We’re getting bored of Ange Postecoglou now, if we’re honest. The thing with Ange’s Spurs is this: they’re just not very good. Not often enough, anyway. They are very occasionally very, very good indeed. But only occasionally. And a lot of the times when they’re not that they’re just too utterly awful for words.
Crystal Palace and Ipswich have won two Premier League matches between them out of 22 this season. Both those wins have come against Spurs, and neither was particularly smashy or grabby. Spurs were utter turd in both those games.
Sure, they’ve won 3-0 at Old Trafford and beaten a normally sensible Aston Villa 4-1 with a thrilling display of attacking verve and vigour. But they’ve lost as many games as Ipswich this season and more than Manchester United.
Their form has been famously mid-table slop ever since that ridiculous – and in hindsight very, very lucky – 10-game run at the start of last season, and the general trend is not up. Spurs have lost 10 and won just seven of their last 18 Premier League games, with just 22 points to show for it. A table for 2024 shows them a gnat’s hair ahead of Fulham.
What Postecoglou’s Spurs are, in essence, is a very expensive 21st-century version of 1990s Tottenham. Which, to be very clear indeed, is not a good thing. They are always watchable if you’re a neutral, but far less so if you’re actually a fan.
They have scored more goals than anyone else in the Premier League this season yet have precious little to show for it. They are Spursier than they have ever been. Dr Tottenham is treating more patients than ever before, and above all they are never more likely to fall over their own feet than immediately after a performance or result that gives you the entirely wrong impression they might have cracked it. Spurs’ last three home games have been wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa and a defeat to Ipswich.
We’d be tempted to say they have completed and perfected Spursiness, but we do not wish to be hostage to that fortune. Save that for a couple of weeks’ time after they’ve won at the Etihad and then lost at home to Fulham.
We will be very surprised if Ange Postecoglou is still Tottenham manager in a year’s time and don’t in truth expect him to survive the season. Once their hopes are dashed in the cup competitions, as history tells us – repeatedly – they soon will be, he is likely to become a dead mate walking.
He will then be replaced by someone far more sensible but also much duller. The Premier League will probably be poorer for his departure, and Spurs no better. So enjoy him while you can, if indeed you still do.