Football.London’s Alasdair Gold has explained in his latest column why Tottenham fans should not be panicking about the team’s downturn in form, insisting that this campaign was always going to be a turbulent one.
While most Spurs fans accepted at the start of the campaign that this season was going to be one of transition, expectations have since changed given the sort of performances the side have delivered over the last six months.
It seems like Postecoglou is a victim of his own early success, with some supporters now questioning some of his methods in light of the 2-1 loss to Wolves.
Over the last few weeks, there are signs that opposition teams have worked out how to play against Tottenham and to exploit their weaknesses.
However, Gold pointed out that teams always struggle for consistency during Postecoglou’s first season in charge, insisting that the Australian is still in the middle of a squad overhaul at Spurs.
The journalist wrote in his column: “Supporters at all of the Australian’s former clubs will tell you there are always missteps in the first season of his tenure as he goes about ripping up things from within – drastic changes, not simple tweaks.
“Some players and staff struggle to adapt, some question the direction he is taking them in, especially when injuries bite in the early months as bodies adapt to a very different style of football.
“The squad must be overhauled to reflect what a Postecoglou team requires, not just in the starting line-up but also among those who come in. The Australian’s team relies on his ability to change it seamlessly during and for matches, without a drop in the comfort of those on the pitch to play his way.
“Postecoglou himself will adapt to new surroundings and a different league, he’s admitted that he evolves with every passing season even if the central themes of his system remain the same.”
Tottenham will see the best of Postecoglou next season
Gold further asserted that the Spurs boss would not have been surprised by the issues that have cropped up, remarking that the 58-year-old’s plan is to use this season to assess what needs to be changed.
He added: “For Postecoglou, he expects the first season to be one of friction. The second campaign is the one where things really get going but that opening 12 months together is when all the furniture gets placed on the front lawn, regardless of how important it has been in the past, before deciding which bits come back into the redesigned home and which need replacing.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It looks like many supporters have quickly forgotten just how bad things were at the end of last season. This was always going to be a transitional campaign and the players are yet to fully adapt to Ange’s system.
Having said that, the Aussie coach has not come up against this level of managers in his career previously and there are some clear signs that sides are now exploiting some of the weaknesses in his system. It is up to him to make some tweaks to stay one step ahead of the opposition.
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