Gary Neville has called on the Tottenham board and the Spurs fans to keep faith in Ange Postecoglou’s methods, insisting that there are plenty of positive signs at the moment despite some of the poor results of late.
While Spurs fans were nearly unanimous until a few weeks ago that Postecoglou’s first season in charge had been quite promising, that is certainly no longer the case after the club’s four consecutive Premier League losses.
While the majority of Tottenham fans are still behind the Australian, there are more than just a few doubters at the moment, with many wondering if his approach will work in the Premier League.
Neville thinks Spurs should stick with Ange Postecoglou
Neville pointed out that Spurs look especially poor when things are not clicking on the pitch, suggesting that they are not too dissimilar to Liverpool in that regard.
He said on Sky Sports’ The Gary Neville Podcast: “I don’t know whether there’s a little bit of fatigue or a little bit of a disconnect at the end. The manager looks – and I say this in a respectful manner – like he has a little less faith in them during this period than he did at the start of the season.
“That’s natural when they’re not quite doing what he wants them to do. When Spurs play the way they play under Ange Postecoglou, it’s high tempo or nothing, when it looks really bad. There’s no in-between. It’s like Liverpool have been in the past seven or eight years. I think when Liverpool are at their best is when they’re really electric.
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“It’s the same with Spurs and when it’s not there, it really stands out more than it does with other teams. So I think that’s what he’ll be a little annoyed with in the last couple of weeks and he’ll be thinking already, ‘Who’s going to be on the bus next season and who’s not?'”
Neville pointed out that while a fifth-place finish might be disappointing for Tottenham, Postecoglou is bringing the club back to his true identity, which they appeared to have lost over recent years.
He continued: “What type of players is he going to sign at the end of the season? One thing he’s not going to do is give up on his values and principles – he’s going to play his way – so he’s going to bring in players that play his way.
“I hope the club really back him because this is a guy to get behind. The last four years have really been a drain at Spurs – sometimes you’ve watched them and thought you know what you’re going to get, but it isn’t Spurs.
“Spurs have got a style, character and personality as a football club – an arrogance in the way they play – and he brings all those things. They should invest in that. I know they finished fourth and second at times in the last seven or eight years but the fans should be really happy with how they’re finishing fifth.
“Sometimes for a football fan, it’s how you finish fifth, it’s how you lose, because you know you’re going to have good times. He has brought highs this season.”
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I would think that even most of Postecoglou’s biggest doubters would certainly not be advocating for him to be sacked. The Australian most certainly deserves time to show what he can do.
However, there are certainly plenty of reasons to be sceptical of the project at the moment and it is up to the 58-year-old to prove that this style of football can consistently produce results at this level.
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