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“Alarm bells are ringing” for Ange | 04:13
As full time was blown on the north London derby, bitter rivals Arsenal may have thought they had put the final nail in Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs coffin.
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Defeat consigned Tottenham to 14th on the EPL ladder. They have the same amount of losses (11) as Ipswich Town, who is currently in the relegation zone.
It’s a record that, in years past, would already resulted in the sacking of the manager by chairman Daniel Levy.
So why is the Australian still in the job?
The Telegraph’s Matt Law shed light on the situation at Spurs and why Levy has showed restraint.
Injuries definitely have played a significant part but the main motivation, according to Law, is an identification from Spurs that they need to avoid a “vicious cycle” that has plagued the club.
“Following three managerial appointments that blew up in his face in Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, Levy decided it was time to do things differently,” he wrote.
“There is still work to be done and some who prefer to deflect blame remain close to Levy. But there is now high-level recognition that a club that has not won a trophy since 2008 cannot keep doing the same things and that changing manager every 18 months or so will only keep the vicious circle turning.”
While Law said Postecoglou could still face the axe, the reason he has lasted this long is due to a desire to “commit to something and try to find something lasting”.
“What better way to prove that the culture has really changed than for Levy to stand by his man?,” Law wrote.
According to the report, there is also an internal recognition that Postecoglou has been “let down” by some of his senior players.
“While youngsters such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have impressed, captain Son Heung-min, James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Pedro Porro and Timo Werner have been some way from their best, while Rodrigo Bentancur served a seven-match ban for racism and then immediately earned a yellow card that led to a further suspension.”
That form prompted some stining public comments from Postecoglou in recent weeks, with one Werner display labelled “unacceptable”.
Law, however, said the criticism has not seen Postecoglou lose the dressing room.
“There has been no sense he has lost their faith – certainly not the majority – and it is high time a few stepped up for him.”
But the question remains, how long has Postecoglou got?
According to Law, how Spurs fare in the Europa League holds the key as they chase a back door into next year’s Champions League.
“Two wins in their remaining league phase games of the Europa League would almost certainly secure a top-eight finish and a path straight into the last 16 also affording Spurs a European break while others are forced to play a two-legged play-off round.”
“With Champions League qualification through the Premier League already looking almost impossible, retaining a realistic chance of winning the Europa League would undoubtedly be helpful to Postecoglou’s prospects of keeping his job.”
