Saving Tottenham's Season: Strategies for Ange Postecoglou

This past weekend, Tottenham Hotspur fell short in their campaign for a place within the top four due to an unexpected 2-1 loss against Wolves at home.

The defeat is Spurs’ first of 2024 in the Premier League. It seems to have been looming for weeks after a series of inadequate performances.

With the recent defeat acting as a wakeup call, Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham's manager, faces criticisms over the team's tactics and is tasked with resolving their recent run of form.

'Our team is presently in a phase where continued hard work is required; a fast solution isn’t feasible,' Postecoglou revealed in a post-match interview on Saturday. 'We're a strong team that strives every week, yet we are not close to the standard we wish to achieve. It's my responsibility to lead us there.'

So, what is Postecoglou’s next step to reinforce Tottenham ahead of their following game on March 2?

When Tottenham's 'Ange-ball' style of play is in full swing, it’s a spectacle. In the initial phase of the season, the team went unbeaten for three months, with Yves Bissouma's composure and command providing an effortless and majestic display in midfield battles, bringing Postecoglou's scheme to life.

However, the Mali international's performance has been subpar since receiving a questionable red card at Luton Town in early October, which was his second yellow card for an uncalled for dive. Bissouma has since lost his smart playing edge and has turned into more of a liability when in control of the ball. He furthermore received another red card at Nottingham Forest in December.

Also affecting the team was Rodrigo Bentancur's return from injuries, which resulted in a decline in performance - as the club had previously warned he would not reach full agility until the 2024/25 season due to an ACL tear. Even his attention to the game has been recently questioned. The ball isn't being projected through midfield with the speed or cautiousness once displayed.

Being a possession-oriented team necessitates being determined to retain the ball in midfield.

Postecoglou's model system typically employs two agile wingers, whose job it is to drive to the byline and get to their final position to catch the end of crosses. However, this type of player isn’t currently prominent in Tottenham's squad, although 90min believes the club prioritises this position for signing in the summer transfer window.

Many capable wide players at present in Tottenham, nevertheless, struggle to break through deep blocks due to a lack of determination to confront an opponent.

Dejan Kulusevski, for instance, has achieved a commendable six goals and two assists in 23 Premier League matches this season. However, his optimum performances are generally when he plays in a central, rather than a wing, position.

In Tottenham's recent two matches, Kulusevski displayed minimal determination to widen the game before half-time, but ended up creating opportunities that led to goals after the interval.

In light of these difficulties, Tottenham has turned into a team trying to reclaim command in the second half, as opposed to setting the standard in the first. They need to prevent opponents from getting comfortable, especially at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and require more assistance from wide areas to create opportunities.

It is expected for a young team transitioning from one philosophy to another to make errors. There will be weak areas, there will be flaws.

But it shouldn't be an unreasonable expectation for Tottenham to not find themselves on the defensive in a predicament similar to a Bundesliga team each time they relinquish possession.

If it weren't for the superhuman speed of Micky van de Ven and the remarkable flexibility of Guglielmo Vicario, Spurs would be facing more difficulties this season. There's no need for so many upfront players if they are ineffective in penetrating the opponent's tactics - an error that gave Wolves the upper hand on Saturday.

Perhaps this is a stance held by Postecoglou, an extended theme of the high-line tactic when down to nine men against Chelsea in November. His grand scheme for Tottenham may focus on modifications to their possession style, while retaining the same shape out of it. Regardless of whether this yields long-term results, short-term losses are unavoidable.

But, is that truly consequential?

In football, progress is not always consistent. There are several factors that can influence outcomes unpredictably. How many times have we heard statements similar to 'we've played better but lost on other occasions'?

Currently, Tottenham are being chastised for their impressive and entertaining start under Postecoglou, which heightened their expectations. At the start of the season, not many anticipated they would finish in the top six, let alone the top four.

If Spurs continued at their early-season pace, they would have been challenging for the title and heading for a points tally in the eighties. It wasn't realistic to expect that to last, but the ceiling for Postecoglou's vision is at least clear.

Ah, a personal favourite. The trope of 'this is the worst top-four race ever' gets bandied around every year. Within a couple of weeks when Manchester United are back in striking distance, it'll rear its head again.

This is just the reality of a division splitting into sections. If a fan of any given side sat down before a season and predicted how well their team would do game-by-game, they would likely say they have enough to win any game at home and be competitive away. That's not the reality for anyone bar the title contenders, though.

Tottenham being in this position to fight for a Champions League spot is admirable, but they will need a quick evolution - not too dissimilar to the one under Antonio Conte in 2021/22 when the chips appeared to be down in mid-February - if they are to qualify.

Why the rush to reach the Champions League, though? Sure, it'd be the consequence and result of winning games and stringing results together, but Tottenham should not view qualification as a holy grail or the be-all-and-end-all.

You only need to look at that Conte team of 2021/22. Spurs were convinced this was going to accelerate their rebuild at the expense of Arsenal, but instead is just reversed those roles and the Gunners have benefitted of carefully planning for the long-term.

That's not to say this Tottenham won't progress by playing in next season's Champions League, but it won't be the divine solution to Postecoglou's process, repeatedly insisting he's trying to build a sustainable culture of winning rather than the quick-fix hopes of his predecessors.

Tottenham are still moving in the right direction this season and this blip will only undermine progress if they don't learn from their mistakes. An experienced and self-appointed problem-solver like Postecoglou isn't ignorant to the challenge ahead.