Ange Postecoglou took duty for Tottenham’s inconsistent type after Sunday’s defeat to Ipswich, saying it’s all the way down to him to “repair” the membership’s yo-yoing outcomes.
“Finally it comes all the way down to me and my method and one thing I have to attempt to repair it and see if I can assist the gamers in that space,” the pinnacle coach stated after the 2-1 loss in north London, which left Spurs with 5 wins and 5 defeats from 11 Premier League video games.
So the place is it going flawed for Spurs and what are a few of the points Postecoglou will likely be mulling over through the worldwide break?
Spurs are nonetheless porous defensively
Probably the most important big-picture drawback going through Postecoglou is his facet’s continued struggles defensively.
Spurs have managed simply two clear sheets within the League this season and stay liable to giving up large probabilities to any opposition, even when they’re taking part in nicely.
On Thursday, an admittedly patched up facet allowed Galatasaray to have 28 pictures in a 3-2 defeat, whereas Ipswich had already struck the crossbar and compelled a save from Guglielmo Vicario earlier than Sammie Szmodics’ opened the scoring.
Sammie Szmodics’ purpose for Ipswich was the thirteenth time Spurs have fallen behind at dwelling in 2024
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Even of their finest outcomes this season, such because the 3-0 wins over Manchester United and Qarabag, there have been intervals of the sport when Spurs would possibly simply have conceded (Qarabag’s anticipated targets metric was 2.43).
Nice groups are virtually at all times constructed on a stable basis and, at current, Spurs are simply far too simple to attain in opposition to to be thought-about a severe facet.
… in order that they preserve falling behind
Maybe on account of the above, Spurs have developed a behavior of conceding first – demonstrated once more in opposition to Ipswich.
They’ve now fallen behind 13 occasions at dwelling in 2024 (one shy of equalling a Premier League report for a calendar yr).
To their credit score, Spurs have recovered to win eight of these video games, together with the 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa per week in the past, however having to come back from behind requires psychological and bodily effort and is just not a sustainable path to success indefinitely.
Sunday’s recreation merely felt like one comeback too many.
If Spurs are to be extra in charge of matches, they have to be higher from the beginning, as Postecoglou acknowledged.
“We will not begin video games like that at this degree and count on to beat the hole that exists between us and the opposite groups,” he stated.
Stretched squad beginning to look skinny
Postecoglou rejected the suggestion that his squad is struggling to deal with the schedule after Sunday’s recreation – “If we had been seeing that we might in all probability really feel it extra on the finish of video games and we’re not feeling it on the finish of video games,” he stated – however clearly Spurs are being stretched by taking part in thrice each week.
Postecoglou was solely lacking 4 gamers on Sunday, and but there was no recognised centre-half on the bench and Timo Werner, himself combating a groin drawback, was the one ahead among the many substitutes.
Heung-min Son is among the many Spurs gamers who’ve appeared jaded in current weeks
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Some gamers, together with full-backs Pedro Porro and Future Udogie and captain Heung-min Son seem jaded.
And the hole between sure starters and their understudies – for instance, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin or Son and Werner – additionally feels gaping, which means Spurs shortly drop a degree or two when a few of their stars are absent.
Finally, on their day most of Postecoglou’s trusted gamers are able to brilliance however a lot of them are nonetheless struggling to execute his game-plan on a constant foundation.
Postecoglou sluggish to make use of his bench
Hindsight is an excellent factor, after all, however a few of Postecoglou’s choices on Sunday had been puzzling.
Mainly, why ignore substitute James Maddison till the 83rd minute when Spurs had been so wanting spark?
Within the defeats to Brighton and Palace, Postecoglou was additionally oddly reluctant to make use of his bench even after it felt apparent in each video games that the momentum had turned in opposition to Spurs.
Ange Postecoglou has been oddly reluctant to make use of his bench
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There may be additionally a lingering case that Spurs have to be extra adaptable and fewer predictable, significantly with the ball.
Galatasaray and Ipswich each appeared nicely ready for his or her opponent within the first half, suggesting Spurs could be too simple to play in opposition to when they aren’t at their finest.
It’s simple to marvel if Spurs are merely a bit complacent at occasions.
Postecoglou really recommended it may need been an element within the collapse from 2-0 as much as lose at Brighton and their subsequent League defeats have come in opposition to earlier winless sides: Palace and Ipswich.
Spurs went into each these video games on the again of 4-1 dwelling wins over West Ham and Villa, and maybe they anticipated a better journey from a struggling opponent.
Postecoglou has admitted his squad is wanting “management and maturity”, serving to to elucidate why they’re typically poorer on the street than at dwelling, and plainly this isn’t but a squad with the mentality wanted to compete on the highest degree each week.
