Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham in turmoil. Can Spurs turn their season around?
Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Leicester has only applied more pressure on Ange Postecoglou, with his Spurs side sitting in 15th; winless in their seven league games, including four straight league defeats.
The nature of their latest defeat demonstrates the size of Tottenham’s current struggles. A 1-0 half-time lead was undone in just five second-half minutes courtesy of Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss, giving Leicester their first win in eight games.
Spurs’ season has been indifferent, as their strength seems to work in the cup competitions but not in the Premier League, but with a League Cup final place up for grabs, is there hope despite an underwhelming season so far?
Injuries have hampered their form
The absence of key players has hurt Tottenham in recent weeks with midfielder James Maddison being the latest to join the ever-growing list alongside Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke.
Solanke, who has scored seven Premier League goals this season, is out with a knee injury. Meanwhile, Johnson has a calf injury, another player who has seven league goals for Spurs.
But it is in the heart of defence where Spurs are paying the price for their poor form, with injuries decimating their team. The dependable centre back partnership of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are absentees, alongside Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario.
Romero and van de Ven both sustained hamstring injuries in the 4-3 defeat to Chelsea in December. Resulting from this, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies have stepped in to replace them.
Vicario’s absence made a difference with the side being unsettled in that position up until the recent arrival of Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague. Both Fraser Forster and Brandon Austin have deputised in between the sticks.
The wider issue of this is that since Vicario’s injury in late November, 10 players have had to miss games through injury. Coinciding with the drop in form since that 4-0 win over Manchester City, where Spurs have won one in 11.
Without the loss of key players, Spurs might not have endured this disappointing run and that the gradual return of influential players such as van de Ven and Romero is a starting point to getting this season back on track.
The next few weeks are pivotal
If injuries are one concern, the next few weeks could define Spurs’ season.
On Thursday, they play Elfsborg, knowing a win takes them into the round of 16 of the Europa League. A trip to Brentford is followed up by a trip to Anfield to play Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final second leg, defending a one goal lead.
February’s fixture line-up also consists of an FA Cup away tie at Villa Park to play Aston Villa, home games versus both Manchester clubs and a trip to Portman Road to face Ipswich.
Tottenham’s struggles have been on the road, winning just three times, losing seven. Ange Postecoglou’s side still have to visit league leaders Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham in the league in the remaining months of the season.
The results they have picked at these grounds are not for good reading. Spurs’ last win at Anfield came all the way back in 2011, a ground they have only won twice at in the Premier League era.
Stamford Bridge is also never a positive experience for Spurs, winning just once in 32 seasons, and that was in 2018, winning 3-1.
The game at Liverpool is a big one for Tottenham, a draw or a win at Anfield would see them at Wembley, fighting for the chance to win a first trophy since 2008, and that was a League Cup too, which could also be a season kick starter.
How could Ange turn this around?
The recent run of form has asked questions of Postecoglou’s future with the club in just his second season at Spurs.
However, with less than a week left to go of the January transfer window, should Postecoglou be backed to turn this around?
Spurs are crying out for defensive reinforcements as they have limited options in this area, which has been a catalyst to their struggles keeping clean sheets and therefore winning football matches.
Tottenham have made two arrivals this month, Kinsky and Yang-Min Hyeok, the latter signing in the summer before joining this month.
But the complexity of this window stems from the difficulty to get deals done due to the reluctance of other clubs potentially losing key players. Something of which Spurs themselves have felt, but through injuries that have hampered their season.
Postecoglou’s style of play consists of attacking football where goals are plenty, which has not been Spurs’ issue, with only Liverpool and Manchester City scoring more. The absence of van de Ven and Romero is obviously felt.
Under his management, they have had some tough spells but they have managed to get through these. The recent run of form has not helped, although Postecoglou’s winning pedigree should not go unnoticed, and his desire to turn Tottenham’s fortunes around, especially when there is a potential cup final on the horizon.
Can Spurs turn it around?