The nice feeling round Ange Postecoglou’s arrival within the Premier League has properly and actually been washed away with Tottenham limping in direction of the end line in dire vogue.
One other hammering — this time, Spurs went 4-0 all the way down to Liverpool earlier than two late comfort objectives — has ramped up the strain on the Australian with pundits beginning to call-out the defensive frailty of his group.
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Postecoglou was the toast of the Premier League early this season with Tottenham’s thrilling, breakneck attacking play dazzling viewers whereas taking the group to the highest of the desk.
However the all-out nature of Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy was all the time going to go away holes on the again. These holes at the moment are being exploited ruthlessly, and recurrently.
Spurs have misplaced four-straight league video games, conceding three objectives or extra in three of these defeats.
Tottenham additionally conceded three objectives to Fulham in March, and has solely received two of its eight Premier League video games since beating Aston Villa practically two months in the past.
Spurs at the moment are formally out of top-five rivalry, and is even at small threat of being caught by the chasing again of Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester United, who’re 4, six and 6 factors behind respectively.
All have two video games left to play, apart from United, which has three.
Issues reached a brand new low level on Sunday when Liverpool netted 4 instances in 59 minutes, earlier than Spurs scored within the 72nd and 77th.
The objectives took Spurs’ leaky defensive document to 58 concessions this season. That’s a staggering 30 greater than Arsenal, and worse than Crystal Palace, Everton and Fulham.
The response within the UK has confirmed that Postecoglou’s grace interval is throughout — and that he merely should enhance his group defensively, in any other case the axe looms.
“Oh, Ange mate. What was that first 72 minutes all about?” wrote Chris Bascombe in his match report for The Telegraph.
“The Postecoglou-Spurs honeymoon ended months in the past, but when there are extra defensive away days like this there may very well be severe compatibility points for the coach to debate with (chair) Daniel Levy.
“This was a pitiful defensive capitulation for a aspect which, for many of a wierd afternoon, appeared to have forgotten that the flip-flops are solely supposed to return out when there may be nothing left to play for.”
Bascombe wrote that Spurs had been responsible of “unstructured carnage” at Anfield, and “didn’t deserve” to lose by solely two objectives.
He added that Postecoglou is confronted with “deep, structural flaws”, writing: “Tottenham’s defensive frailties elevate basic questions on the place Ange’s imaginative and prescient is definitely main them.”
The horror present additionally invited harsh criticism from BBC chief soccer author Phil McNulty, who famous that Postecoglou’s aspect has fallen flat when it has mattered most.
McNulty mentioned Spurs are experiencing a “dramatic decline, in a season that held a lot promise and optimism at one time, (that) continues its sharp downward curve at a vital level.”
McNulty added that Spurs had been “woeful” and “passive” in opposition to Liverpool.
Nevertheless, Postecoglou has at no level this season even hinted at the opportunity of altering his philosophy, as he goes all-in on attempting to tear groups aside.
On that main gamble, McNulty wrote: “It’s a high-risk technique in all respects however his defiant stance on his ideology makes it seem like an opportunity he’s ready to take. Better of luck to him.
“The wheels have fallen off the ‘Massive Ange’ bandwagon in latest weeks…
“Sure, it’s an enchancment on final season. Sure, it’s comparatively early days within the Postecoglou venture. Sure, they’ve been extra pleasing on the attention than underneath Jose Mourinho and Antonio
Conte (not troublesome admittedly) however when the strain was on they didn’t ship once more.”
Postecoglou has refused to publicly lay the blame on his gamers, regardless of his frustrations changing into clearer throughout video games.
In final week’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea, Postecoglou tore strips off his gamers on the sideline, solely to say “it’s on me” after the loss.
Nevertheless, Manchester United legend and Roy Keane sympathised with the Australian, saying that constructive glimmers throughout losses — reminiscent of two objectives in 5 minutes in opposition to Liverpool — would make the scenario all of the extra irritating.
“It’s straightforward to play while you’re shedding two or three-nil,” Keane mentioned on Sky Sports activities. “It truly is. Gamers need it. It is advisable present that braveness while you’re underneath actual strain. If it’s nil-nil, otherwise you’re nonetheless very a lot within the recreation.’
“I believe that’ll frustrate the supervisor. You already know, we typically we sit right here and we go, ‘properly, clearly they confirmed a little bit of struggle’ … you need conviction in your play, and also you need gamers to indicate that braveness. And this group doesn’t present that.”
Fellow Man U legend Gary Neville echoed an identical sentiment and known as for the Spurs again within the Aussie supervisor in long run.
Initially revealed as Ange honeymoon is completed as UK goes bitter on Aussie over ‘woeful decline’
