Business is bad for the jerk chicken bar-b-ques in the Park Lane. It’s raining, and the crowds surprisingly sparse even though kick-off is only half an hour away. The aroma of succulent curried goat is tempting, the warmth and dry of the ground more so and fans scurry past. The speakers blast out Bob Marley, singing songs of freedom, but there’s no redemption to be found for Spurs fans in the shelter of the stadium.
I concluded last week’s piece with the ominous comment that there may be trouble ahead. I take no pleasure in saying my prediction for Sunday’s game was on the money. Vardy scores on a breakaway, Spurs are disjointed and directionless and the atmosphere is more toxic than a nuclear waste dump. More telling perhaps even than the chants directed at the chairman was the lack of enthusiasm in the stands, the absence of any concentrated vocal support for the team a grudging acceptance of the inevitability of this outcome. People have had enough.
Protected by the thickest skin in English football, impervious to criticism, even our chairman must be feeling the heat through his cloak of invulnerability. Yet in response, the club have thrown out a couple of titbits that won’t sate our appetite of some robust, overdue and utterly necessary urgent action. Ange is safe, for now, and we hope to sign at least one player before the window closes, something Ange referenced in a press conference. These reports go on to say that we’re not after a midfielder.
I’m struggling to work out the strangest aspect of this. Is it ‘one player’ when the squad is on its knees? Strong competition from, ‘before the end of the window’, when they’ve had 28 days to respond to an urgent need. Both trumped for me though by ‘not a midfielder’. I realise we need reinforcements up front and at the back, but our defensive midfield is a tumbleweed void, a canyon of nothingness. There’s more material in the vast and endless vacuum of space. We’ve recruited some talented young players, no question, but this is at the expense of, rather than alongside, a search for experience, resilience and leadership, qualities essential for success.
For Leicester’s second, the bloke was out for a Sunday stroll, ambling across vacant grass, a touch here, another one to get it right, hold up a finger to gauge the windspeed and direction, pull up his socks and clean the mud from his toecaps before slotting into the corner of the net. He put more effort into his endless celebration than he had to do to score.
Spurs now have a managerial infrastructure to run the club. Yet their current strategy in the face of crisis is to let Ange carry the can as the only public face of Tottenham Hotspur. Daniel Levy – nothing. Donna Cullen – silence. Scott Munn – schtum. Johann Lange – shh! The whole operation geared, at enormous expense, to not carrying the can.
Ange to his eternal credit is prepared to front up, and all he gets for his troubles is, this week, media snark for being occasionally snippy with them. As if no other manager ever has taken umbrage with the media. One paper suggests that one reason they aren’t sacking Ange is that although that will be embarrassing for the board, appointing Mason as caretaker for the third time looks even worse. This is the stage we’ve reached. This is how one of the richest clubs in European football is being run, judging degrees of embarrassment.
The idea that Ange doesn’t have a plan B has been thoroughly debunked, although many pundits still trot it out because cliches and second-hand opinions are good earners. What he doesn’t have is a plan to tighten up when we’re under pressure from player exhaustion and a make do and mend team. For me, the big worry is that we don’t have the players with the skill-set to offer this option.
On Sunday, Bentancur had a poor game but he was essentially left to police the back four on his own, as well as build attacks when we get possession. Sarr was awful but we hear subsequently that he wasn’t fit. I admire the fact that he wanted to play, it shows the commitment the players have retained, but Ange should have been stronger and left him out if fitness was the issue. Then again, this reveals the real problem, there’s nobody else to play there. And so we’re back to the fundamental problem of a manager having to work with a squad not fit for purpose.
My dire warnings of the consequences of the board’s baffling negligence stretch back on this blog for at least a decade. The media have finally caught up. It is a football club and football clubs should be geared to performance. The board have their heads in the sand, refusing to fully invest in the team at a time of crisis and denying any responsibility for this, a crisis that was waiting to happen. 24 years of making the same mistakes, of a wilful inability to understand how to create a successful team, of denial that it requires substantial, sustained and strategic investment in top class footballers.
Or indeed investment in their support and supporters. They have created a vast gulf between themselves and the fans. Get behind the team. The Spurs family. The game is about glory. No wonder there is so much anger around. And it impacts adversely on the team, another deleterious consequence of the board’s attitude. They simply do not get us at all. As one banner said on Sunday: ‘Our game is about glory. Your game is about greed.’
This week, inconveniently for the board, figures around the wages/income ratio for the Premier League have been published. It’s a table that Spurs top. The opposition fans I know read this blog can insert their own joke about our trophy cabinet at this point. The only thing I want to add now is my continued bewilderment that in his own terms, Daniel Levy and the board have been hugely successful. Wages to income the lowest in the Premier League. The ground brings in an estimated £5m per game and the club is in an excellent financial state. This includes our position on PSR. Good. Well done, genuinely. This is the springboard to success as promised when plans for a new stadium were discussed nearly twenty years ago, yet we’re fast sinking to the bottom of the pool.
Spurs are not so much sleepwalking towards a relegation battle as zombie marching resolutely towards it, eyes wide open as if on some speed-fuelled bender. I’m old enough to remember the relegation season, and subsequent years that we spent near the bottom of the table. There’s something here about drift, about how a team with decent players but not strong enough as a whole internalise a defeatist mentality and can’t find a way to win, teams that wanted to play open football the Spurs way and got punished for it. This team isn’t ready for a relegation fight.
The idea that everything will be ok once the injured players come back is a fantasy. Before they return, best estimates still mean several weeks of playing two games a week. The glory glory nights of European football at the Lane now reduced to wanting a win on Thursday to avoid further fixtures. It takes time to get up to match fitness, more time still to reach the athletic intensity our tactics require, a period when players are vulnerable to further injury due to over-exertion. We’ve lost to Leicester and Everton, with Wolves, Ipswich and Southampton still to play, plus all of the teams at the top apart from AFC.
In response, on January 28th, no new outfield players. The world famous Hotspur, rotten to the core.
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
Same old same old. Spend more money but no mention of what we have to spend or who we should buy. No explanation of how we fit new players into a 25 man squad that’s already full. I suppose it’s all a lot easier if you don’t go into details. Trouble is those managing the club can’t ignore the details.
LikeLike
How can any Spurs fan not feel anything other than mass frustration. Week after week of seeing the team sink further.
It was patently obvious that they would run out of steam on Sunday. A 1-0 lead never enough to suffice when the second half started. But the inability to bring players in when we’re beyond bare bones is ridiculous. I know you can’t believe wholeheartedly in transfer rumours, but if there is any truth in Vlahovic being offered around then why not make the best offer, pay through the nose if necessary, anything to get a class act in. But instead they seem interested in Ansu Fati, a player who’s already failed at Brighton. Ashley Phillips, an actual centre back has been ever present for Stoke all season, yet he’s not recalled and we continue to play an 18 year old non centre back alongside an iffy Dragusin?
Everything is in a total mess and the board sit in total silence. I’m afraid that they ain’t going anywhere and the failure to achieve will continue. Even if by some miracle we won the League Cup this season, would that be enough? Of course not. We are stuck in a time warp and descending into apathy now. Happy days!
LikeLike
When you have a player telling the manager that he can’t play because he feels a little sore ‘Maddison”I would never play him again.Can you imagine Dave Mackay telling Bill Nicholson in the dressing room he feels sore and he can’t play the players would kick him all the way down the High Road.
LikeLike
You don’t know what Madds’ actual condition is. It would have been checked by physios, he doesn’t just say ‘gaffer I don’t fancy it’. Most players want to play and know their bodies. With the ego on Madds, I’d put money on the fact that he’d rather have been on the pitch.
LikeLike
he’s out for 2-3 weeks
LikeLike
Spot on!
LikeLike
After nearly two and a half decades of mis-direction things have finally reached a point where it is so painfully clear that new direction is needed a THFC. Dan Levy and Enic have led us to this crisis point by undermining the clubs needs year in year out, not recognising what is truly required to bring stability let alone success. It is surely time now for Levy too step aside and recognise he is not making a meaningful contribution to making the actual football club a success on the pitch where it truly counts. Go now Mr. Levy and show you have some dignity at least, and stop dragging our club down!
LikeLike
Remember when you used to go and watch Spurs on a Saturday afternoon with your mates and it was fun? ……nobody even knew about wages to turnover ratios! Happy days
LikeLike
Come on. This is just about cash. I understand our frustration. I don’t understand the lack of understanding of running a business. Which is what Tottenham is. All ‘big’ clubs are interested in is exploiting fans and making money, without exception.
Levy runs a good business. Apparently that means he doesn’t invest enough in the team. There’s no question that ENIC has spent money on players (dire recruitment and scouting are another issue though). He’s criticised for our wage ratio, the story being that you can’t compete unless you break the bank – a completely irresponsible business model and a sensibility informed by the bloated, insane expenditure of entities that aren’t run as businesses – City, CFC, NUFC, United, Arse etc. Real and Barca are both bankrupt but spend and payroll beyond belief due to some extremely dubious ‘jam tomorrow’ accounting and governance laws even more lax than the UK’s own. FIFA, and every major league, wants no robust fiscal governance legislation to end the party. The players and their tax efficiency accountants certainly don’t. Greed doesn’t even describe it.
Levy’s delivered the best stadium in the country. Job done say the Spurs’ faithful let’s have the money into the team. Just not how real business works. Investment is about profit. Champions League qualification yields huge income. But it’s a gamble. Match-day income is a far better prospect and world-class venue revenue streams can be expanded in various ways. Good business. Our infrastructure investment needs to be clawed back and ideally that needs predictable returns, alongside profits being returned to ENIC and minority shareholders.
We exist in a football culture and a league defined by money that has lost touch with any financial realities. Tottenham’s business model is admired globally. It’s exceptional. The cost to fans is that our club won’t spend until it bleeds, unlike other major clubs. Where that leaves us is where we are and where we’ve been. Our expectations, as ever, outstrip Tottenham’s financial reality.
Is Spurs the only major club playing by the rules and setting an example of how to run a business? Are we penalised for that by not being able to match the investment levels of other clubs? What I still struggle with is the default position that it’s Tottenham that’s got it wrong financially, rather than something closer to the truth which is that the Prem has been financially distorted. That’s led fans into an expectation cycle of reckless expenditure often funded through dirty cash from reprehensible individuals or regimes’ sportswashing.
I do think that Spurs will have to abandon its profitability model to compete at the highest level. No choice given today’s football culture. Is that right?
LikeLike
Well done Pablum.
Thank you for reiterating the reality of our club.
Hibberni
LikeLike
re-type Pablum
Thank you for refreshing our minds as to the reality of our club’s position.
Apologies if my previous comment could be open to mis-interpretation.
HIbberni.
LikeLike
we are a football club. The idea is to win games, titles and cups. Fans don’t support the boardroom they support the team. We are losers.
LikeLike
Calling Ryan Mason! Mr. Levy on the ‘phone for you!
LikeLike
It’s difficult to offer something new from this armchair fan in Florida. Not only is the board hanging Post out to dry, but they are humiliating him at the same time. It wouldn’t surprise me if he tells them to stuff it, mate.
How did we get in this mess? Forget the injuries. AP displayed his limited capabilities even a year ago when we had a terrible second half to the season and blew a chance to get into the top four and just snuk into the Europa League. The alarm bells should have been ringing then. But the board dithered hoping for something better. We didn’t have any serious injuries in the first months of the new season but the record of win one, lose one and then lose very badly to teams like Palace, etc. indicates something not right between players and manager. Losing two goal leads to Brighton and Chelsea is not a sign of a team at one with its manager. 13 losses so far with more to come! And some folk think he should still be in a job?! Give me a break.
A better manager than AP would have staunched the rot with a more pragmatic and canny approach. There’s nothing wrong with an ugly 1-0 win when the ship is sinking but he still sends out players and a team plan ill equipped to deliver. Post has the smell of defeat about him and needs to move on to let the new man clean the stables.
But for the board to fail to back him in the transfer market is inexcusable and sends a message of contempt to him and the fans. It’s so obvious that Levy is holding back and not investing in players that the new man doesn’t fancy. So much for our vaunted new football hierarchy of Munn, Lange, and Caplehorn. How’s that working out for you, Levy? You picked them and the manager. The buck stops with you.
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive….
LikeLike
Injuries.
Yet another reality check.
Why is it that the press, pundits & the blogosphere refuse to recognise the root cause of our present situation?
Here’s another must read article from the NY Times/Athletic
Please bear in mind that this was written on January 18 2024!
Some pertinent quotes…
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5208035/2024/01/18/tottenham-hamstring-injury-postecoglou/
“The players’ physiology will adapt as they get used to training methods,” says Anthony. “It’s all about adaptation — once you’ve done it over a long-enough period, you get used to that kind of matchplay. They (Tottenham) should be better off in the second season, once they’re more used to it.”
‘On the flipside, by next season Postecoglou will have a squad in place that’s deeper and better suited to how he wants to play.
Yeah rite.
I know, DL should have started selling our internationals and replaced them with….
Hibberni.
P.S. Please Google link address if unable to access.
LikeLike
All fair Alan and, as you’ve been saying since we had dinner together 8 or so years ago, the rot seeps down from the top. Like many others I’m paying more (premium west stand) for less (2 seats: the missus and me, £12.5k a season). Are we not entertained ? Well, to be frank, no. I’d rather win 1-0 than lose 3-6, especially when 6th from bottom.
I so want Ange to succeed. Or at least, I did. Yes he fronts up, albeit I wish he’d look at the camera lens. The question is when does stubbornness become stupidity? The coach decides the rules. So Kinski gives the ball time after time after time to Dragusin. I like Radu. He’s doing his best and is better he’s given credit for by frustrated Spurs fans. But passing’s not his strength. Especially when opposition know 99pc certain what we’re going to do. The one time Kinski hoofs it Kulusevski nearly scores. I’m sorry but that’s not down to anybody but Ange. Only Ben Davies (old enough to know his own mind) consistently plays the situation in front of him. The rest, understandably, do what they’re told. Ange needs to be less controlling. Plan Bs, Cs and Ds are irrelevant without treating our players as adults.
LikeLike
Hey, we’re still in three cups, and we won’t get relegated. Lots of good players to come back soon, so let’s stop reading ‘Bleak House’, and crack on with ‘Great Expectations’!
LikeLike
Whatever issues fans have with the board, I hope they can provide enthusiastic backing for the players during the game and save the negative chants until they get outside the stadium.
With so many injuries it will take a huge effort from the players to climb back up the league table and win more cup games. With injured key players returning, the fans have a big role to play!
I have to agree with you that the silence from the money men and business suits who are running the club is deafening.
LikeLike
As Igor (played by hilarious Marty Feldman) in Young Frankenstein suggests: “It could be worse…it could be raining.” And, then, sure enough, it starts to rain. We gotta laugh or we’d have to cry! COYS!
LikeLike
As Igor (played by hilarious Marty Feldman) in Young Frankenstein suggests: “It could be worse…it could be raining.” And, then, sure enough, it starts to rain. We gotta laugh or we’d have to cry! COYS! Ashley on the Left Coast of the former Colonies.
LikeLike
Thanks..As always I enjoyed your column, but this time I think it’s naive. The reason I say this is it calls for signings. Signings would be in the following categories: permanent or loan.
If the former they would either be upgrades on existing, probably injured, squad players, or simply squad players. If the first hard to get and means when our existing players come back we have a Dragusin style problem of someone not playing. If squad players why would they come and if they do what do we do with them when better players return – again a Dragusin style problem.
I don’t think players we want will want to sign in these circumstances.
So loan – you are against this. But it’s the obvious solution given the issues above. But where are these loan players anyway.
The only position we don’t in theory have squad cover subject to injury is DM and maybe LB. Very hard to find these players.
You say Levy is failing but actually the squad is good enough. It was good enough last year. The issue is injuries and/or why players are injured and whether the manager can work properly with what he had. Personally I think it’s injuries and whether the way he works causes them. I don’t know the answer to that.
LikeLike
Good to see a few comments focusing on the actual problem, our injury record. Sadly the rest are still “sound and fury signifying nothing” as Shakespeare put it (maybe he was a football supporter). No firing the manager or getting rid of the chairman isn’t going to magically clear up the injuries. It’s moronic to talk about spending more money if you don’t know how much cash the club actually has. But hey, easier to just sound off than engage the brain right ?
LikeLike
Elfsborg.
“Before we’re reduced to playing an U21 side in the EPL….” quote from my 9 Dec. post
“While I’m in no way suggesting that our injury list is beneficial, it does at least provide an opportunity for players who have had little game time so far.” quote from my 16 Dec. post.
“Then there’s our growing list of injurious basterds….and I expect the situation to continue next year.” quote from my 31 Dec post.
Let’s not get too excited about beating a team that clearly was not in the same class. A look on SofaScore at the match stats confirms this.
The same site awarded an 8.5 to Pedro, that’s gotta be a first.
Lucas, you’re picking up too many yellow cards, please wait until more players return.
At least now Postecoglou will be able to rebalance his Europa squad.
Passing was much improved with 7 players exceeding 90% success rates (WhoScored), but maybe that was due to the quality of the opposition; still…
Now it look’s suspiciously like Radu may be out for some time. It never rains but it pours.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
January Window (so far).
Mathys Tel.
Looking at his defensive stats I have reached the conclusion that this guy does not track back, no wonder Kompany doesn’t play him. A bullet dodged methinks.
Fikayo Tomori.
For a defender his defensive stats are also poor. Another bullet dodged.
I hope that desperation is not determining the outcome of this window.
Stats source FBref.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Agree with your take on these two. Tel is another classic Levy pick of a player not quite top table but bags of potential which may – or may not – prove to be an inspired purchase who can then be sold on for a profit. He’s not quite good enough for Munich and he’s not a player who will be an automatic pick in N17. He’s absolutely not the type of player we need to battle our way to winning points regardless of Audere Est Facere. We are in a dogfight in the relegation zone and need all the experience and knowhow of a hardened midfielder to get us through the next three months. The last thing we need is yet another player with promise who might come good next season.
LikeLike
test comment
LikeLike
As we drop deeper into the mire, Shakespeare always has a line to capture the misery:
‘Abide the change of time, quake in the present winter’s state, and wish that warmer days would come’.
LikeLike
Brentford.
At last, a change in approach, not tactics, in order to better manage an outcome.
Whether this has been forced on Postecoglou due to the seriousnes of our predicament or a permanent change remains to be seen.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Hibernian, why would it be a permanent change ? In the end you have to play with what you’ve got. If we had the same players that hammered City on their own ground we’d play the same way. But we don’t.
LikeLike
I am of the firm opinion that Angeball is the cause of the injuries, both during the game and during training. His highline is too high and requires alot of effort from our front players to press the ball when we lose possession. I’ve noticed that when we don’t dominate the opposition in the above manner, ( a view in a previous post of mine) like yesterday, that we achieve better results. Your reference to the MANC game is a prime example of that.
Hibberni(an).
LikeLike
Hibberni
It’s certainly true that possession stats don’t line up with wins and losses, but is that a reflection of the effort we put in or the quality of the opposition ?
LikeLike
Well, I’m sure both those factors you mention influence, in varying degrees, the outcome of any game of football.
However it’s the imbalance that Angeball can create especially in games where our average positions are 2-4-4 (SofaScore) for example that I have issue with.
It’s impossible for the defense to reform in time when we’re having to chase back from the opposition half as has been the case but, when we share possession, more often than not the majority of our players are already behind the ball as was the case on Sunday.
Thinking about it slow transition from the opposition obviously helps.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Mathys Tel.
Having formed my own opinion of Tel above here’s that of Opta Analyst
https://theanalyst.com/2025/02/mathys-tel-stats-what-can-he-bring-tottenham
There has to be a reason why Kompany has been reluctant to play him.
Hopefully that will be revealed.
We don’t have a good record with french players, one of whom was also touted as being ‘the best thing since sliced bread’.
Still, he’s here on loan only (having refused us initially) so ‘on va voir’.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
anyone else confused about the vdv left out of both Brentford and now important game v Liverpool. I understand minding his fitness, being cautious etc but surely you would at least have him on the bench, by sounds of it be at least man u game before he included now, but Ange has to start playing him sometime as he won’t get match fit by just training. Then there’s the Mark Gehi bid, so which defender was gonna be left out, vdv is left footed like Gehi, so is he injured again but AP not saying, or is Cuti out for lot longer than expected as he trained before Hoffenheim game 2 wks ago and still not ready, is this why we tried, and failed to get 2 CB in during last few days, or was it just a PR stunt for us fans to think at least we trying. We are struggling defensively with our team so if any of the main guys are fit they should be in the squad, especially for this big game knowing we face Newcastle if we can avoid defeat. Big IF too as Liverpool are unbeaten at home bar the forest game, so they took will be going gung ho attacking us, with several players back from injury going straight into the team id say.
ps I know I’m prob spelling Gehi wrong.
LikeLike
Liverpool.
Was that the game where mental tiredness follows physical exhaustion?
Once again the pundits and even Gary Mabbut refuse to address the root cause of our injuries in a week where two more have been added to the list.
Then there is the demeanour of Postecoglou on the touchline; hands in his coat pockets, shake of the head when we concede. Does he ever consult with his coaches during a game? No he does not.
I feel a roasting coming on so I’ll stop here.
Hibberni.
P.S. Looking at Richarlison’s injury history (transfermarkt) with us it seems clear that his body simply cannot cope with the demands being asked of it.
LikeLike
A. Villa.
Two down, one to go…
Why was Tel not playing at CF?
Is there any point in these schoolboy tactics?
It’s the same ponderous approach along the touchlines that ultimately breaks down with our midfield out of position and our back four exposed. Actually it’s normally our back three because Porro ain’t around…
When the press is applied it needs to be in a line across the field so at least four players are needed.
Dear old Pedro was late to the party, caught in no-mans land, and Villa duly opened their account. What is not required is Son waving his arms about like a demented Duracell bunny in an attempt to form said press.
I have forgiven Kinsky for his error after his successful one-on-ones.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
nice to see AP actually angry with press ppl about having to explain why we can’t play Ange all due to playing every 3 days since mid Nov, bar one week in Jan. However it may be his fault we have all the injuries as it’s common with his previous teams, but those previous teams were either already the best in their league or were constant title challengers so already had players capable of performing what they needed to win while having injured players. But at Spurs it’s a whole new rebuild and change in tactics etc so gonna take longer than couple of seasons. But right now we don’t have the mf to do high pressure constantly, even with fit squad, I was disappointed we did not buy or loan a Dmf as this is badly required due to lack of protection for our defence. Read an article about pressing in football, to which a DMF was essential for it to work, any team that do it have at least one exceptional DMF that can read the game and break up counter attack as well as push the team higher and another that’s more box to box but will still be ever present to help defend when out of possession in City have rodri and kovavic/gundogen, Liverpool have gravenberch and szobalais, even under Poch we had Dembele and Wanyama. Right now we have Biss who is not nearly as good consistently to be our main DMF, too many times ball given away or ball watching as players run past either him or bentacur so im hoping in summer this part is rectified. Also like to say that buying players that become ‘squad’ players is part of football, so they are needed. No team has only 11 players that are gonna play every single game so every club needs to buy extra players in every position, but in Jan it is so hard to get any players that either A. Think they would not play if injured player comes back, however most players will always try to prove they are worth playing rather than the injured one, or B. They see were we are in league, cup or even ambition of previous years and don’t want to move or C. Are coming from a team that are more than likely gonna be champions, or in the CL each year so see Spurs as a downgrade. I’m hoping I’m wrong but I can see a few players wanting to leave in summer, Cuti Deki and doubt Tel will join permanent as why stay with team that may not be in Europe next season at all. I also can’t understand why pundits and press keep saying we are favourites for Europa as there is still some proper teams left in it, Lazio, Ajax, Galatasary, Porto, couple Spanish sides too so not gonna be easy by any stretch to win. However the Conference league looks piss poor as CFC are sleepwalking into the next rounds, with only 6 games played maybe we should have tried to get that instead if Europa, definitely something we could aim for next year if we lucky to climb up to dizzying heights of 7-8 places by May.
LikeLike
so many typos, I apologize..
also would like to point out I agree with most comments about us presuming once all players are back from injury (which itself may be a running theme for rest of season as more will get injured towards end too) that we will win matches again,that this is either naive or arrogant, since we didn’t win many with full squad second half of last season, as well as defeats to palace and Ipswich, but we also drew with Leicester away with fittest squad, so even with a full recovered team we are still quite bearable. However I do get that our chances will be a lot better with full squad and I am hoping a that these past 14-15 defeats do not harm our younger players as it can sap confidence. Pep once said that winning matches becomes addictive and that once the players go on a run they do everything to win. however the flip side when on a run of defeats it can be so demoralising that it’s harder to get back to consistently winning
LikeLike
*beatable not bearable
LikeLike
L
LikeLike
A must read article below from Opta, especially for those who might share my view that Angeball has destroyed our team.
https://theanalyst.com/2025/02/spurs-injury-crisis-ange-postecoglou-sprints-pressing-running-stats
Hence the need for:
The 3 new medical science positions (previously mentioned).
The extension of the medical facilities at The Lodge.
https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/tottenham-submit-plans-improve-medical-31000393
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Manu.
Well, that win was, without doubt, most welcome for all of us.
I still don’t understand why we have to choose the touchline as the path of transition. For much of the game Manu left the middle of the pitch wide open which we failed to exploit.
DJ Spence was my MOTM and completed 22 sprints which is not, IMHO, sustainable and will lead to an injury if the same player is obliged to play a mid-week game also. Fortunately that is not the case at present.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
I think the Brentford and United games give the lie to the nonsense that we are in a relegation battle, rather as far as the league goes the season has become a non event. The priority surely is now the Europa, you rotate to play your strongest teams there. Thankfully we are beginning to get players back so we can rotate. Getting Davis back has made a difference and I like what I’ve seen of Danso, just gets on with the job. Not sure what to make of Tel. The weak link to me is the number 6 but there don’t seem to be many quality 6s around. Arsenal paid £105m for Rice for a reason. For me the rest of the season you try and win the Europa, you scout the world for a quality 6 and you figure out why we are getting so many injuries. Oh and make sure you don’t end up in the Europa conference league, much better to be out of Europe altogether.
LikeLike
Ipswich.
Did I detect a return to belief & confidence in our players’ approach yesterday? I’m pretty sure I did.
Our heat map on WhoScored shows that we got behind the ball successfully (apart from the first ten minutes) which goes to show that a more balanced approach can win games.
Our wing play was much in evidence as usual and, I’ll admit, achieved the desired result but bear in mind Ipswich’s poor defensive record which brings me to Tel.
This is not a player (physically) who is going to benefit from crosses; he had only 16 touches yesterday. I can imagine through balls from the middle of the attacking third being more productive.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Tel is one of those players I look at and wonder what his best position is, we may find out in time. He’s certainly not a replacement for Solanke. Since quality centre forwards are thin on the ground we’d better hope Lankshear makes the grade. I don’t think it’s rocket science that a team plays better when more of the squad are fit and they have a week to prepare for each game. It’s just that so many fans seem to believe players can run forever.
LikeLike
Man City
Well, I enjoyed our football last night, all that was lacking was a centre forward. Tel was inconspicuous again (only 13 touches) which begs the question as to why Dane Scarlett was left on the bench. Maybe, Postecoglou, you needed to examine your choice of the N°9 rather than remonstrating with the players at half-time.
The match overview stats on Sofascore confirm that we more than matched City in most areas.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
AZ Alkmaar.
Mentally unprepared.
62% possession.
Shots on target 1 (Odobert).
AZ 10 shots inside our box.
Usual attempts to score from the corner flags but ‘sod-all’ in front of the AZ goal.
Seen it all before, many times, mind-numbing to watch.
So much for the promise of entertaining, attacking football.
The rollercoaster has crashed!
Hibberni.
LikeLike
as much as the players need to be able to step up and show some fight and determination to win the game, Ange has to take blame for being too overcautious with the players, taking Tel off for Odobert, then putting Son as striker, but leaving solanke on the bench had me baffled. The MF was nowhere near good enough. I’ve not been an angel fan for a while now, the football we play is easily found out and we struggle to play when teams know how to control the middle of the park, after every defeat it’s same story afterwards, ‘we let them get control of game, we didn’t play aggressively, we didn’t do the basics” , it’s getting a bit obvious that Ange not have the full backing of the squad and some are probably just wanting the season to end.
going to be another summer of nobody wanting to join, just like our winter window, with no European footy and again no trophy or close to trophy’s so why join a team that are not competing at the top in any competitions, meaning we will prob buy 18 yr olds again. I can’t see Ange with us next year we have actually gone a lot backwards since last Nov, after our first 10 games with Ange, if you take those ten games out and look at our stats with matches lost etc it’s actually quite dismal reading.
juet adding here, looked at the starting lineup Vs Bournemouth and not sure where the creativity in mf is, bissuma, bentacur and sarr all starting with Madison and bergvall on bench, with Kulu out (big miss as no creativity when he absent) means too many defence minded mf so expect a dull non attacking game from us today
LikeLike
B’mouth.
Cracking game, apart from the first 5 minutes that is. Do I get the impression that Romero may not be with us next season?
The comeback was pleasing to see but otherwise the match stats are pretty much the same as Thursday’s game; a lot of effort for little reward.
Nobody is going to convince me that Postecoglou has anything but Plan A only.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
The problem in recent games hasn’t been quality or tactics or a lack of players, we’ve just been far too passive. Add to that losing far too many 50/50s and it’s clearly about attitude. Rather like with Manchester United there will come a point when fans start asking why they keep changing managers if the attitude of the players is the problem. For the moment though sacking the manager is supposed to fix everything. Personally I’ve come to the conclusion what we really need is a real leader on the pitch. No idea where we get him from though.
LikeLike
AZ.
Stand-out performance from Lucas, even allowing for that one error.
We are still having to work hard to achieve results, the downside of playing positional, possession-based football, only 4 shots on target last night…
Last night the bulk of that hard work was done by our left-sided players (see their individual stats on FBref).
At present we are scoring (in the EPL), on average, 2 goals a game but conceding 1.5. This is not progress and underlines the need for a set-piece defensive coach.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
once again a midfield picked, against Fulham this time, without a number 10, no creativity on the pitch meaning little to no attacking from us, why start with 3 defense minded mf, Biss, gray and bentacur do not creat goal chance but more break up play or protect the defenders, without Madison or Deki we do not create anything. Not sure why Post thinks this works, nor is it “entertaining” or “free flowing attack minded football” that he talks about so much. Madison has no international games coming up so why not play him from start, also need to play VdV too from start as can’t baby him each game.
im expecting usual excuses after the match, ” we let them dictate the game” , or “we were not up to our level”. I genuinely thinking most players know the Europa is their only real chance of Europe next season so don’t put in as much effort in the league which prompts me to suggest that Ange won’t be here next season, can’t imagine Levy sticking with a manager with a below 10th finish and no trophy (can’t see us beating Frankfurt with current form)
I really hope I’m wrong on all accounts but I’m tired of another season going by with nothing to cheer about, but this time worse in league.
LikeLike
well that sucked, first half 1 shot, took off Biss and we played better, still not sure why no vdv playing today, too many changes suggest he not care about league but fans obviously don’t want to lose against rivals, Chelsea next away and we never win against them so wondering if Ange be still in charge, id say so as Levy not want to admit he got it wrong again, but id say he gone in summer if no trophy. This has been worse season I can remember in a long time, regarding defeats and lack of fight, leadership and commitment.
LikeLike
Fulham.
Normal service has been resumed.
Was it ever in doubt?
I really feel for our players, so much effort expended (on the touch lines) for so little reward.
A little huff ’n’ puff from the 2nd half subs otherwise….
If that wasn’t enough Sessegnon delivered the final embarrassment.
The only positive (for me) was watching Bentancur playing further forward in the first half.
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Looking at the stats on the PL site I see that our very own Pedro Porro features in most successful open-play crosses & most penalty-area entries categories.
Does this not argue for a change of his position to right wing in place of Johnson, who it seems to me, goes missing when the going gets tough?
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Chelsea
Just another repeat exercise in futility.
So much energy wasted chasing the opposition for so little reward; just 2 shots on target!
Our Pass Map on Opta Analyst reflects the excessive amount of time spent in our own half and how little of the ball got through to Solanke.
I wonder what this Australian imposter said to you Levy that convinced you to hire him? It’s apparent that he’s played you for the ‘football fool’ you most certainly are…
Hibberni.
LikeLike
Alan!!!! Where are you? I need some COYS wisdom… Best, Michael
LikeLike