Aussie's Dream Revisited

Back in March 2023, I wrote an article (link here) arguing the case for Spurs to appoint the then Celtic Manager, Ange Postecoglou. I wasn’t claiming to be an expert about the Australian manager, but as I said back then, I had an instinctive feeling during that moment in time he was the type of profile that could restore life into a football club that was losing its sense of identity.?

Cut to Ange’s second season at the club, and as the international break curtain draws for the third time, the 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich is yet another frustrating result in a season full of contradictions for Spurs.

We have scored more goals than any other Premier League team at home this season, yet in these games we have conceded the first goal in 5 out of 6 occasions, a continuation of what was happening towards the end of last season.?

At our best, we appear to be a better side than what we were last season, yet we currently sit in 10th place. In comparison, this time last year we were 4th. Of course, last season we were knocked out in the second round of the Carabao Cup, and were not playing in Europe so the context is different, but the situation is confusing. How can a team that is producing so much exhilarating, attacking football where they are capable of beating any opposition put in front of them also be so fallible to collapse at any given moment?

It’s a question that Ange Postecoglou has to find an answer to during this international break.?

It is undeniable that the current Spurs Manager has succeeded where the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte failed. Prior to Ange’s arrival, Daniel Levy said Spurs had lost sight of “what’s truly in our DNA”, and while it is still unclear exactly what Levy means, Ange’s style of play represents how Spurs fans want to see our side play, in a way those previous Managers never did. It can be argued that during the start of Ange’s reign up until that fateful Chelsea match, Spurs fans felt more joy in that period than they had since the Pochettino era.

A fan’s joy derived from watching their team is not purely about their style of play, it has to be combined with results, and for a club of Tottenham’s stature, silverware. Aside from Ange ticking the ‘Tottenham DNA’ box, another reason why I wanted him to join Tottenham, and presumably why the Spurs hierarchy did too, was his impressive track record of winning trophies wherever he has managed. Spurs’ pursuit of trophies is the exact reason why we compromised our DNA and turned to ‘winners’ like Mourinho and Conte, but even they could not deliver on that front.?

After the disappointing defeat to Arsenal in September, Ange fully embodied the Spurs’ ‘to dare is to do’ motto when he proclaimed, “I always win things in my second year”. Whilst it is a factual statement that reflects his managerial career, it also acts as a pledge to a fanbase that hasn’t seen their side win a trophy since 2008. Come with me, and we will succeed together. I think Ange can make good on this promise, but there are a few tweaks he needs to make both on and off the pitch to give himself the best opportunity.

Let’s start with what is happening on the pitch. Let’s be clear that whilst our results are inconsistent, the errors we are making are not.

Set Pieces - Defending - Ever since we lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup last season, teams have identified that we are vulnerable from set pieces. There is an argument to be made that since Nick Montgomery joined the club as a coach, we are defending set pieces better, but the reality is Guglielmo Vicario continues to be a nervy presence in goal, and for whatever reason, doesn’t seem to get much support from his players in these situations. Morgan Rogers’ goal against us is a perfect example of that. This season Vicario’s demeanor has changed, with him regularly screaming at his players and often gesticulating wildly. It conveys a sense of a goalkeeper who is not in control, and you can imagine that only further encourages opposition to target him. Ange and his coaches need to find a way to provide additional support to Vicario from set pieces, and also work with the Italian goalkeeper to maintain more composure, to reduce the risk of unsettling the rest of the team. I do think these two things go hand in hand, as more support for Vicario should boost his confidence, and whilst Vicario is trying to act as a leader, I think more confidence can lead to him doing this in a more productive way.

Defending Crosses - In some ways this is linked to how we defend set pieces, but at the moment a much greater concern. I have lost count of the number of times this season we have conceded goals from crosses. Of course, teams are always going to score from crosses, and sometimes if the quality is a ball is strong, there is not much even defenders of the quality of Romero and van de Ven can do about it, but this has been a glaring issue for Spurs ever since Jamie Vardy equalised against us back in August. It would be naive to say Ange and his team are not looking to address this, but we are now in November and if anything, this situation is getting worse, not better. Something needs to be done, otherwise we will continue to leak goals, and undo all of our wonderful attacking play.?

Plan B - Spurs fans love that we are a progressive, attacking side. I think nearly every Spurs fan accepts that whilst playing out from the back can sometimes be nervy to watch, it is a key part of our style, and actually something we achieve a lot of success from. However, that doesn’t mean that a bit of pragmatism shouldn’t come into play from time to time. Take the Crystal Palace and Galatasaray matches. Two away fixtures in stadiums that generate a lot of atmosphere, and naturally will lead to difficult moments during these games where Tottenham have to focus on weathering the storm. This can translate to these teams pressing high up the pitch, and leading to Tottenham giving the ball away more often than normal when playing out from the back. In these moments when the opposition press is benefiting from Tottenham playing out, it seems prudent to switch things up and bypass the press for a period. We even have a striker in Dominic Solanke now who is excellent at holding the ball up, and will work harder than anyone else out on the pitch to chase the ball down. In both the Palace and Galatasaray matches at 0-0 and 1-1 respectively, we were faced with this exact situation, and our lack of pragmatism led to opposition goals which would ultimately lead to two defeats. This is where Ange’s tactics need to be tweaked. A 10-minute period of playing more direct from the back isn’t in my opinion compromising your principles, it is giving yourself the best opportunity to win by reacting to what is happening during a match.

Set Pieces - Attacking - For a team that has scored so many goals, it feels harsh to call this out, but I think working on this can take this side to even greater heights. We create a lot of chances, and as such have multiple corners and free kicks in more or less every match. We are capitalising from some of these set pieces, but given the volume, there are opportunities to fine tune this further. I know Ange and his staff have a preference for short routines, and I have no doubt there is a lot of evidence that will suggest that they will lead to more opportunities and help the team tire out the opposition with the ball constantly in play, but I cannot stress the value of a well executed, direct set piece. We have seen from the way Vicario is targeted that if you deliver a ball in the right way, it is incredibly difficult to defend. I loathe to praise Arsenal, but if anyone has shown this in recent times it is Arteta’s side - set pieces can win you matches even when you are not at your best. Again, Ange should not compromise his principles and short routines are obviously valuable, but it does feel like a set piece specialist appointment in the mould of Gianni Vio could help. Since his departure we look much less dangerous from set plays, and small improvements in this department can lead to huge rewards.

Now I want to talk about how I think Ange can improve things for Tottenham off the pitch.

Respect The Fans - An appeal of Ange Postecoglou was the sense he understood football fans more than the average Manager, and whilst that early run is fondly remembered because of the results, what was so refreshing was having a Manager who embraced Spurs and respected the fans. Ange really felt like Tottenham meant something to him, much in the way that Celtic fans loved how he ‘got’ their club too. However, in more recent times I have been disappointed, and hurt, by some of Ange’s comments. Back in May, when the majority of Spurs fans (myself included) wanted Man City to beat Spurs, he seemed to take personal offence to this. I know there is an argument he was riled up by comments made by people inside the Spurs building, but I think this situation demonstrates that sometimes if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Ange made a point of saying his understands fans and they are entitled to their opinions, but if he genuinely felt offended by Tottenham fans not wanting their closest rivals to win the Premier League, I don’t think it was necessary to make that point public. It doesn’t mean he can’t hold that opinion (and of course, nobody would have ever thought he would throw that match), he can think whatever he wants, but how is saying that in a public forum going to help create a bond between a manager and his fans??

Since then I think his comments ahead of this season’s North London derby (“I’d be disappointed if Spurs wanted derby win more than usual”) and even what he said after Erik Ten Hag was sacked (“He won a trophy in each year, they finished third in his first year. If he was here with that record would he have lost his job?”) to me are disrespectful towards Spurs fans. His North London derby comments were more directed to the players, but the comments he is making about Ten Hag are very much mocking Tottenham’s agonising wait for a trophy. Again, the fact Ange is willing to frequently be candid with the media is in many ways admirable, but I appeal to him to refrain from having a go at the people who are more desperate than anyone to see Tottenham (and of course, Ange) succeed - Tottenham fans.?

During our recent Carabao Cup victory against Man City, the atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was on another level, and I’m certain helped the Spurs team over the line. Ange needs to ensure this bond between himself isn’t broken. Contrary to what you might read on Twitter, the majority of Spurs fans remain behind Ange, and want nothing more than him to succeed. Ange needs to return this with more loyalty towards fans, and remember they are on his side.?

So there we have it. I think it is clear whether or not you agree with all the above points, there is plenty to be fixed at Tottenham this season to ensure Ange keeps up his second season trophy success and we finally get to celebrate a Tottenham trophy.?

It’s also important to end on a positive note, when Tottenham have been at their best this season there is an argument to be made that this is some of the best football Spurs fans have witnessed during the Premier League era, only matched by peak Pochettino Spurs. We also appear to be set up for success beyond the Ange era with the likes of Archie Gray, Mikey Moore and Lucas Bergvall letting us dream glory does lie ahead in our future.

However exciting this future is, Ange is tasked with solving Spurs’ present. Unless a few subtle, but vital changes are made, the painful wait for a Tottenham trophy is likely to continue.?

Joe Alexander is the Co-Host of the United Mates Football Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @JoeAlexander1 and follow the podcast @UnitedMatesFP.

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