit our defensive weaknesses so why not provide Emerson with some cover? Sacrifice three attackers and thicken up the midfield with one or two more defensive players. Skipp, or P-E Hjoberg, or even Lo Celso, would have helped us out instead of our toothless trio upfront. And what about the forgotten Dragusin? Make it difficult for the opponent instead of continually relying on a set-up that buckled against Newcastle, folded against Arsenal, and didn’t give a toot against Chelsea. Even if we are to lose 1-0 at least it keeps us in the game and maybe give our two attackers a chance to grab a point or more.
Ange – you’ve got the job for another season but you better do something soon before you run out of credit at the Bank of Goodwill. If you don’t then that long flight to Australia will seem twice as long stuck with your squad and with nowhere to go…
David Read.
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Burnley
Ist half
More round pegs in square holes again.
Will he never learn?
2nd half
At last…
Quod erat demonstrandum…
Hibberni
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For me its the lack of attention to detail, both with our squad’s weaknesses and with the opponent’s strengths (when Conte played us against Liverpool, Ben Davies gave Salaah no chances-he second guessed all of Salaah’s runs – the latter had to be substituted out).
Is Ange short-staffed in the coaching department?
Is his rag-tag gang of backroom staff, just that, rag-tag?
Did he get the job because he took on some coaching staff already on the Spurs salary roster? thus “saving a bundle”?
Is he straining to adapt to the EPL? (Unai Emery also suffered tough 1st half performances with Gooners then he would twitch things for the better in the 2nd halfs-Emery is flying now at Villa).
Is a certain London news reporting outfit giving him a false sense of comfort?
We could have cantered to 4th place finish in the league table isn’t it?
HOWEVER, FINISHING FIFTH IS WITHIN SIGHT, MEANING, THERE SHOULD BE A DECENT COACH SOMEWHERE IN THAT BURLY FIGURE.
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MANC
Well it started ok but finished like a damp squib.
I am finding it difficult to appreciate what I’m seeing especially when Postecoglou appears to see only the future and disassociates himself from the present.
10 points from the last 10 games & 22 goals conceded is relegation form and god help us if this predicament carries on into the start of next season.
There is an imbalance in his tactics and, at some point, he will start to loose the players’ belief in them, if that isn’t already happening.
Hibberni
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