A Response to "Ange Post-a-no-clue": Solving Spurs' Deep-rooted Issues

Following Spurs' abysmal performance last night in their 1-0 win loss away to current Premier League giant killers Bournemouth, a video surfaced from the away end of fans frustrated with Ange Postecoglou. In the video, the words "Ange Post-a-no-clue" has left a mark on social media, seemingly pointing to complete head loss from the Spurs fan.

As a far less delusional and more rational supporter of the club, I endeavour to highlight just how hard the task is for Big Ange and how the Australian needs time and patience. Rome wasn't built in a day, and my word this may be a project that takes years to accomplish.

Tottenham Hotspur in the 21st Century: A Club Basked in Failure

In the 21st century, Spurs have only managed one trophy in 24 years, winning the League Cup in 2007/08. For a side who have a rich history of winning various trophies, this current brand of the side is not representative of the glory days in the 20th century.

Yet, the current state of the club and the team is poles apart, playing hot and cold football. Upon Postecoglou's signing as the new manager of the club prior to the 2023/24 season, there was new found optimism at the club. Indeed, the Australian did not have much top flight experience bar his successful time in Scotland, but his personality and record proved one thing to me: Spurs were finally changing from a short-term to a long-term approach.

Now, what do I mean by this? Since the most successful period in recent history under the Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs opted for an alternative method to solve their trophy-less run, by bringing in managers with CVs with success. This has included the likes of:

• José Mourinho (2019-2021) - a manager who has won it all.

• Nuno Espírito Santo (2021) - whilst not having as much top flight experience as Mourinho, a manager who brought Wolves from the depths of League One back to the Premier League, testament to his achievements.

• Antonio Conte (2021-2023) - a manager with experience in the Premier League & Serie A who has won numerous trophies.

Despite these managers, who all possess reputable CVs at varying levels, none of them could provide Spurs with any kind of success. Mourinho was the closest to securing a trophy, yet was sacked just days before the FA Cup final which, of course, we lost. However, I truly believe that these managers were not the sole problem to why Spurs couldn't win a trophy. Look at their records since leaving the club:

• José Mourinho - took AS Roma to a historic win in the UEFA Conference League in 2021/22. Fans adored him for this, even when they lost the UEFA Europe League final the following year.

• Nuno Espírito Santo - was brought in by Nottingham Forest halfway through the 2023/24 season. Now, with a full summer under his belt, his side currently sit 7th in the table above Tottenham Hotspur.

• Antonio Conte - has only been with Napoli for not even half a season, unfair to assess.

Focusing on Mourinho and Nuno, both managers are examples that they were not the sole issue and, in fact, Spurs as a club itself is the problem.

Patience and Investment Does Reward

Casting our eyes back to Spurs' most successful period since the 2007/08, the Pochettino era brought Spurs very close to joy. Utilising a long-term approach by employing an exciting, young manager, The Lilywhites were performing at a level that hadn't been seen for a while.

Following calm after Gareth Bale's departure years before which resulted in poor investment from the money received, Pochettino began to build a team which focused less on big money signings, but more on promoting youth and building for the future. This included promoting Harry Kane, who saw more minutes under previous manager Tim Sherwood, to starting striker alongside Dele Alli and Eric Dier.

Immediately, Spurs were ahead of schedule, reaching a League Cup Final in January 2015, in which they lost. Yet, this showed the potential of Pochettino and what he could do with a squad in a short amount of time. Finishing 5th in his first season, Pochettino's attractive play style began to bring a good feeling back to White Hart Lane.

In 2015/16, Spurs were close to winning the league yet failed at the last hurdle as Leicester won a remarkable title. This season, whilst continuing the trend of being ahead of the Spurs project, proved Pochettino was in the process of building a title-challenging squad. The team clearly lacked composure and a strong mentality, as seen in their League Cup and Premier League failure at the last moment. Changing a loser mentality does take time.

In 2016/17, this mentality had begun to change. Despite being knocked out of the Champions League and League Cup early on, Spurs managed to finish 2nd, registering their highest ever points total (86) since the new league format began. This indicated Spurs were on an upwards trajectory, with trophies perhaps just around the corner.

In the 2018/19 season, Spurs reached their first-ever Champions League Final. In a heart-crushing night, Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool in a shocking performance. This match proved Spurs' lack of composure, determination and desire as Liverpool cruised to victory.

Whilst Spurs didn't win a trophy under Pochettino, the upwards trajectory with Spurs highlights that with patience, investment and building the right team at all levels at the club, a manager can achieve great things. Look at the likes of Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool or Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Both did not win trophies straight away. With time and investment, both managers strengthened their sides who eventually made the Premier League a 2-legged race for a few years.

Comparing the Argentine and the Australian

Parallels can be drawn between Pochettino and Postecoglou. Both lacked top flight experience, deployed an attractive brand of football, eager to promote youth from within, grounded personalities and over-achieved with the squad available and investment received.

Those that call for the head of Ange are ridiculous. In his first season, Ange managed to restore Spurs back to European football after missing out the year before, inheriting a squad which was well below par to be challenging for European spots. Pochettino did very similar in his first season!

To give some perspective to what Postecoglou is dealing with, take a look at the squad from last night:

• Fraser Forster - a veteran goalkeeper on the verge of retirement, where is the youth development in that position? Brandon Austin sat on the bench, yet nowhere near the quality required.

• Ben Davies - a loyal servant to the club but a player who doesn't suit a ball-playing CB style

• Radu Dragusin - young, erratic and uncomfortable when being pressed

• Destiny Udogie - young, rash and poor decision-making

• Archie Gray - young, not being played in his preferred position

• Yves Bissouma - once predicted to be one of the next best CDMs, has severely underwhelmed since his move

• Pape Matar Sarr - young, agile yet lacks physical presence

• James Maddison - entering his prime and one of the focal points of Spurs' creativity

• Dejan Kulusevski - has got better and better each season, improving the most under Ange's stewardship

• Dominic Solanke - young, first season in a demanding top of the table club, needs time to adjust

• Brennan Johnson - young, full of potential yet lacks decision-making/reading of the game. When he understands the game well he is a superb poacher.

On the bench:

• Lucas Bergvall, William Lankshear - young relatively unproven talent but could reach their potential, promising

• Brandon Austin, Callum Olusesi - unproven youth

• Pedro Porro - solid RB who adds lots to Spurs

• Timo Werner - hot and cold winger who lacks confidence regularly

• Djed Spence - once tipped as the next best RWB, has been discarded for no good reason, needs minutes

• Sergio Reguilón - once a promising LB, now seemingly discarded yet would be a solid option for many top flight teams, why not sell him?

• Heung-min Son - a loyal servant just about to leave his prime, should've been sold 2 seasons ago to allow new talent to come through

The words that keeps repeating themselves are: "young" and "yet to reach potential/underwhelming". This is a clear indicator that Ange is dealing with a squad with promise that most certainly will not deliver immediately. Indeed, there are many injuries to first-team players including Romero, van de Ven, Vicario and Bentancur, but even with their additions, the team is lacking depth. Last night's starting XI held an average age of 26 years old, highlighting how many players are not even close to entering their prime years.

Thus, Postecoglou and Pochettino were/are dealing with squads with potential, rather than squads with experience. Therefore, if Pochettino had 5 seasons to build his project, it is unfair to assess Ange in only 1.5 seasons.

Turning Teams into Mentality Monsters

Title-winning teams and trophy-winning teams are not made instantly and require time and patience. I turn to fierce North London rivals Arsenal to demonstrate the progress that has been made with our neighbours.

When Mikel Arteta took over, Arsenal were in a perilous position. After pushing for Wenger's exit, the void had not been filled by Unai Emery. Thus, Arsenal turned to an inexperienced, young manager to build a long-term project. Arsenal fans, like all football fans, are fickle. The vast majority called for Arteta's head early on in his reign, not trusting the process.

However, in his 3rd season at the club, Arteta's side were competing for the title with Manchester City. Yet, due to lack of composure amongst the young, erratic players he possessed, Arteta and Arsenal fell out of contention on the final run-in of the 2022/23 season. This was a defining moment for the club, highlighting the area of improvement needed.

This resulted in serious investment, but also a focus on producing a sturdy mentality. A mindset of calm and tenacity to keep pushing on and control matches. Again, this resulted in Arsenal losing out on the title to City on the final day of the season. The difference with Arsenal in 2023/24 was that they became far better at managing emotions and moving ever closer to mentality monsters, of which Arteta's teacher Pep Guardiola had mastered at City.

How does this relate to Spurs? Well, the running joke with Spurs has always been "bottle-jobs" or being "Spursy". I.e., failing at the very last moment. This stems from fragile mentalities which have been exhibited in the famous head loss draw to Chelsea, ceding the title to Leicester. Similarly, how Moussa Sissoko's handball in the Champions League Final completely destroyed the hopes of The Lilywhites.

Tottenham, as a club and an entity has become too familiar with failing that I truly believe this has embedded with many of the players at the club. Seeing the recent history of immense pain will be felt in the club by players and staff alike, but Ange will need to find a way to change this.

Changing a poor mentality into a solid one takes time, sometime even years before players start to buy into the philosophy as has been shown by the likes of Guardiola, Arteta, Klopp, Mourinho, Amorim and many other global managers. Therefore, how can Spurs fan expect Ange to fix a rotten culture in less than 2 seasons?

Furthermore, Postecoglou is dealing with an infamously tight chairman in Daniel Levy, whose controlling demeanour over all proceedings has damaged the club to an alarming extent. Prioritising profit above anything else (which most clubs do nowadays) has meant the club has become comfortable with simply securing the financial package of Champions League football. This has led to not focusing on domestic cups which, whilst not providing as much financial reward, still mean a huge amount to fans.

Tottenham Hotspur FC: A Poisoned Chalice

Similar to Manchester United, Spurs most certainly is a poisoned chalice. Any sane manager would avoid working for a club who will most likely tarnish their careers. Although the managers who have left Spurs have managed to pick themselves back up, the Spurs blot on their CV is far from ideal, potentially leading to the manager to being synonymous with failure.

In reality, it is Spurs the club and organisation which is embroiled in failure. My beloved team needs desperate attention both physically and mentally to bring out the best in the players and staff. Ange Postecoglou, a winner, despite his relatively short managerial career, could be the man to end Spurs' suffering. But, he needs time.

I liked his response to the fans last night. His comments clearly reflects a coach who is aware of the task at hand (Source: Sky Sports):

"I didn't like what was being said because I'm a human being but you've got to cop it"

"I've been around long enough to know that when things don't go well you've got to understand the frustration and disappointment"

"All I can say is, I'm really disappointed with tonight and I'm determined to get it right and I will keep fighting until we do."

The Australian's grounded and proactive personality should encourage fans. He is empathising with us whilst openly stating his intent to improve.

I appreciate the frustration but, I don't think tactics have always been the problem under Ange. Yes, in some games he has been slow to make obvious changes but, there is only so much the manager can do. Postecoglou cannot play the game for his team, players must take ownership and work harder to overcome the obstacles they face.

This resonates with Gary O'Neill's Wolves side. Whilst many have been quick to criticise the manager, watching the game it is evident that his players aren't doing the footballing basics. This has left the Englishman in disbelief on the sidelines. Once again, emphasising the point that the manager can't do everything.

In short, I do hope fans see that Spurs is in desperate need of long-term stability. Ange is the right man to take us forward. However, the factors that confront him are not in his favour. With time and patience, something that may take 3 or 4 more seasons, he should be able to surpass the success and progress made under Pochettino.

Rome, like footballing empires, was not built in a day...nor will Ange Postecoglou's Spurs team be built at such speed. Trust the process.